"New missile weapons, strategic and tactical, such as Yars, Bulava and Iskander-M, will enter service, and beginning in 2013 the production output of missile systems should effectively double," Putin was quoted as saying this week by Defensenews.com.

Russia aims to spend $2.6 billion on missiles over the next decade, Putin added.

The prime minister spoke in Votkinsk, the site of a key missile plant that will receive $340 million to modernize its production lines, Defensenews.com reports. The total state money granted to boost manufacturing capabilities will tower at more than $500 million, in a move that ties in with Russia's greater military overhaul.

Over the next decade, Moscow plans to spend some $650 billion on defense to modernize Russia's armed forces. On the shopping list are 1,000 helicopters, 600 aircraft, 100 ships and dozens of tactical missiles, Russian officials revealed last month.

Apart from the arms spending spree, Moscow plans to cut the number of troops to create a more modern and mobile force.

The Kremlin has in the past voiced its frustration with the domestic defense industry. Arguing that some of the Russian-made products aren't up to date, Moscow has urged firms to step up product portfolios and internal procedures to become more competitive.

The costly overhaul of the Russian military comes as forces in Europe face severe budget cuts because of the recession.

Putin's comments were made amid continuing differences with the United States over a planned missile defense system in Europe.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov met Tuesday in Washington for talks that focused on Libya but also touched on the missile shield that has kept both powers negotiating for years.

Gates said both nations were making progress on the issue but admitted that differences remained.

The Russian missile expansion plan comes despite pledges from the United States and Russia to reduce their strategic arms arsenal.

The presidents of the United States and Russia, Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, last spring signed the New Start treaty; ratified by U.S. and Russian lawmakers in December and January, it cuts the number of strategic warheads in each country to 1,550, down from 2,200; and the number of land-, air- and sea-based launchers to 800, down from 1,600.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News