Ukraine to allocate $4 billion for defense budget next year including new air defense systems 13012153

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Defence & Security News - Ukraine
 
Ukraine to allocate $4 billion for defense budget next year including new air defense systems.
The 2016 Ukrainian defense budget allocates the equivalent of just over USD 4 billion to the entire defence and security sector next year. Next year Ukrainian government plans to purchase advanced radar systems, surveillance drones and ground-to-air defence systems to strengthen security in the skies.
     
Ukraine to allocate 4 billion for defense budget next year including new air defense systems 640 001 New Ukrainian military air defence equipment were showcased on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 near the capital.
     
But the main challenge is how to efficiently spend it – for that, the government aims to promote competition by buying from not just state enterprises but private firms as well. That's according to Oleksandr Turchynov – the leader of the National Security and Defence Council. He inspected air defence technology at the firm ‘Aerotechnica' on Tuesday, December 29, 2015, near the capital Kyiv.

"During 2014, the Ukrainian army was being systematically destroyed. Air defenses were affected the most; anti-aircraft missiles and radar stations which were popular abroad were removed from military use and sold. Air defence capabilities are the biggest problem in reviving the army's capability . This is why the revival of air defence systems is a priority for the National Security and Defence Council in 2016.", said Oleksandr Turchynov.

"All enterprises that produced anti-aircraft missile systems, radar stations, they are located in Russia. In reality, we have zero capacity to building factories and create the manufacturing capacity to equip our army.", he added.

New Ukrainian military air defence equipment were showcased on Tuesday. Some of the radars on show can be set up within minutes, has an accuracy of about 100m and can view aircraft hundreds of kilometers away – from Kyiv, these systems can even pick up planes flying in Belarus. It's these advanced radar systems the Ukrainian military hope can make troops safer on the ground.

Currently, the Ukrainian armed forces are equipped with Soviet-made air defense systems, including 40 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko), 13 9K35 Strela-10 (SA-13 Gopher), 9K32 Stela 2 MANPADS (SA-7 Grail), 48 ZSU-23-4 self-propelled anti-aicraft 23mm cannon, and 57 towed anti-aicraft gun S-60.