The military wants nearly three times more money than planned for a 10-year rearmament program aimed at modernizing the armed forces, a top general said Thursday.
Remarks in the State Duma by the armaments chief suggested deep disagreement over what it will take to fund an aging military that the Kremlin says desperately needs modernization.
Lieutenant General Oleg Frolov said a tentative limit of 13 trillion rubles ($421 billion) for armaments from 2011 to 2020 would leave ground forces and other parts of the military underfunded and outdated, media reported.
"The sum of 13 trillion rubles will provide support for strategic nuclear forces at the appropriate level and also will provide for the development of air defense forces and aviation," Frolov said, Itar-Tass reported.
"At the same time, the Ground Forces will be underfunded, and its share of modern weapons will not be large," he said.
Frolov said 36 trillion rubles would be needed to adequately fund armaments for all branches of Russian forces, including shipbuilding and space forces.
A government official questioned his figures and demanded details.
"We haven't heard the grounds for this, though we have asked: 'Show us these horrors,'" said Vladislav Putilin, deputy chairman of a government committee on defense industry issues, Interfax reported.
Deputy Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said a government commission would look into the military's concerns, Interfax reported.
Vedomosti has reported that the 2011-20 armaments program is to be adopted by the end of the year and includes funding for the purchase, repair and upgrading of weapons as well as some research and development.
It said the figure of 13 trillion rubles was not final.