Development of strategic nuclear forces remains the top priority for the Russian military. Within the nuclear triad, the military has a big stake in reinforcing naval strategic forces, although the other two elements, ground-based missiles and strategic bombers, are also being modernized. The navy accounts for approximately 40% of the defense ministry’s budget, according to Vice Premier Sergey Ivanov, who discussed spending in mid-2009. “It’s much more than is spent on strategic missile forces, space forces and the air force put together. It’s hundreds of billions of rubles,” he said, adding that the navy’s money will be mainly spent for...