The New Military Doctrine and the Transformation in the Russian Defense Industry

• Main Author: Antonio Sánchez Andrés
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) 1996-02-01
• Series: Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
• Online Access: http://www.cidob.org/es/content/download/6890/68958/file/32sanchez.pdf

Since the break-up of the Soviet Union, the defense industry has found itself to be disorientated. From the administrative and political structure which represents this economic sector, a proposal has been repeatedly put forward stressing the need to issue a newlegislation and, in particular, a new military doctrine which would define the interests of Russia as a new country. These guidelines would have a very important impact domestically -in sketching the principles of reorganization of the defense industry- as well as externally, defining, as they would, the essential features of Russian foreign policy. At the end of 1993 the new Russian military doctrine was passed. In this article its impact on the restructuring process within the defense industry is analyzed. This politicaldocument depicts a defense industry of a smaller size and different structure. However, it has not offered immediate solutions to the pressing problems of this economic sector and has not indicated how to achieve the goals it contains. In other words, the new military doctrine has not fulfilled one of the essential aims traditionally assigned to it.