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The President also congratulated the Baltic Sea Fleet service personnel on Baltic Sea Fleet Day. The Baltic Sea Fleet is celebrating its 314^th anniversary.

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Opening remarks at a meeting with senior Defence Ministry officials and defence industry representatives

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today, we will continue discussing the drafting of the State Armament Programme for 2018–2025.

On the agenda today is the current state of and development outlook for the Aerospace Forces, Navy and Strategic Missile Forces.

Incidentally, the Baltic Fleet is celebrating its anniversary today. Let me congratulate the Baltic Fleet commanders and sailors on this occasion.

Let us discuss all of these areas, and examine, too, the Strategic Missile Forces.

The Aerospace Forces continue to receive new planes and helicopters, air defence and missile defence systems, and military-purpose space equipment.

Modern weapons systems and equipment now make up 66 percent of the Aerospace Forces’ weapons. This figure should increase slightly and be up to 68 percent by the end of this year.

We continue, too, the Navy’s gradual modernisation. In 2016, it received 24 new vessels, including frigates and submarines equipped with long-range Kalibr cruise missiles. Modern equipment and weapons now account for 47 percent of the total in the Navy, and we will increase this to 55 percent by the end of the year.

The Strategic Missile Forces continue as planned the transition to mobile and silo-based Yars systems. Modern weapons systems now account for 62 percent of the total in this branch, and this figure will increase to 72 percent by the end of 2017.

Overall, it is important to maintain the current pace over the coming period and, as we implement the new programme, continue on from what we have accomplished with the current armament programme.

Let’s begin work.

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