Speech of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu at Russian Defence Ministry Board Session December 24, 2019

The military-political situation this year was characterized by a further buildup of military force. The US military budget in 2020 for the first time will reach nearly 750 billion US dollars. This is comparable to the total annual military budget of all countries of the world and exceeds the Russian one by 16 times. The North Atlantic Alliance implements the US four by thirty anti-Russian initiative. It is expected that in thirty days 30 mechanized infantry battalions, 30 aviation squadrons and 30 warships will be ready for use. As of December 1, full completeness of the land component was achieved, as well as 76% for air component, and 93% for the sea component. In our estimation, the full implementation of the concept of “four by thirty” is possible by 2022. The readiness of carrier aircraft for the use of nuclear weapons is planned to be reduced from 10 days to 24 hours. In the Baltic countries deployed American air defence radar to detect air targets. They allow to control our airspace to a depth of 450 km. Every year, the NATO in Europe holds up to 40 exercises that have a clear anti- Russian focus. Compared to last year, near our borders, the intensity of air reconnaissance increased by 33%, and marine by 24%. Pentagon tests conducted in August and December for medium-range confirm the fact that the United States developed systems prohibited by the INF Treaty during the period of its operation. The next logocal step will be the deployment of such missiles in Europe and the East. Also, there is no certainty of the United States about the future fate of the START Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty. Without getting involved in the arms race, but taking into account the threats, the Ministry of Defence and the defence industry comlex continued to implement plans approved by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to re-equip the Armed Forces and improve their quality.

Rearmament of the Army and Navy

All measures provided by the Ministry of Defence Action Plan and the 2019 state defence order have been completed. The highest rate of execution of arms and equipment deliveries over the past four years has been achieved. More than 6,500 pieces of new and modernized armament have entered the that made it possible to increase the share of modern weapons to 68.2%. The order of the President of the Russian Federation to equip strategic nuclear forces with new launch systems is being completed. The rate of modern armament in Strategic Missile Forces has exceeded 76%, and in nuclear triad is 82%. 2 This week, the first missile armed with the Avangard missile system with hypersonic glider wing units will take up combat duty. Three missile of Strategic Missile Forces have been re-equipped with modern Yars missile systems. The deployment of Peresvet laser systems has been completed. Since December 1, they have been on combat duty in the position areas of the five missile divisions of the Strategic Missile Forces. Five modernized missile carriers have entered strategic aviation nuclear forces. State test of nuclear submarine project Borey-A Knyaz Vladimir has been finished.

This year, 624 pieces of and other armored vehicles, 143 modern aircraft and helicopters, 13 spacecraft, one submarine, eight surface ships, 17 boats and support vessels, and four Bal and Bastion coastal missile systems and more than 10,000 pieces of modern signal equipment received Russian Armed Forces. Large-scale work on the re-equipment of all missile brigades of the Land Forces with Iskander complex was completed. As well as the launch of the third Kupol spacecraft of the Unified Space System. It successfully completes the tasks of combat alert duty. Flights of the Hunter experimental reconnaissance-strike long-range unmanned complex, surpassing foreign counterparts, were performed. From December 1, a unique over-the-horizon radar station took up combat duty. It is able to reveal the massive take-offs of aircraft and launches of cruise missiles, including hypersonic ones. Long-term contracts were signed for the supply of 76 Su-57 aircraft and more than 200 modern combat helicopters to the Aerospace Forces. This allowed to reduce purchase prices by 20% and guarantee the loading of enterprises until 2028. For the first time in the modern history of , the Navy is simultaneously builds 22 ships for the far sea zone. Five ships were laid this year, and there will be eight more next year. The issues of reducing the time of their construction and equipping with precision weapons, including Tsircon hypersonic missiles, are being resolced. Mi-28NM helicopters, new samples of missiles, bombs arms of Su-57 fighter jet were tested in combat work in . The rearmament of the army and navy, as well as the planned repair of military equipment, made it possible to increase the level of serviceability in the Armed Forces to 95%. At the same time, there is an acute question with the serviceability of training aircraft, in which it is 58%, and for Yak-130 aircraft - 56%. We are taking active measures to correct the situation. The activities on transferring 107 repair enterprises to the defence industry complex and the state corporation Rostec were completed in full. Fundamentally new technologies and weapons models developed in the Era military innovative technopolis are already used in the daily activities of the troops. Four research and production companies showed their effectiveness. We consider it necessary to extend this practice to all defence enterprises. Unique research in the defence sphere is carried out by servicemen of 17 scientific companies. They implemented 1,584 developments, registered 135 inventions. After 3 the service, 912 of them became officers or got jobs at the defence industry enterprises. Over the five years of the operation of the National Centre for State Defence Control, the total productivity of its computing facilities has been increased eight times. The volume of stored protected data has increased by 16 times, which allows to control all types of activities of the Armed Forces - from everyday to combat control. The Centre also fully implements round-the-clock monitoring of the implementation of the state defence order. To increase the efficiency of the execution of the state defence order, within the framework of a unified information system for calculating state defence orders, a separate accounting methodology is used for the results of financial and economic activities of state defence executives, at which military missions are created. This made it possible to reduce accounts receivable by two and a half times, reduce the price of arms and equipment, and increase the volume of their deliveries to the troops. The decisions on the rearmament of the army and navy made by you, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, at meetings in Sochi, are carried out without interruption. The type of armament and equipment has been clarified, purchase prices have been reduced, and the Unified Information System for the Control of the State Defence Order is functioning. At the same time, against the backdrop of annually rising spending by the United States and other countries, Russia's military budget has remained unchanged for several years. If in 2018 we were in seventh place in military spending among the leading states of the world, in the current year - in eighth, and in the next we will be in ninth. At the same time, the accumulated pace of the rearmament of the troops, the creation of a modern military infrastructure, and also the solution of the tasks of social protection of servicemen are maintained.

Improving the readiness of troops to carry out mission

Level of field, air and sea training has increased. In total, over 18,500 exercises and trainings of various levels were held in the Armed Forces during the year. The task of increasing the flying and sailing time has been completed. Two surprise combat readiness inspection were carried out with the participation of military districts, branches and arms of the Armed Forces. The largest event in the training of troops was Tsentr-2019 strategic command-post exercise. It was attended by military contingents of seven foreign countries from the CSTO and SCO. The Russian Navy conducted Ocean Shield joint exercise. The created groupping has demonstrated the ability to effectively fulfill the tasks of protecting our national interests in the waters of the Baltic and North Seas and in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. The interest of foreign countries in the International Army Games, which has become an important part of combat training, is growing every year. The Games competitions were held in ten countries with the participation of teams from 39 countries. For the 4 first time in India, Uzbekistan and . To increase the level of combat training of the troops and the Games 82 training grounds were modernized during five years. Conducted 42 exercises with foreign counterparts. The most significant of them wereJoint Sea 2019 Russian-Chinese bilateral naval exercise and Indra Russian- Indian exercise. We continue to form a professional army. Simultaneously with the entry into the troops of technologically sophisticated weapons, the number of contracted personnel trained for its operation and combat use is increasing. At the same time, the need for recruiting citizens for military service is proportionally reduced. This year certification of all contractors was carried out, during which professionally unsuitable servicemen were identified and dismissed. We continue to increase the requirements for the selection and level of training of contracted personnel. Currently, more than 70% of them have professional education. At the same time, they are financially encouraged and the conditions of service are improved. This year, over 14,000 such specialists were sent to the troops. This is the second full graduation from our schools. The military education system has reached the required training capacity and is able to meet the army's need for qualified military personnel. The staffing level of officers is brought up to 95%. Their average age is 35 years. The officer corps is distinguished by high moral-volitional qualities and professionalism. Combat experience was gained by all commanders of military districts, combined arms armies, air force and air defence armies, commanders of divisions, brigades and regiments, 90% of flight personnel, 56% of air defence specialists, 61% of the navy, 98% of the military police, 78% of engineering troops. Decisions adopted by the President of the Russian Federation on indexing monetary allowances support its size at the level of remuneration for workers in leading sectors of the economy. It also provides for the annual indexation of military pensions. The task set by the Supreme Commander to provide places in kindergartens and employment of wives of military personnel, as well as last year, is fully completed. Nearly 5,000 children of military personnel went to preschool institutions, more than 900 wives were employed. This issue remains a priority for us. This year, 15,000 patients received high-tech medical care. For three years, the incidence rate of military personnel has decreased by 15%, and for the most relevant pathology - respiratory diseases - by 23%. For military personnel of remote garrisons, 765 emergency and planned video consultations were held.

Armed Forces

The planned arrangements for the deployment of troops in 2019 were fully implemented. The construction, reconstruction and overhaul of 3,750 buildings and structures with a total area of 3.5 million square meters were completed. The construction of infrastructure was carried out simultaneously with the timing of receipt of arms and 5 military equipment in the troops. 75% of all objects are being built according to standard projects, which allows to halve the time and reduce the cost of design work. In total, more than 650 buildings and structures were built this year in the interests of means and forces of nuclear deterrence. The reconstruction of 19 airfields has been completed; more than 230 buildings and structures have been commissioned on them. In five years, two launch complexes for light and heavy rockets of the Angara family were built at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, and a reconstruction of the launch complex for Soyuz-2 rockets was carried out. Construction of the Caspian Flotilla facilities is underway. More than 100 buildings and structures have been completed at military medical institutions. The construction of military hospitals in Penza, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and continued. Of the 140 medical institutions we need, by 2030 it remains to build 23. Including next year - nine. The program to create a network of presidential cadet schools was fully implemented. The final stage was the commissioning of such an educational institution in Kemerovo this year. In St. Petersburg, the branch of the School facility for female students of the Russian Ministry of Defence began work. Next year, a branch of the Nakhimov Naval School in Kaliningrad will be opened, which will complete the development of this branch network. A sports complex at the Suvorov Military School and an ice rink at the Nakhimov Naval School began work. In total, more than 50 ice rinks and the same number of pools operate in the Armed Forces. In total, we need 55 pools, until 2025 it remains to build four. We will achieve the same performance on ice rinks. As for the provision of housing for servicemen. Plans for permanent housing have been fully implemented. Over the current year, 7,000 servicemen received it, of which 1,900 - apartments, 5,100 - housing subsidies. In 2019, about 600 military personnel received housing weekly . In total, more than 33,000 families are provided with it. The specialized housing fund includes more than 41,000 residential premises. The activation of Nara first production and logistics complex allowed to disband seven unpromising, outdated bases and warehouses. By attracting private investment, the construction of the production and logistics complex in Arkhangelsk began, and next year it is planned in Sevastopol and Vladivostok. All missiles and ammunition from 79 storage facilities deployed within the boundaries of settlements and near hazardous industries were withdrawn and placed in newly built modern storage facilities. Oil companies for their own funds at the airfields of the Armed Forces put into operation 12 fueling complexes, five are under construction. The total investment of oil companies has already amounted to 18 billion rubles. In 2020, they will invest three billion rubles. In pursuance of the order of the Supreme Commander for the construction of the second branch of the Baikal-Amur Railway from Tynda to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 6 the Ministry of Defenсe, together with the Presidential Administration, is considering the creation of five railway brigades outside the Armed Forces. The development of military infrastructure in the Arctic continues. In total, using innovative technologies, 590 objects were built with a total area of more than 720,000 square meters. In order to accommodate the units of the Air Defenсe Division in Tiksi, the construction of priority military camp facilities with a total area of 4,600 sq. meters. On the island of Alexandra Land, the military town of Nagurskaya is fully equipped. In the village of Belushya Guba, Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the reconstruction of the school was completed, which provided comfortable learning conditions for all children of military personnel. Ahead of the schedule by one year, measures were taken to eliminate environmental damage to the Arctic in the territories of the deployment of troops. Cleared more than 113,000 square kilometers. 23,000 tons of scrap metal were collected, 18,600 tons were transported. In the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, 453 buildings were utilized by demolition. Next year, environmental clean-up activities will continue at Cape Marre-Sale, the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the islands of Kildin and Wrangel. We continue the implementation of the "Effective army" program. Over the past six years, we have achieved a reduction in the deficit of basic indicators under the items of material and technical and public utilities in the face of a constant increase in prices for these services, which allowed us to fully complete tasks assigned to the Ministry of Defence. We consider it necessary to expand the participation of the Ministry of Defence in national projects. A systematic approach to the preparation and conduct of heating periods made it possible to reduce the number of emergency situations by six and a half times. Together with NOVATEK and other commercial companies, a pilot project on the re- equipment of boilers for liquefied gas is being implemented. The expected annual savings of only four boiler houses will amount to 370 million rubles. They transferred 32,000 objects not claimed by the Ministry of Defense to the ownership of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, cutting their own costs for their maintenance by 3 billion 700 million rubles.

Performing tasks abroad

To ensure a military presence in strategically important areas, 48 strategic missile- carrier flights were carried out this year. In July, joint patrols of Russian and Chinese strategic bombers in the Asia-Pacific region were first performed. In October, the Tu-160 missile carriers made flights using airfields in South Africa. The ships of the Russian Navy completed 111 trips to the Arctic zone, the Central and North Atlantic, the Caribbean, as well as to the pirate-dangerous areas of the Gulf of Aden. Russian ships also took an active part in joint exercises in Southeast Asia and the 7 Indian Ocean. Russian servicemen are the guarantor of peace in Syria. aviation currently makes an average of 2–3 sorties per day for reconnaissance and air support for the actions of the Syrian army in the liquidation of disparate terrorist formations. In 2015–2017, during an operation, our aviation performed an average of 80–90 sorties per day. In total, we tested 359 modern weapons in Syria. Military personnel of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides conducted more than 2,000 humanitarian actions. 109,000 civilians received medical care. The Syrian authorities, with the active participation of Russian military personnel, are implementing a large-scale program to restore peaceful life and return refugees. Since 2015, around 2,000,000 refugees and internally displaced persons have returned to their places of former residence. Today, modern military and social infrastructure is deployed in places of deployment of the Russian force groupping in Syria. This year, shelters for operational-tactical aviation were put into operation at the Hmeymim airbase. The construction of a ship repair complex has been completed in Tartous. Russian military facilities are reliably covered by an air defence system and electronic warfare systems. This year, they shot down 53 unmanned aerial vehicles and 27 missiles of MLRS terrorists. Since 2015, Syrian air defence have repelled 83 air strikes by coalition forces led by the United States, Israel and terrorists. At the same time, they destroyed 217 cruise missiles, 38 guided bombs and 25 drones. Unlike the Patriot systems in Saudi Arabia, Syrian Air Defence systems bring down at least 72% of precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles in every massive strike. At the same time, along with the modern Russian "Pantsirs" and "Buks", the Soviet S-75, S-125 and S-200, restored and modernized with the participation of Russian specialists, form the basis of Syria’s Air Defence. Modern military and social infrastructure is being built at our bases abroad for servicemen and their families. This year, at the training ground of the 201st military base in Tajikistan, the S-300PS anti-aircraft missile battalion with Russian units took up an experimental combat alert duty. This system can be transferred in two years to the armed forces of Tajikistan after completion of training of their specialists. In the field of military and technical cooperation, China, India, Egypt, and remained our priority partners. We continued to strengthen our allied relations with the CSTO, CIS and SCO countries. International Military and Technical Forum "ARMY-2019" was an important event in the development of international military and technical cooperation. In terms of its main indicators, it significantly surpassed last year's forum. The amount of the State contracts signed has exceeded one trillion rubles. In five years, the Forum has become the largest armament exhibition in the world. 8 A record number of delegates – more than 1,000 from 111 countries and seven international organizations attended the annual Conference on International Security.

Military and political work

Military and political bodies together with commanders contributed to maintaining a high level of moral and psychological state of the troops. We continue to form and restore the training system for them. The number of tasks for military and political bodies is increasing. They are becoming increasingly relevant. The Defence Ministry is at the forefront of military and patriotic education of young people...... We hope to intensify this work in all subjects of the country. In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory, the Main Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces will be consecrated and opened. For the first time in world history, the memory of 33 million participants in the Great Patriotic War is immortalized in the multimedia museum complex “The Road of Memory”, where preserved photographs and letters are placed. A mobile patriotic campaign “Victory Echelons” has been planned, which will take place in the territories of the military districts and the Northern Fleet along six routes including the Hero Cities. Military parades in 28 cities and special events with the participation of troops in 447 towns will be held on . Festive artillery salutes are planned in 68 cities of the Russian Federation. Armed Forces completed all tasks defined for 2019. An increase in combat capabilities of 14% and a predetermined level of maintaining the country's defence capability were ensured. The identified issues and solutions are taken into account in the Ministry of Defence plan for 2019-2025. In 2020, the Ministry of Defence will have to solve a number of priority tasks. To deliver 22 launchers with Yars and Avangard ballistic missiles for the combat alert duty to the Strategic Nuclear Forces of the Strategic Missile Forces. To complete the modernization of six strategic missile carriers Tu-95MS at industry enterprises. To commission the type ship of nuclear submarine project Borey Knyaz Vladimir equipped with the Bulava ballistic missile. There will be seven in total. As for general purpose forces. To deliver 565 modern armored vehicles, 436 piece of missile and artillery weapons, two division sets of Buk-M3 to the Land Forces, the Coastal Troops of the Navy and the Airborne Troops. To organize 11 formations and military units. To deliver 106 new and upgraded aircraft, four regiment sets of air defense missile weapon system S-400 Triumf and six division sets of the to the 9 Aerospace Forces and the Navy. To launch the fourth spacecraft of the United space system. To increase the level of serviceability of aviation equipment up to 80% due to the conclusion of State contracts for the cost of a flight hour and the transition to a promising system of engineering and aviation supply and military repair. To commission 14 warships and boats, three submarines, 18 auxiliary vessels. To deliver one Bal coastal missile system. To complete the construction of strategic missile submarines base infrastructure in the Northern and Pacific Fleets. To introduce the project method for managing the creation, construction and modernization of the Navy ships. To equip the Armed Forces with modern weapons and equipment by 70%, following the instructions given in the May 2012 decrees of the President of the Russian Federation. To maintain the serviceability of weapons and equipment at the achieved level. To conduct 19,200 different exercises and trainings, including Kavkaz 2020 strategic command post exercise. To put into operation 3,200 buildings and constructions synchronously with terms of the armament arriving in troops. To continue the implementation of the Effective Army program. In accordance with your instructions, next year we will continue our progressive developement of the Armed Forces and improving their quality. We will discuss the results of our activities in detail during the closed part of the Defence Ministry Board Session.