"We are actively working on a program aimed at modernizing
our defense industry...We will adopt this program in the
near future," Putin said.
Russia needs a strong and modernized defense industry
to carry out its ambitious state rearmament program until
2020.
A comprehensive rearmament of Russia's Armed Forces is
expected to begin in 2011. It will see the share of modern
weaponry reach 30 percent by 2015, and total 70 percent
by 2020. The government plans to allocate 20 trillion
rubles ($641 billion) for this program.
In addition, Russia is the world's second largest conventional
arms exporter after the United States. In 2010, Russian
defense industry companies delivered about $10 billion
worth of arms to foreign customers.
