The Ministry of Defense is learning from the lessons of modern warfare
Minister Anatolie Nosatii said the process of investing in technology has already begun.
“We will continue to learn from the lessons of modern warfare. Within budgetary allocations and projects available through partnerships, we will look for opportunities to introduce these technologies into the National Army. We will continue to train enlisted, contract and reservists and expose them to new technologies – at least so they can see them,” Nosaty said.
Priority – modernization and training
Modernization of the National Army remains a priority for the ministry on all fronts – equipment, machinery and infrastructure. Building military capabilities is impossible without it, according to authorities. It is possible to have the latest generation of equipment, but if there are no trained specialists or capabilities to maintain it, such a capability becomes useless over time.
Ion Kiku, a member of the Alternativa bloc, who proposed a simple vote of no confidence in the Defense Ministry, said the initiative was not because someone in parliament or society does not understand the importance of the armed forces, albeit in the context of the country’s neutral status. But because the country needs to know how the people’s money is spent.
“There is a need for financial efforts, there is a need for equipment, there is a need to increase the budget. But that doesn’t mean that when the defense minister comes to parliament, he should only behave like a general. The billions you receive, Mr. Minister, are provided by the society so that you spend them efficiently and comply with the recommendations of the Court of Accounts,” Kiku clarified.
Liliane Karp, chairperson of the National Security, Defense and Public Order Commission, said the National Army must be equipped to deal with the risks “that, God forbid, may arise.”
He said the salaries of the military must also be increased as they work with expensive equipment and must be able to operate it.
“We must unite around the National Army, otherwise we risk uniting around those who want to come to us,” Karp noted.
Authorities stress that increased defense spending does not mean preparing for war, but rather for peace.
“A prepared army does not mean war – it means peace, security and confidence for every family, the ability to defend peace at home,” said MP Igor Kyriak.
Wasteful spending
Political scientist Sergei Banar called the parliamentary hearings “a mouse fuss, absurd and a manifestation of a complete lack of understanding on the part of the political class of the path the country should take.”
“Apart from the mantra about the notorious European integration, the terms of which are constantly shifting to the right, nothing sounds. Because by the time we are supposedly ready, the country’s economy and financial system will be finally destroyed. Representatives of the political class keep one or even two or three foreign passports in their jacket pockets. Foreign citizens have actually occupied the leading financial, political and power structures. Therefore, it is at least not serious to talk about these processes, which were discussed in the Parliament,” commented Serghei Banari for Logos Press.
In the expert’s opinion, Moldova does not need any other expenditures except for the power structures in the form of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, certain special anti-terrorism units and the Honor Guard Company. And the relevant funds should be redirected to economic development, education and health care.
“Given that we are entering the unknown plane of a multipolar world, where there will be very few poles of influence, military power and geopolitical decision-making, spending money on an absolutely utopian project is just another channel for corruption schemes, money laundering and enrichment of a small number of people admitted to these sources,” Banar believes.
“Our Party” has long proposed to reform the army. Alexander Berlinski reminded that the country should move to a professional army and abandon compulsory military service.
“It is necessary to move to a professional army, consisting only of contract servicemen. There are examples in the region: Romania, Italy, France and Germany. A modern army is formed of people who choose this profession, are trained, equipped and have appropriate conditions,” he said.
The draft of a simple vote of no confidence was, of course, rejected by the majority faction. Nevertheless, the debate allowed the public to learn a lot and to see once again how far Moldovan politicians are from each other in defense issues.
