Russia: Pundit Poroskov analyzes new military doctrine.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Text article by Nikolay Poroskov: "Russia's preparing a new military doctrine: Pyshka won't salute" by Russian newspaper Vremya Novostey on 1 February

Military reform continues and will last indefinitely. This was declared by Chief of General Staff Yuriy Baluyevskiy at the recent Academy of Military Sciences conference, although just three years ago simply Defence Minister and not Vice Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov ascertained that the reform over which everyone had gotten pretty fed up had ended and now there would be just Armed Forces modernization. But the reform concept wasn't reanimated by chance - leaders of militarized departments and military scholars assembled to discuss a new military doctrine.

The first document of that nature was dated 1993, it was adjusted a bit at the borderline of the centuries, and the RF military doctrine adopted in 2002 presently is in force. Back in 2005, however, the president and supreme commander ordered another version of the doctrine to be drawn up. The General Staff explains that the need for developing it is caused by the fact that the state management system, the country's level of socioeconomic development and its demographic potential had undergone great changes. There had been a change in the system of international relations, which are characterized by "dynamism and instability." "On the whole, the military-political situation isn't shaping up in Russia's favour," asserts General Baluyevskiy. According to him, even cooperation with the West hasn't led to a decline in military danger. There are threats "from developed and developing states."

The …