Putin vows to boost army

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Monday Russia had launched unprecedented steps to boost the army as he played up his strongman credentials ahead of March 4 presidential polls he is likely to win.We have approved and are carrying out unprecedented programmes to develop the armed forces and modernise Russias military defence complex, Putin wrote in state newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta as he bids for a third Kremlin term.In the next decade, Russia will acquire more than 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles, eight nuclear-armed submarines and around 20 non-nuclear submarines, more than 600 warplanes and 28 S-400 missile defence systems, he said.In total we are allocating around 23 trillion rubles ($773 billion) in the next decade for these aims, Putin said in his sixth campaign article listing his political goals.Russia a year ago said that 19 trillion rubles had been allocated to a military development plan running through to 2020 and the defence ministry gave many of the same hardware acquisition figures.What is most important about the article is that he is endorsing the army reforms despite all the criticism they have recently been facing, said military affairs analyst Alexander Golts.While Putin as prime minister for the last four years has not headed the armed forces, his latest article implicitly suggests he will be the one to see the plan through, without mentioning the elections.We must not tempt anyone with our weakness, he said, drawing historic parallels with World War II and citing Soviet forces leader Marshal Georgy Zhukov.Therefore we will never in any circumstances give away our potential of strategic deterrence and will strengthen it.Russia must implement strong countermeasures to respond to NATOs planned deployment of a missile shield in Europe, he said, continuing a debate that has simmered for nearly a decade.The mix of European radar and interceptors -- a key part of a global shield being studied by the United States -- are designed to protect against potential attacks from Iran amid worries about the Islamic states nuclear programme.But Russia fears the system could one day make its own shrinking nuclear arsenal ineffective and has outlined a series of retaliatory steps it may take should NATO ignore its concerns.The time demands decisive steps to strengthen a single system of air and space defence of our country. We are being pushed towards these actions by the policy of the United States and NATO on the question of deploying a missile shield, Putin wrote.He said Russia should not try to create a costly rival shield but that its strategic nuclear forces and air and space defence forces should aim to overcome any system of missile defence.In this question there cannot be too much patriotism, Putin said.Russias military and technical response to a global American missile shield and its segment in Europe will be effective and asymmetrical. He admitted deep problems with the Russian defence industry, saying that while the armed force should continue buying domestically, it was unacceptable for them to acquire technically obsolete technology.In the next decade we must fully make up for our lagging behind, he said.Putin also promised to revive the prestige of the armed forces and boost their professional contingent to 70 percent of one million members, while improving living conditions and salaries for officers.