Russia’s defence budget to be $36 bn in 2010

September 12th, 2009 MAKHACHKALA - Four militants were killed Saturday in a counter-terrorist operation on the outskirts of Makhachkala, the capital of Russias North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, a police spokesman said. According to the official, the militants were suspected of involvement in Fridays murder of a deputy prosecutor in Makhachkala, as well as an attack on police in the city of Kizilyurt.

July 31st, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives passed a $636-billion defence bill Thursday after removing money to continue production of the F-22, meeting a key demand by President Barack Obama. The bill, for fiscal 2010 and including $128 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, passed by a 400-30 vote.

July 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - In the face of a veto threat by President Barack Obama, the US Senate has voted to block expansion of one of America's most controversial and expensive defence programmes, production of the F-22 fighter jet. The 58-40 vote Tuesday gave the White House and Pentagon a key victory over congressional supporters of the F-22, many of whom represent states and districts where jobs are tied to the production of the jet.

July 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON/CHICAGO - Boeing's Integrated Defence Systems said Wednesday it is cutting 1,000 jobs to accommodate the drop in demand in the federal defence budget. The lost jobs represent about 1.5 percent of the 70,000 employees in the defence branch.

July 13th, 2009 LONDON - Faced with immense pressure to trim the 34 billion pound budget, British Defence chiefs are planning to axe about 800 Gurkha warriors. According to the Daily Express, up to three infantry battalions could go despite calls for more men.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday proposed an additional sum of Rs.430 crore (Rs.4.3 billion), over and above the provisions in the interim budget, for the modernization of state police forces and also earmarked Rs.2,284 crore (Rs.22.84 billion) for construction of fences, roads and flood lights along the international borders. Presenting the financial budget for 2009-10 in parliament, Mukherjee said that paramilitary personnel will also get special risk/hardship allowances at par with the defence forces.

June 25th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's parliament Thursday passed a Rs.2.9 trillion ($36 billion) budget for fiscal 2009-10 focusing on sustainable development, revival of industry and providing relief to the vulnerable and the millions of refugees uprooted by the anti-Taliban offensive in the northwest. The budget, which was presented June 13 by Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar, will be effective July 1.

June 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The cabinet Thursday approved the transfer of 2,029 square metres of defence land to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for construction of its line to suburban Gurgaon. The transfer of defence land in Arjangarh near the Qutab Minar to the DMRC for the construction of Metro rail to Gurgaon has been approved," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

June 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has hiked its defence spending for fiscal 2009-10 to Rs.347 billion ($4 billion) in the budget presented in parliament Saturday. Of this, Rs.343 billion has been allocated for the armed forces, Rs.463 million for defence production and Rs.840 million for the defence division, Minister of State for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar said while delivering the first budget speech by a woman in Pakistan's history.

June 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has no intensions to curtail its India-specific defence budget, military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas has said. Major General Abbas rejected some international appeals that suggested that Pakistan should cut down its India specific defence expenditures, and focus more on the 'war on terror'.

June 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pointing to the acquisition of modern weapons and systems by its eastern neighbour, Pakistan says it is unable to change its India-specific pattern of defence spending. If you are suggesting that we should take something out of here and put it in another box that would not be a wise strategy.

June 2nd, 2009 Russia: No government money for Sochi in 2009-10MOSCOW — The Russian government won't finance the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi this year and next because there is enough financial support from private investors, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said Tuesday. Zhukov, the government official overseeing preparations in the Black Sea resort, said the funds raised by Sochi's local organizing committee have exceeded the government's expectations.

June 1st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Government has decided to increase the defence budget by 15.5 percent for the upcoming financial year to 342 billion rupees. According to sources, the operational expenses of the Pakistani Army has increased manifold due to the ongoing war against the Taliban.

May 7th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia does not plan to cut budget spending on the development of the country's nuclear weapons despite the ongoing economic crisis, the defence minister said. The government has reviewed overall defence expenditure under the 2009-2011 federal budget, cutting spending on defence programmes by 5.8 billion rubles ($177 million) from 1.5 trillion rubles ($46 billion).

February 26th, 2009 MOSCOW - The Russian government plans to use price regulation mechanisms for state defence contracts, a deputy prime minister has said. 'I believe it is extremely important to enshrine in law the concept of 'the state regulation of prices for arms and military and special equipment', and apply this mechanism to all defence contractors,' Sergei Ivanov said while addressing the country's lower house of parliament.