Russia To Acquire, Upgrade Weapons Worth $55 Billion

Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov on Wednesday said that Moscow will $55.6 billion to acquire new weapons and upgrade the existing armament of its Aerospace Defense Forces.

The new and overhauled air and space defense systems are expected to be operational by 2025, reported local news agency ITAR-TASS.

“The main purpose [of the program] is to provide … systems capable of combating all existing and potential means of aerospace threats,” Borisov said. The announcement was made during the minister’s visit at local defense manufacturer Almaz-Antey.

The priorities pursued by Russia’s military policy include acquiring an effective range of weapons and military equipment, and developing advanced weapons with an open and modular design, Borisov was quoted as saying.

The acquisitions will be part of the country’s plan to spend $650 billion on new arms and military equipment by 2020.