Russia Ready To Start Rearmament

A MIG-35 fighter jet at an air show in 2009

The head of the company that manufactures MiG warplanes says he expects the Russian Air Force will start receiving new MiG-35 fighters in 2014.

Sergei Korotkov said he expected final contracts for the deal would be signed with Russia's Defense Ministry on October 25.

Korotkov's comments come after the chairman of the Russian Duma's Defense Committee, Vladimir Komoyedov, said on October 24 that Russia would spend around 100 billion rubles (about $3.2 billion) on its nuclear weapons force by 2015.

President Vladimir Putin announced during his campaign for reelection earlier this year that Russia would spend about $770 billion on rearming its military over the next 10 years.

Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS