NEWTOWN, Conn. - Following through with plans announced in July 2010, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported on March 2 that the size of the armed forces will be reduced from 200,000 down to 192,000 by the end of 2011.
Plans call for the armed forces to be gradually reduced by 20 percent by 2015. The final goal is for a force of 150,000-160,000. The total personnel count of 200,000 comprises160,000 military personnel and 40,000 civilians. According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhaylo Yezhel, of the 192,000 that will remain at the end of 2011, 144,000 will be military personnel.
The cuts are part of the military's reorganization strategy which also calls for defense spending to grow significantly in the coming years. In the short term, the MoD expects spending to increase by 15-20 percent by 2015, while long-term spending will to climb to $4.2 billion by 2023. Currently, the defense budget totals around $1.1 billion, with an additional $584 million available from a special fund.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Singapore Ups Defense Budget 5.4% for 2011
SINGAPORE - Singapore, which has one of Asia's best-equipped militaries, has raised its national defense budget by 5.4 percent this year, according to government data released Feb. 18.
The government plans to spend S$12.08 billion ($9.5 billion) on defense in the 2011 fiscal year, up from S$11.46 billion the year before.
Singapore's navy, army and air force will get S$11.53 billion to buy and maintain military equipment, for the upkeep of camps and for payment of salaries.
The city-state currently has a population of more than 5 million, a quarter of whom are foreigners.
Singapore's economy grew 14.5 percent in 2010, the fastest in Asia. The defense budget is about 5 percent of gross domestic product.
The government plans to spend S$12.08 billion ($9.5 billion) on defense in the 2011 fiscal year, up from S$11.46 billion the year before.
Singapore's navy, army and air force will get S$11.53 billion to buy and maintain military equipment, for the upkeep of camps and for payment of salaries.
The city-state currently has a population of more than 5 million, a quarter of whom are foreigners.
Singapore's economy grew 14.5 percent in 2010, the fastest in Asia. The defense budget is about 5 percent of gross domestic product.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
India 2011-12 Defense Budget up 8.4%
India has allocated $44.4 billion to defense for the fiscal year beginning April 1, up by 8.4% from the current fiscal year.
Of this, defense services will receive $35.74 billion, which includes capital procurement of $15 billion, an increase of 13.75% over this year.
India’s defense spending will represent about 2.72% of the country’s GDP — up from last year’s 2.41% — as figured in the budget announced Feb. 28. However, the budget falls short of reaching at least the 3% of the GDP that many were expecting. Investment in the sector also has lagged as a result of limited foreign direct investment in Indian defense ventures, which remains capped at 26%.
With an increased emphasis on homeland security following the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008, budgets have steadily increased for police and paramilitary forces performing border and coastal surveillance. The allocation for homeland security is $10.17 billion, up from $8.75 billion this year. “There is no limit to the homeland security budget. Whatever is asked for, it is given,” an official said a few months ago.
“The total defense budget accounts for about 13.07% of the total central government expenditure,” says Nidhi Goyal, Deloitte’s director in India. “If the scope of national defense is enlarged to [include] national security, it would include expenses for civil defense, security aspects of the department of space, expenditurse of the ministry of home affairs, [and] research and development, which account for about 21.03% of [the] total government budget.”
Total defense services spending in India from 2001-11 has been increasing by a nominal compound average growth rate of 11.37% per year, Goyal adds.
Of this, defense services will receive $35.74 billion, which includes capital procurement of $15 billion, an increase of 13.75% over this year.
India’s defense spending will represent about 2.72% of the country’s GDP — up from last year’s 2.41% — as figured in the budget announced Feb. 28. However, the budget falls short of reaching at least the 3% of the GDP that many were expecting. Investment in the sector also has lagged as a result of limited foreign direct investment in Indian defense ventures, which remains capped at 26%.
With an increased emphasis on homeland security following the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008, budgets have steadily increased for police and paramilitary forces performing border and coastal surveillance. The allocation for homeland security is $10.17 billion, up from $8.75 billion this year. “There is no limit to the homeland security budget. Whatever is asked for, it is given,” an official said a few months ago.
“The total defense budget accounts for about 13.07% of the total central government expenditure,” says Nidhi Goyal, Deloitte’s director in India. “If the scope of national defense is enlarged to [include] national security, it would include expenses for civil defense, security aspects of the department of space, expenditurse of the ministry of home affairs, [and] research and development, which account for about 21.03% of [the] total government budget.”
Total defense services spending in India from 2001-11 has been increasing by a nominal compound average growth rate of 11.37% per year, Goyal adds.
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