Military organization of the Allied State.

Before we get down to considering this theme, it is necessary to define the essence of the notion "military organization of a state," because there are considerable variant readings in its interpretation.

The term "military organization of a state" first appeared in unofficial documents in 1998, and later was officially introduced by the Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation that was accepted in 2000. (1)

From that moment, it is used in the fundamental federal laws of the Russian Federation. But one can observe variant readings in the notion "military organization of a state" itself. For example, Art. 12 of the Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation says this: "The military organization of the state includes the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which form its core and the basis of military security, other troops, military units and organs intended for performing military security tasks by the military methods, and also their command and control organs.

"The military organization of the state also includes a part of the country's industrial and scientific complexes intended for ensuring military security tasks."

The Federal Law on Defense (Art. 1) says that "for the defense purposes the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are created ... Employed for defense shall be the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Civil Defense Troops ... Enlisted for the performance of separate tasks in the area of defense shall be engineer-technical and road-building military units under federal executive bodies, the External Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, bodies of the Federal Security Service, the federal body for specialized communications and information, federal state protection bodies, the federal body for ensuring the mobilization preparation of the bodies of state power of the Russian Federation, and also special units created for the wartime." (2)

In keeping with Art. 12 of the Law of the Russian Federation on Security, "the security forces include: the Armed Forces, the federal security agencies, the bodies of the internal affairs, the bodies of the external intelligence, the bodies ensuring the security of the bodies of legislative, executive and judiciary authorities and their top officials, and the bodies of the tax service; the services designed to deal with the consequences of emergencies and with the formation of civil defense; the Border Troops, the Internal Troops; the bodies ensuring security of the works in the industry, power industry, transport and agriculture; the services ensuring the security of communications equipment and information, the custom-houses, the environmental bodies, the bodies protecting the health of the population and other state security bodies operating on the basis of the legislation." (3)

The dictionary of military terms of the General Staff Academy defines the military organization of the Russian Federation as "the bodies of state and military governance, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military units and bodies, which, in conformity with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the federal laws and other normative legislative acts of the Russian Federation, are intended for the performance of tasks with the use of military assets, and also the sectors of the scientific and industrial complexes, whose joint activities are directed at ensuring the defense and security of the Russian Federation." (4)

But even this definition cannot be seen as entirely acceptable, because a totality of bodies and units can hardly be called an organization even if their joint activities are directed at achieving a common objective.

Thus, the notion "the military organization of the state" needs to be specified, and it should be defined so that it be unsusceptible to changes in the legislative framework and apply to different types of statehood (a federated state, a confederation, etc.).

As is common knowledge, any debates concerning terms (notions) are nonproductive if not based on science. With that in mind, we think it makes sense to look into the essence of the procedure whereby notions are defined.

Defining a notion is a logical operation whereby its meaning is identified. This means that it finds the limit (boundary) separating the subjects this notion covers from similar subjects and shows the distinguishing essential features of subjects reflected in this notion. (5) Extensional and intensional definitions of notions are distinguished. An extensional definition sets a class of objects included in the content of a notion by their enumeration. An intensional definition sets the meaning of a term by describing the features of objects included in its content. (6) Based on the above, one can say that the current definitions of the "military organization of a state," including the one provided by the Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation, are extensional and characterized by all flaws inherent in this type of definitions. In the first place, this implies their being cumbersome (because it is necessary to list all components of the military organization) and necessitating regular adjustments in line with shifts in the content of this notion.

The military organization of a state is a component part of this state, intended to ensure its defense and security.

The military organization of an allied (confederative) state ought to be created on the basis of the military organizations of the subjects of an allied (confederative) state and use the principles postulating the division of powers between an allied (confederative) state and its subjects, as enshrined in the appropriate legislative acts.

Now that we have defined the fundamental notion, let us directly consider the military organization of the Allied State (hereinafter, the military organization).

In the first place, it is necessary to formulate the aim with which the military organization is created and functions. As we see it, this aim is carrying out a system of military, legal, political, economic and other measures that ensure defense and security of the Allied State and make it possible to guarantee the defense of its vital interests from internal and external threats.

To achieve these aims, the military organization must perform definite functions. The military organization's main (most general) functions that follow from its tasking designation are preparations for the armed defense and the armed defense of the Allied State.

These most general functions can be represented as concrete sub-functions. For example, preparations for the armed defense of the Allied State may include the following: forecasting and evaluating military danger and military threats; shaping and implementing a coordinated state policy on defense and security; performing normative legal regulation, within its competence, in defense and security area; establishing a procedure for converting the military organization and its components to wartime operation; planning the use of troops (forces); creating the necessary groupings of troops (forces); maintaining combat and mobilization readiness of the military organization's components; improving the components of the military organization, pursuing combat, operational and mobilization preparation; creating materiel stockpiles; planning and carrying out measures for an all-out support of the military organization; developing the military infrastructure and implementing operational organization of the territory of the Allied State for defense purposes; pursuing R & D; distributing defense allocations and controlling that these be used as intended; protecting information related to the sphere of defense of the Allied State and constituting the state and other secret as protected by the national legislations (state secrets); international cooperation; training personnel for the components of the military organizations of the subjects of the Allied State; planning and pursuing other measures.

The armed defense of the Allied State includes the following: strategic containment; carrying out measures to convert the components of the military organization and their wartime functioning; repelling an aggression; coordinating the activities of the state authorities of an Allied State and its subjects with the purpose of repelling an aggression; preparing and conducting territorial defense; implementing other measures.

If the above functions are to be performed efficiently, the military organization must have the following main components: bodies of the state power of the Allied State and its subjects, whose terms of reference include security and defense, bodies for military command and control of the Allied State and its subjects; the national armed forces, other troops, military units and bodies of the subjects of the Allied State (hereinafter, strength components); the definite portion of the defense-industrial (DIC) and the scientific complexes of the Allied State as recruited to perform tasks in the area of defense and security of the Allied State.

Along with that, the strength components of the subjects of the Allied State may assign some part of their troops (forces) to regional groupings of troops (forces)--RGT(F)--which can also be coalition groupings.

The structure of the military organization is determined by the tasks imposed upon it and by their distribution between the components of the military organizations of the subjects of the Allied State, as well as by concrete conditions of its functioning.

In our view, it makes sense to single out these two main levels in the structure of the military organization: the level of competence of the Allied State and the level of competence of the subjects of the Allied State. The level of competence of the Allied State is for the bodies of state power of the Allied State (hereinafter, the bodies of state power) whose activities are directed at ensuring the defense and security of the Allied State, for the military command and control agencies of the Allied State (hereinafter, the military command and control agencies), and for the RGT(F) bodies. At the level of competence of the subjects of the Allied State, the components of the military organization will be functionally unified as military organizations of the subjects of the Allied State.

The composition and structure of the bodies of state power, whose frame of reference it is to ensure defense and security, shall be determined by the legislation of the Allied State and also by international treaties between the subjects of the Allied State.

In accordance with the currently effective normative documents of the Allied State, the military command and control agencies are the Supreme Military Council of the Allied State (hereinafter, the Supreme Military Council) and the Joint Commands of the RGT(F). The Chairman of the Supreme Military Council is the Chairman of the Supreme State Council of the Allied State (hereinafter, the Supreme State Council).

The composition of the Supreme Military Council is determined by the Supreme State Council. The permanent members of the Supreme Military Council are the heads of state, heads of government, defense ministers, chiefs of general staffs of the armed forces of the subjects of the Allied State, ministers of internal affairs, heads of state security agencies, and heads of border agencies. The Supreme State Council can also decide to put on the Supreme Military Council some other representatives of the bodies of state power of the Allied State and its subjects.

The Joint Commands (JC) of the RGT(F) are permanent military command and control agencies in charge of troops (forces) assigned to the RGT(F). The procedure for establishing each JC RGT(F), its subordination, and also its composition and structure shall be determined by a decision of the Supreme State Council. A concrete JC RGT(F) shall be made up of representatives of the subjects of the Allied State, which assigned their troops to a corresponding grouping, and shall organizationally include a RGT(F) commander, a staff, directorates, departments, services and other structural subdivisions.

To ensure military security of the Allied State, to parry military threats or repel a possible aggression, the Supreme State Council may decide to create regional groupings of troops (forces). These are formed on the basis of troops (forces) that the subjects of the Allied State will detach from the strength components of their military organizations in accordance with their national legislations.

The military organizations of the subjects of the Allied State include bodies of state power and military C & C agencies, the armed forces and other strength components of the military organizations, which were created within the framework of national legislations, and also a definite part of the industrial and scientific complexes that performs production and/or scientific activities to create military products (works, services).

If a change occurs in the composition and structure of the military organizations of the subjects of the Allied State, the totality of functions they are supposed to perform remains unchanged and is redistributed by the national bodies of state power and the military C & C agencies within new structures.

A necessary condition of the military organization's efficient functioning is that a number of fundamental principles common to the Allied State and its subjects should be observed. These common principles, as we see it, must be the following: indivisibility of defense and security, where an aggression against one of the subjects of the Allied State is an aggression against the Allied State; legislative responsibility of the subjects of the Allied State for ensuring defense and security of the Allied State; conformity of the aims and content of the development, functioning and advancement of the military organization to the main aims and priorities of the military policy of the Allied State and the objective needs of its military security; combination of centralized governance of the military organization with civilian control over its activities; coordinated planning by the subjects of the Allied State of military organizational development undertakings, measures to prevent military threats and repel an aggression; joint training (combat, operational, mobilization) of the components of the military organization; manpower acquisition for the strength components of the military organization on the basis of national legislations; joint development and use of military infrastructure installations of the Allied State in the interests of the military organization; state support for organizations and enterprises that develop and produce weapons, military and specialized equipment (WMSE), and also assets for an all-out support of the strength components of the military organization and those that determine the military-technical and technological stability of the DIC; identity of the military organizational development standards of the subjects of the Allied States and of the requirements placed on WMSE and comprehensive support of the RGT(F) and other strength components of the military organization; coordination of R & D plans, improvement of the scientific-technical, technological and production infrastructure of the subjects of the Allied State, and also pursuance of joint R & D to create advanced military technologies and promising WMSE models; resource, scientific-production and technological integration during the development of the main types of military and double-purpose products.

Now that we have presented in an outline our vision of the military organization of the Allied State, we will dwell briefly on problems that place constraints on its formation.

Coming to the fore here is the problem of the lack of a unified legal framework for the building and use of the military organization of the state. This calls forth the necessity of defining the functions of any component of the military organization during their joint actions by separate specialized legal acts in each concrete case. The biggest impediment in this area is that a constitutional act is yet to be accepted, which is due to specify the provisions of the Treaty on the Formation of the Allied State. In the first place it must reflect the issues pertaining to the state system of the Allied State so that a joint union legislation might become possible. The said unresolved problem has as its consequence the lack of single leadership in the military organization of the Allied State, something that in turn entails agency disunity and failure of coordination between its different components. This disenables achievement of the required coordination between units of different agencies at all levels, both by virtue or organizational peculiarities and technical incompatibility of the C & C systems, on the one hand, and the unpreparedness of the leading (command) personnel for controlling joint actions, specifically, coalition and interagency grouping of troops (forces), on the other.

Hence follows yet another no less important problem of formation of the military organization of the Allied State--creation of a single efficient command and control system. This system, as we see it, must perform its functions in the three main areas: military-political; military-economic; and the operational command and control of troops and forces of the military organization of the state proper.

Creating this system will enable purpose-oriented governance of the defense sphere of the Allied State.

Yet another problem, one closely linked with the preceding issue, is the scarcity of funds allocated to the military organization. This requires that funds be concentrated primarily on priorities in its development, something that will assist more efficient use of resources. Otherwise separate funding of the armed forces, other troops, military units and bodies will lead, by reason of agency disunity, to the scattering of limited financial resources.

It is only natural that the said problems should be addressed in a complex, and also along with the urgent issues that will not be long in coming as soon as the real (not verbal) building of the Allied State's military organization begins.

We believe that solving these and other related problems will make it possible, first, to create an efficient system to control military organizational development, defense and security of the Allied State; second, on the basis of a single union legislation, to specify tasks of the armed forces, other troops, military units and bodies of the subjects of the Allied State in conformity with modern defense and security requirements; third, to transform and develop the defense-industrial potential by expanding military-technical cooperation and interservice unification and standardization of weapons and military equipment, to concentrate the Allied State's resources on the development of basic military double-purpose technologies, and, where the armed forces and other troops are concerned, to go over to a single system for ordering general-use WME that are to be standardized; fourth, to create a mobilization framework for strategic deployment of the armed forces and other troops, to reorganize the mobilization preparation system, to specify mobilization plans, and to draw up a system for controlling the mobilization preparation of the economy; fifth, to regulate the making and execution of the military budget with regard for the social guarantees to be extended to discharged servicemen, for improvements in the governance system and transition to new, more sophisticated WME models, and more efficient resolution of capital construction problems; and, finally, in addition to everything else, it will aid considerably the reforming of the national armed forces, other troops, military units and bodies in accordance with the tasks of their employment and the real defense and security needs of both the Allied State as a whole and its subjects.

NOTES:

1. Krasnaya zvezda, May 12, 2000.

2. Rossiyskaya gazeta, June 6, 1996; Sobraniye zakonodatelstva RF, 1996, No.23, Art. 2750; 2000, No. 1 (Part 1), Art. 6; 2004, No.27, Art. 2711.

3. Rossiyskaya gazeta, May 6, 1992.

4. Slovar voennykh terminov, Compiled by V.D. Zabolotin, OOO NITZ "KOSMO," Moscow, 2000, p. 59.

5. A. Ye. Savelyev, Podgotovka informatsii dlya avtomatizirovannykh obuchayushchikh sistem, Vysshaya shkola Publishers, Moscow, 1986, pp. 53, 54.

6. Ibid., p. 54.

Col. S.P. BELOKON

Doctor of Technical Sciences

Col. M.V. SHIMANOVSKIY

Candidate of Technical Sciences