The National Security and Defense Council has approved the State Defense Order

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has considered and approved the "Main Indicators of the State Defense Order for 2018-2020".

The draft of the main indicators of the State Defense Order for 2018-2020, presented to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine for consideration, is based on the financial resources allocated in the State Budget of Ukraine for this year and on the indicators for the next two years, stipulated by the Main Directions of the Budget Policy for 2018-2020.

The three-year system of the State Defense Order has been started since 2017, which allowed public procurement authorities and contractors to plan their work and resources more accurately.

According to the results of the execution of the State Defense Order in 2017, almost 2.5 thousand units of weapons, military equipment and special-purpose products and more than 27 thousand missiles and ammunition were delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The provision of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with modern missiles, armored vehicles, electronic warfare and air defense systems, remotely-piloted aerial vehicle complexes, countersniper systems should be the priority of the state defense order in 2018.

"Our defense-industrial complex is already able to ensure the implementation of complex and large-scale programs," said Oleksandr Turchinov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. He informed that financing of the State defense order is to be increased to 21.3 billion hryvnas this year, which is 37% more than in 2017.

"We should spare no effort so that each hryvnia will add to raise the level of equipping the Ukrainian army with the latest models of weapons and military equipment," he said.

In addition, Members of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine have discussed and supported the draft law "On National Security of Ukraine" at the meeting.

This law was drafted in close cooperation with experts from NATO, the USA and the European Union in order to bring the Ukrainian legislative framework in line with the standards of NATO member states. After adoption by the Parliament, this law should become the basis for the development and updating of legislation in the field of national security and defense.

According to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Law "On National Security of Ukraine" should generalize and reduce all the already implemented and planned reforms of the security and defense sector of Ukraine  to a common denominator, "and combine not only the basic principles of national security, but also the issue of democratic civil control and planning basics in these areas".

He added that the bill is to increase the efficiency of all components of the security and defense sector in accordance with the norms and standards of NATO and the EU.

"The adoption of this bill without delay should become an important element in the protection of Ukrainian statehood and counteraction to Russian aggression," O. Turchinov emphasized in the commentary.