From Six-Month Plan to Boost in Defense Capability: 16 Priorities Puzzle for the Ministry of Defense

The nominated defense minister announced the development of six-month and 22-month plans, a boost in the production and supply of weapons required by the armed forces, and the continuous upgrading of advanced equipment.

According to Ambassador Arjan Mehrdad Akhlik, the proposed Minister of Defense and Support of the Armed Forces, explaining his plans in the Islamic Council, announced the development of six-month and 22-month plans, a leap in the production and supply of weapons needed by the armed forces, continuous improvement of advanced equipment and intelligent systems, and special attention to the livelihood of employees, retirees and veterans.

In describing his plans for the Ministry of Defense, Mehrdad Akhliky Ketabchi, referring to the continuation of the path drawn during the martyrdom of Pilot Brigadier Aziz Nasirzadeh, said: "The previous plans will continue with the implementation of reforms and in accordance with the new needs, and within this framework, six-month and 22-month executive plans have been formulated to advance the goals of the Ministry of Defense."

Emphasizing the necessity of strengthening the country's defense capacity, he listed the leap in the production and provision of weapons needed by the armed forces as one of the main axes of his plans and emphasized on the maximum use of the country's industrial, scientific and technological capacities to respond to defense needs.

Ehalli Ketabachi also emphasized on the synergy of the facilities and capacities of the armed forces and the Ministry of Defense and the support of the armed forces, and considered the effective use of available resources, coordination between industrial and defense complexes, and increasing efficiency in the process of meeting needs as requirements for realizing the anticipated goals.

The proposed Minister of Defense mentioned paying attention to rapid and problem-oriented research as one of his other priorities and said that the use of national capacities, the private sector and knowledge-based companies can play an effective role in accelerating the process of technology development, improving production capacity and responding to the needs of the armed forces.

Pointing to the necessity of continuous improvement of the country's combat power, he emphasized the development and updating of advanced weapons and equipment, the expansion of intelligent systems and paying attention to new areas of combat. According to him, re-creation and new architecture in the fields of defense should be followed according to technological developments and continuous assessment of operational needs.

Ehalli Ketabchi also listed the strengthening of the country's missile capabilities, in accordance with the level of regional threats, as one of the axes of his plan and emphasized the readiness to develop the range of missiles within the framework of confirming the hierarchy of command.

He paid special attention to the field of defense, development of ground combat capabilities, pursuing the construction of heavy multi-purpose fighter and strengthening cyber infrastructure were among the other axes that he raised in explaining his plans.

Attention to the livelihood of employees and retirees

In another part of his plans, the proposed Minister of Defense paid attention to the improvement of the living conditions of the armed forces employees and announced the pursuit of a leap increase in their salaries and benefits with the interaction and cooperation of the government.

He also stated that addressing the housing situation of the armed forces employees and paying special attention to the issues of retirees and veterans are among the priorities of his program and emphasized the need to strengthen the support for the human capital of the country's defense complex.

Reforming the economic structure and protecting the resources of the Ministry of Defense

In describing his economic approach, Ehlikhi Ketabachi considered reforming economic trends, paying special attention to the productivity of the assets of the Ministry of Defense and more efficient use of existing facilities and resources as requirements for improving productivity.

He also emphasized on dealing decisively with any action outside of conventional and healthy financial processes and said that interaction with the private sector should be based on clear criteria, respect for mutual interests, and avoiding conflicts with the legal activities of this sector.

Reconstruction and modernization based on defense priorities

The Minister of Defense mentioned the proposed reconstruction and modernization of defense capacities and infrastructures among the other axes of his plan and emphasized the necessity of summarizing the views of the commanders and prioritizing the needs for the allocation of resources and the implementation of plans.

According to the announced plans, strengthening the capacity to produce and supply weapons, developing advanced technologies, increasing synergy between the defense and industrial sectors, reforming economic processes and improving the living conditions of employees and retirees, will be among the main axes of Mehrdad Ahlaki Katabchi's program for the Ministry of Defense.