New Ukrainian army - the goal is real and cost-effective
Of course, such a generally accepted and massive for many state institutions concept as a vacation period in the Armed Forces has its own logic and specificity - the military craft of the holidays does not recognize, therefore the combat training of troops continues without amendments for resort or some other seasons. In the planned or, as they say in the army, units and services are working normally, during combat duty they take care of reliable covering of important state facilities, thousands of servicemen are preparing for the final exercises on the scale of all the Armed Forces. And all this, so to speak, on the march, in the framework of the initiated reforms in the Ukrainian army.
About the plans and tasks of the Armed Forces in the near and distant future, says Minister of Defense of Ukraine Pavel Lebedev.
- Pavel Valentinovich, at the end of May the Government approved the draft State Integrated Program for the reform and development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine up to 2017. Due to the fact that the implementation of several similar programs in previous years, frankly, failed, how realistic are the main components of it?
- The state comprehensive program of reforming and developing the Armed Forces of Ukraine before 2017 is the result of the hard work of military experts who have studied the best experience of countries whose armed forces have already gone through reforming. Its development took into account the development trends of modern warfare and our rich accumulated over 20 years experience in participating in international peacekeeping and security operations.
The principal difference of the State Integrated Program from previous similar documents is the reliance on the real financial capabilities of the state and more effective management of defense resources. In general, the implementation of the planned activities provided 131,7 billion hryvnia. I am sure that these are realistic numbers to create the Armed Forces of the new model: optimal in size, well equipped, well-trained, fully equipped and staffed with professionals who are able to quickly respond to real and potential threats to national security in the military sphere and are able to participate in international events on peace and security.
Today we continue to create conditions for the recruitment of the army exclusively by contract servicemen, and this process continues successfully. At the same time, measures are being taken to restore the combat effectiveness of the main systems of armaments and military equipment, the liberation of the Armed Forces from performing non-core functions and the alienation of excess military equipment. Considerable efforts are aimed at continuing to increase the intensity of the combat training of the Armed Forces and equip them with modern weapons and military equipment. Has already been taken into service modernized MiG - 29MU, L- 39M1, radar "Malachite" radar station, modernized Mi - 24PU1, BTR - 4E, BTR - 70Di, automatic cannon ZTM1, precision artillery shell "Flower Garden".
At the same time, we do not forget about the social protection of military personnel. Intensive work is being carried out in this direction, and we already have positive changes, in particular, in increasing the allowances of servicemen and providing them with housing. We will also provide social protection for those who leave military service in connection with the reform.
- But with all the desire, the state now cannot fully finance all the needs of the defense ministry. How in the current situation to embark on such a large-scale reform of the Ukrainian army? By the means of our new army?
- National interests are always decisive in the adoption of a government decision aimed at the realization of the objectives of the State comprehensive program of reforming the Armed Forces. However, no country can provide them without reliable resource support. Today there is a clear understanding of the importance of this at the highest state level. I want to emphasize once again that we have a certain resource in the amount of 131,7 billion hryvnia. This financial indicator has been agreed at the interdepartmental level with all state structures involved in the performance of state defense tasks.
Our main task is to ensure the efficient use of funds allocated for the reform of the Armed Forces. In this context, the professionalization of the Armed Forces is an objective necessity both from a military and from an economic point of view, because contract service, among other things, allows not to spray funds on the initial training of conscripts, but to focus them on increasing the intensity of combat training and the individual ability of professional military personnel. The situation when soldiers study for six months and prepare for release for six months will remain in the past. For comparison: the combat potential inherent, say, in tank, used by conscripts by 25-30%, and by contractors - by 75-80%. It also helps to extend the life cycle of weapons and military equipment. Contract servicemen more effectively use military equipment and weaponConsequently, the frequency of repairs, the time and its cost are reduced. In short, a new, contract army is a real, economically beneficial and achievable goal.
- What problems do the defense minister have to deal with now?
- One of the issues on which the attention of the leadership of the Ministry of Defense is focused today is to provide conditions for increasing the motivation of the best young people for military service under contract. A number of events are currently underway, which should give a tangible effect in the near future. First of all, this is a doubling of the cash support for the military personnel of the Navy, the Air Force, the High-Mobile Airborne Troops and the Special Forces. This will allow this autumn not to carry out the call of conscripts to the Navy and Airborne Forces.
At the same time, it is impossible to raise the cash security for servicemen of other types, types of troops (forces), so it was decided to gradually increase cash security by 20% every quarter starting from April 1 of this year through July 1 next. As a result, the salary of servicemen should double. The current fund of cash security is 6654,2 million hryvnia, which will allow you to pay a cash allowance, taking into account the planned increase in full. Thus, as early as October of this year, the commander of the Ground Forces Brigade will receive about 5700 UAH, the battalion commander - 5000, the company commander - 4500 hryvnia, the platoon commander - more than 3300 hryvnia.
I want to emphasize that the range of measures to increase motivation is not limited to an increase in cash security. It is also planned to improve the social package for military personnel under the contract, which includes receiving free higher education, the right to choose a place of military service at the conclusion of the first contract, proper conditions for service and rest (the prescribed length of service time, five-day working week, free movement on the territory of Ukraine). weekends, holidays and non-working days), housing provision, etc.
- The question of questions is housing ...
- At the beginning of the year, there were thousands of families in the Armed Forces registered in the Armed Forces, of whom thousands were dismissed from service by 44,5. In an effort to comprehensively resolve this issue, we have already conducted an audit of the unfinished construction of the Ministry of Defense since 12,4. An inventory and certification of 2007 housing construction projects for the military has been carried out. All of them are divided into four categories. The first one includes those who are ready for 168-80% and will continue to be completed with budget funds. In particular, we are talking about 90 objects on 9 apartments, as quickly as possible you can complete and put into operation. More than two dozen objects will be completed with the help of investors, and objects with a low degree of readiness, but in attractive territories, will be transferred to private investors with the definition of the proportion of apartments of the Ministry of Defense.
2013 provides funding for the construction of 153 apartments for military personnel. The President of Ukraine, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, personally controls the construction of housing for military personnel.
How are we going to act? First, an inventory of military property was carried out, including real estate and the land on which the military camps and bases liberated today are located. It is planned to get rid of such towns and excess, unusable property. We are talking about 429 completely liberated military camps from about 7,5 thousands of buildings and structures on land plots with a total area of more than 35,9 thousand hectares. Another 214 towns will be released in the process of reforming the APU. Such an opportunity was obtained after determining the procedure for the alienation of land plots released in the process of reforming the Supreme Court of Ukraine and the State Special Transport Service, approved by the government in May of this year.
In total, over the next 3-5 years we plan to receive UAH billion from the sale of real estate from 6 to 9. The funds will be used to build housing and solve the social problems of servicemen. In addition, we hope to allocate an additional resource for housing construction in the amount of 300 mln. UAH, which will allow to complete the construction and put into operation 1518 apartments with a total area of 100,5 thousand square meters. Tens of thousands of items of other surplus property, including more than 30 thousands of weapons and military equipment, will be sold through a system of open and public auctions, and the proceeds will be used to build housing for military personnel and solve other social problems.
Secondly, in order to replenish the housing stock, we are actively rebuilding buildings for housing that are not used in the daily activities of the troops. For the reconstruction of this year it is planned to increase allocations for 100 mln. Over the years of independence, almost 87,5 thousand apartments for the military have been built - about 4 thousands of apartments every year at the best of times. We plan to build a record number of housing before 2017 - more than 25 thousand apartments in 4 of the year. This is when the budget of the Ministry of Defense 12 mln. UAH is planned for this year. for the purchase of housing, which will be approximately 60 apartments. Strengthened work to eliminate abuse, check the list of "waiting list", after which it will publish on the site department. Anyone on the site can track the progress of the queue for housing.
- People say: big money begets more corruption. Unfortunately, in this regard, there is no exception and the agency that you headed 8 months ago. How to deal with such evil in a specific military environment?
- Corruption is the main destabilizing factor of reforms in the Armed Forces. Therefore, we began our activities with the elaboration of an Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Corruption in the 2013 year, which became the foundation for work in this direction. The lists of objects of control and controlled entities (with distribution by risk levels), List of risk violations of financial and budgetary discipline, typical mistakes and risk areas when making management decisions, etc. were worked out. These documents made it possible to clearly formulate the tasks assigned to the permanently operating anti-corruption mobile group of the Ministry of Defense, created in March, which is vested with the authority and resources to promptly respond and investigate schemes and actions with signs of corruption. The team leader reports directly to the Minister of Defense. In addition, interdepartmental cooperation has been improved, on our initiative, a joint commission with the General Prosecutor’s Office has been created for cooperation and exchange of operational information.
As part of this work, according to operational data, during January - June of this year, the Department of Internal Control and Financial Audit of the Ministry of Defense conducted 567 audits, according to the results of which 293 persons were disciplined, 12 people were dismissed from their positions. Revealed violations of fiscal and economic discipline, which led to losses in the amount of 134 400 000 UAH. (this is twice as much as in the first half of last year). At the same time, 20200000 UAH was reimbursed, (last year - 9,9 million), 88 audits were transferred to law enforcement agencies for the sum of losses and losses over 122 million UAH. Prevented or eliminated other violations of financial discipline in the amount of 218 800 000 UAH. These figures convincingly show that the fight against corruption effectively preserves a significant resource for reforming the Armed Forces.
- When planning to re-equip the army, how much can one count on the traditionally high-tech (admittedly, it is said to be in the past) domestic military-industrial complex?
- The domestic defense industry has retained a huge scientific potential. Our missiles hit the target, and do not fall at the start, our Oplot tanks are among the best in the world, and we have considerable opportunities to repair or upgrade weapons and equipment models. In addition, more than 160 enterprises of the state concern Ukroboronprom have sufficient resources and qualified specialists to maintain the position of Ukraine in the top five countries-exporters of arms.
The improvement of our weapons and military equipment continues. Significant progress was achieved on the path of modernization and creation of new types of small arms, as well as new systems for absorbing sound and fire when fired, new personal protective equipment for servicemen. Already there are modern systems of sound localization of the shot to identify enemy snipers and artillery installations, a new artillery shell "Flower Garden", new systems of destruction of armored targets, modern thermal sights, etc. I do not envy anyone who decides to try for himself the possibilities of such a "weakened" military industrial complex.
- If possible, tell us about specific immediate plans for each type of APU, especially the Air Force and fleet.
- With the right choice of financial priorities, we will ensure the readiness to act aviation squadrons of Su-27, MiG-29 and Su-25 aircraft of the Air Force, pairs and aviation units of the Ground Forces. Currently, the main part of the fleet of combat aircraft of fighter and assault aircraft, combat training aircraft MiG-29, Su-25, Su-27, L-39, helicopters Mi-24, Mi-8MT, anti-aircraft missile systems of the Air Force and anti-aircraft defense of the Ground Forces. Modernization with the subsequent restoration of the technical resource of artillery weapons (MLRS BM -21 "Grad", SG 2S-1 "Gvozdika") is underway, the technical condition of existing warships and boats is being restored. By 2017, it is planned to enter into the Navy the first of a series of four new Russian-made Project 58250 warships - the corvette Vladimir the Great, as well as ten armored boats of the Gyurza type. Also, work continues on the project of an operational - tactical missile system and on the creation of a new An-70 transport aircraft. Today, state tests are being completed, the aircraft has already performed more than 650 flights, after which the An - 70 will be adopted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The planned acquisition of modern weapons and military equipment to equip the forces of special operations, including foreign production. Regarding the technical re-equipment of the Armed Forces command and control system, it is planned to develop and put into operation the basic basic elements of the Unified Automated Control System and artillery units, translate the stationary component of the communication system and separate connections Armed Forces on the latest digital communications.
In the future, it is planned to carry out planned measures to maintain the health and technical suitability of weapons and military equipment that cannot be removed from service in the next ten years, and to complete the work on extending the shelf life of ammunition. This will allow for a long-term perspective to ensure the combat effectiveness of weapons and military equipment and to have in the Armed Forces of Ukraine technically serviceable up to 100% of their samples.
- Ukraine is a non-aligned state. Moreover, our warriors are actively involved in international military cooperation events, take part in many international exercises of the COMBINED ENDEAVOR, VIKING, LOGEX, Sea Breeze, Rapid Trident series and others. What do our warriors look like against the background of modern foreign armies?
- Ukraine actively participates in the activities of leading international and regional security organizations. Therefore, it is logical to attract the Armed Forces of Ukraine to international peacekeeping and security operations under the leadership of the UN, NATO and the EU. Today, in various parts of the planet 668, our servicemen are performing tasks of maintaining peace and security in such operations and missions. The active position of Ukraine in the field of regional security and stability is evidence of its interest in deepening practical cooperation with international and regional security organizations, which in turn contributes not only to improve the image of the state, but also has a positive impact on the transformation processes in the security and defense sector. Professional assistance that we receive from NATO and EU member countries in engaging in international peacekeeping and security operations, as well as in multinational exercises aimed at achieving compatibility of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the relevant structures of the allies. Considering the course towards the European integration of our state, the development of such cooperation is important.
The activity of Ukraine as a peacemaker state began in 1992 from the first mission of our peacekeeping contingent as part of the UN peacekeeping forces in conflict zones in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Since then, about 39 thousands of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have gained experience of participating in international peacekeeping and security operations under the leadership of the UN, NATO and the EU, and regional security structures. Many of them have been repeatedly rewarded with foreign awards for their courage and courage. The recognition of the success of operations with the participation of Ukrainian peacekeepers is a steady increase in the authority of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the international arena. At the same time, despite official invitations from the UN and NATO in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense is working on the issues of expanding the participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in peacekeeping and security operations. We are talking about the additional involvement of 93 military personnel, four Mi-8 helicopters and 14 units of automotive (special) equipment in the United Nations Mission to Stabilize the Situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The issue of attracting a part of 56 is also being worked out. a separate helicopter unit of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (40 military personnel and 3 Mi-24 helicopter) to perform tasks as part of the UN operation in Cote d'Ivoire. Later, namely in July 2014, a separate helicopter unit of up to 150 people is planned to be sent to this mission. Also on 2014 year, it is planned to send two officers to the Slovak contingent of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus and 20 to the integrated multidisciplinary UN mission in Mali.
This year and for the next year it is planned to attract a frigate “Getman Sahaidachny” with a Ka-27 helicopter and a survey group in the NATO operation Ocean Shield and under the leadership of the EU Atalanta. At the same time, the total number of our troops in the International Security Assistance Force in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will be increased to 60 troops. Of course, participation in international military cooperation events and peacemaking is a test or even a test for the domestic Armed Forces, a test of their training and psychological stability. At the same time, participation in international peacekeeping and security operations is a kind of military academy, because the knowledge and experience gained during participation in them is invaluable for the professional development of the Ukrainian army.
DOSSIER "Government Courier". Pavel Lebedev. Born in 1962 in the Krasnodar Territory. From 1984, after graduating from the Yaroslavl Higher Military School of Finance, he served in the Chernivtsi garrison as chief of financial services of a battalion, regiment, deputy chief of financial services of a division. From 1993, he headed the association “Target”, Legtech LLC, Prestige-Inter OJSC, from 1994 - deputy of the Chernivtsi City Council. At the turn of the century, he was the financial director of SJSC "Titan" in the Crimea, later headed the supervisory boards of the Kremenchug Steel Foundry OJSC and Dneprovagonmash OJSC, and was the president of the Industrial Transport Investment Group "Inter Car Group". In 2006 - 2012 - President of the Foundation for Social and Economic Development of Sevastopol, people's deputy of Ukraine of the 5th, 6th and 7th convocations. Honored Economist of Ukraine, participant in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Married, father of five daughters. In December, 2012 was appointed Minister of Defense of Ukraine by decree of the President of Ukraine - Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.
Information