Rapid Fire 2010-07-20: Russian Spending

• The Russian Defense Ministry plans to spend 20 trillion rubles ($656 billion) on its 2011-2020 state arms procurement program, which includes purchases of 1,000 helicopters, 20 An-124 Ruslan transport planes, and 70 T-50/PAK-FA fighter jets.

• A report issued by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense estimates that China will have 2,000 short- and medium-range missiles, capable of destroying 90% of Taiwan’s infrastructure, pointed at the island by the end of 2010.

• US DoD’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awards 5-year TASER contracts worth up to $1 billion to 18 firms to provide engineering, prototype, integration/deployment, and sustainment support to the agency.