questions:

1. Objective necessity, stages and goals of military reform for the Russian Federation.

2. Content and features of the current stage of military reform"

3. The role and place of military personnel in the successful implementation of military reform.

The Armed Forces are an integral and integral part of Russian society. It is quite natural that the crisis that our country is experiencing has also affected the military sphere. In these circumstances, the task of implementing military reform has become vitally important.

1

The military reform is designed to radically strengthen the country's national security, primarily in the military sphere. This is a task of great political and state importance. The Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 16, 1997 "On priority measures for reforming the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and improving their structure" justified the need for military reform, its urgency, and defined the stages, content, and timing of military transformations. Further development and specification of these issues is the document "Fundamentals (concept) of the state policy of the Russian Federation on military construction for the period up to 2005", approved in 1998 by the President of the Russian Federation. It sets out and comprehensively substantiates the fundamental provisions of Russia's policy on military construction, as well as clarifies the procedure for implementing military reform. The document sets out the main theses of the new military doctrine.

Military reform, as a complex social phenomenon, has common patterns. The necessity and urgency of its implementation is dictated by objective factors.

First, the military reform is designed to bring the entire military organization of the country in line with the nature and features of the existing military - political situation in the world.

Secondly, military reform is based on the urgent need to bring the size and structure of the Armed Forces and other troops in line with the economic capabilities of the state.

Third, the objective necessity and urgency of reforming the military organization of the state is also associated with a number of demographic constraints. Life requires a drastic reduction in the number of federal agencies that have military formations, and a decisive transition to a mixed and then contract system of recruiting units.

Thus, Russia itself is faced with the objective and urgent need for a radical military reform.

Military reform is a broad and diverse concept. This is a set of political, economic, legal, military, military-technical, social and other measures aimed at the qualitative transformation of the Armed Forces, other troops, military formations, military bodies, defense production and related state bodies and organizations. All these changes are designed to ensure a sufficient level of defense and security of the state at an acceptable cost.

The reform of the military organization is designed for a long time. Military reform is carried out in two stages.

At the first stage (until 2000), the structure, combat strength and size of the Armed Forces are optimized. During this period, a new military doctrine is being developed and approved, and research and development work (R & D) on new-generation weapons, combat control and communications equipment is actively conducted.

The second stage (until 2005) provides for the qualitative improvement of the reduced Armed Forces, increasing their combat capability, and continuing the development of next-generation weapons models. And in the following years, a large-scale transition to equipment and weapons that will serve in the XXI century will begin.

As a result of the military reform, the army, navy and other troops will be brought in line with the requirements of the time, and their quality parameters will increase. They will be numerically reduced, but radically reorganized, well-trained and technically equipped. Their high combat capability and combat readiness will ensure reliable protection of our Fatherland.

2

The current stage of military reform is, in fact, its first stage. Its main task and main content is to optimize the structure, combat strength and size of the Armed Forces. What are the features of the unfolding reform of the military organization of our state?

First of all, a noticeable reduction in the size of the Armed Forces. By the end of 1998, it amounted to 1.2 million military personnel. This is quite optimal.

The reduction of the Armed Forces, for all its importance , is not the main thing in their reform. The main thing is to optimize the structure and combat strength, to improve the handling and technical equipment of the troops. Therefore, a major organizational restructuring of the Armed Forces is currently underway. This is one of the main features of the current stage of military reform.

In the second half of 1997, the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN), the Military Space Forces (VKS) and the Rocket and Space Defense Forces (RKO) were united. Essentially, a qualitatively new type of Armed Forces has been created, although it retains the name Strategic Missile Forces. During the integration of the Strategic Missile Forces, VKS and RKO, elements that actually work for combat capability and combat readiness have been significantly strengthened. At the same time, parallel, duplicate links have been eliminated. Moreover, the rocket regiments and launchers remained in the same number. In December 1997, the Minister of Defense approved the Strategic Missile Forces construction plan until 2001. It sets out the main goals, objectives and directions of the construction plan, taking into account the minimum required funding. The promising Topol-M missile system is being successfully developed. The first regiment, equipped with Topol-M missiles, a weapon of the XXI century, was put on combat duty in December 1998. This is a major step in military reform. Strategic missile forces were and still are the most powerful type of Armed Forces in terms of combat potential, the main guarantor of the country's national security.

The Ministry of Defense and the General Staff pay great attention to the optimization of government bodies, including the central office, during the reform. The number of management structures has already been reduced by about one-third, and the structures themselves have been seriously reorganized at all levels. Practice shows that the implemented changes in the management bodies contributed to improving the quality and efficiency of troop management.

One of the features of the current stage of military reform is the unification in 1998. Air Force (VVS) and Air Defense Forces (PVO) and the creation of a qualitatively new type of Armed Forces - the Air Force.

In the process of reforming, the combat strength of the Air Force has been determined. Their organizational structure has become simpler while maintaining the principle of centralized command and control of troops. As a result of the reform, the combat capabilities of aviation of various types have not decreased. The serviceability of the aircraft fleet has almost doubled, and the modernization of fighters is beginning, which increases their combat effectiveness several times. Staffing of the remaining units and formations is brought up to 100 percent. The current structure makes it possible to comprehensively use the combat capabilities of the air defense and aviation branches in all forms of military operations according to a single plan and plan and under a single leadership.

With the unification of the Air Force and Air Defense, the transition from a five-type to a four-type structure of the Armed Forces was made. It includes the Strategic Missile Forces, Ground Forces, Air Force and Navy. The concept of military reform provides for a three-type structure (according to the areas of use of troops: land, air and space, sea). And in the end, the transition to two components is not excluded: strategic Deterrence Forces (SSF) and general-purpose forces (SOF). So, at present, the issue of combining the Strategic Missile Forces and the nuclear components of the Air Force and Navy is being actively worked out. The main goal of such an association is to increase the effectiveness of combat control and reduce the cost of maintaining strategic nuclear forces (SNF). This task will be one of the main directions of reforming the Russian Armed Forces in 1999.

In the course of the reform, major changes are also taking place in the Navy, although its structure is generally preserved. Four fleets remain - the Baltic, Northern, Pacific and Black Sea. As a result of the reduction in the number of ships by about 20 percent, fleets are becoming more compact. The current groupings of forces and assets in strategically important ocean and sea areas are being reorganized.

But the Navy is not only shrinking. In 1998, the Peter the Great heavy nuclear-powered aircraft-carrying missile cruiser was commissioned into the Northern Fleet. The Marshal Ustinov nuclear-powered missile cruiser has returned to service after undergoing repairs. In 1999, the fleet was joined by the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko. Modernization of the marine aviation fleet is envisaged. The Navy, despite the existing difficulties, solves the tasks of reliable protection of the sea borders of the Fatherland.

The current stage of military reform is characterized by major changes in the Ground Forces. Changes in this most important type of Armed Forces are taking place on a large scale, both in form and content. The Main Directorate of the Land Forces and the Main Directorate of Combat Training of the Armed Forces, as well as three commands of the branches of the Armed Forces - army aviation (AA), air defense, missile forces and artillery (RV and A) - were formed on the basis of the Main Command of the Land Forces. Management structures in the Ground Forces have been streamlined.

But the Ground Forces are not just reduced, they are reorganized and transformed. On the basis of formations and units of reduced composition and personnel, storage bases for weapons and military equipment have been created, which is important from a mobilization point of view. As part of the operational and strategic groupings of troops, formations and units of constant combat readiness are being formed that can become a prototype of the Ground Forces of the future.

During the first stage of the military reform, major changes took place in the Airborne Forces. At the expense of the reduced units, nine parachute regiments, a separate airborne brigade and four artillery regiments are equipped to the full staff. This makes it possible to introduce them into permanent readiness units for operations as part of Ground forces groups, as well as for use as airborne troops.

The military-industrial complex is being reformed. Conditions are being created for the military-technical re-equipment of the army and navy.

One of the features of the current stage of military reform is the radical reorganization of the military education system. First of all, it is being drastically reduced, mainly due to the unification of educational institutions and their transformation.

In accordance with the concept of military construction, during the current stage of military reform, the military-administrative division of the country is being revised. A single military-administrative division of the country's territory is established in 6 strategic areas. Western (within the borders of the Moscow Military District); North-Western (within the borders of the Leningrad Military District), South-Western (within the borders of the North Caucasus Military District); Central Asian (within the borders of the Volga and Ural military districts that merged in 1999); Siberian (within the borders of the Siberian and Ural Military Districts that merged in 1998). Trans-Baikal Military Districts); Far Eastern (within the borders of the Far Eastern Military District).

The new military-administrative division is giving military districts the status of operational-strategic (territorial-strategic) commands in the corresponding strategic areas. They will be responsible for the state, development, training, and use of all military units stationed within the district's borders, regardless of their affiliation with various federal agencies. This measure allows you to centralize all available forces and resources, use them efficiently, ensuring security in a particular strategic direction.

The concept of military construction provides for strengthening the interaction of law enforcement agencies. In this regard, the coordinating role and responsibility of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff for ensuring the country's defense capability and security increases.

One of the most important and difficult features of the current stage of military reform is that it is carried out under strict financial constraints. Over the past two years, the defense budget has been steadily reduced, and the budget that is being cut in half has not been implemented. The financial crisis of August 1998 further worsened the dire situation of the army and Navy. It is quite obvious that we simply cannot do without sustainable and adequate funding in the current conditions. Some progress in this regard is envisaged in the defense budget for 1999.

It should be emphasized that the pace of military reform depends crucially on the level of social security of military personnel. This largely determines their attitude to the ongoing transformations. We are talking about ensuring that the material and living conditions of military personnel and their families stimulate military service, increase its prestige and attractiveness. The level of monetary allowances for officers, ensigns and midshipmen should correspond to the nature and complexity of military labor. One of the most difficult and complex problems of social protection of military personnel is the provision of housing for them. The new version of the Law "On the Status of Military Personnel" adopted in 1998 is aimed at solving these and other urgent tasks of social protection of military personnel. It is important that the requirements of the law are absolutely met.

Thus, the current stage of military reform is characterized by an increase in the scale and pace of transformation of the military organization of the state. The army, navy and other troops are being reduced. The combat strength of the Armed Forces is being optimized, and their organizational structure is being improved. Despite insufficient and tight funding, in a short period of time we managed to lay the foundations for qualitatively new Armed Forces that meet the capabilities of our state and the tasks of protecting national interests in specific conditions of the military-strategic situation.

3.

The success of military reform and the level of combat capability of the army and navy depend primarily on the quality and efficiency of military labor of military personnel, especially officers. The requirements for officers who organize the training and upbringing of subordinates, as well as those who conduct state policy in the army and navy, are significantly increasing. Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Marshal of the Russian Federation I. D. Sergeev notes that the state of the army and navy is primarily determined by the state of the officer corps. "It is officers, true professionals, patriots, devoted to their Fatherland, who bear with dignity their high title of defender of the Russian land." Indeed, it is the officers who determine to a decisive degree the results of military transformations. Despite the numerous material and everyday problems that they face today, officers, as a rule, perform their official duty with the highest responsibility and dedication. Their professionalism primarily determines the quality of combat training, the level of military skill of soldiers and sergeants, sailors and petty officers. And the personal example of officers in compliance with Russian laws and military regulations serves as an effective means of establishing law and order, strengthening military discipline and organization in the troops.

The attention of officers today should be focused primarily on improving the combat skills of subordinates. Combat training is one of the most effective ways to compensate for the reduction in the number of personnel and weapons systems. For combat training, despite all the difficulties with underfunding, it is necessary to take on the real thing, use the training time effectively and save material resources.

One of the most important tasks of commanders and superiors in the course of military reform is to strengthen the patriotic, moral and military education of subordinates. In this work, it is necessary to be guided by the requirements of military legislation and general military charters, documents on the organization of educational work in the army and navy.

The most important area of educational work is strengthening the rule of law and military discipline. It is necessary to form in subordinates not just readiness, but an organic need to carry out orders and orders of commanders proactively, unquestioningly, accurately and on time. Obedience and efficiency are the main things in military discipline.

With all the variety of forms and methods of educational work, commanders and superiors are called upon to make their subordinates aware of the state significance of the ongoing reform, personal responsibility for maintaining high vigilance and combat readiness. Military personnel should understand that reducing the army and navy will not weaken the combat power of the Armed Forces. It will be replenished by the growth of the combat skill of each soldier, the skillful possession of military equipment and weapons, the strengthening of military discipline, organization and military order.

Of course, there are many problems in carrying out military reform. Referring to these difficulties, which are primarily caused by irregular and insufficient funding, Russian Defense Minister Marshal I. D. Sergeev rightly emphasizes:: "I don't see any other way to overcome difficulties and solve problems than to work. Work professionally, hard, purposefully, and together. The formula for such work is maximum efficiency with minimum costs."

Military reform is a matter of great national importance. It is objectively conditioned and natural. The reform brings the Armed Forces in full compliance with the nature and features of the current military-political situation and the country's economic capabilities. By reducing numbers, the Armed Forces will increase their combat capability and combat readiness due to qualitative factors. As a result of the military reform, guaranteed protection of Russia's national interests and security will rise to a new level.

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