The transition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine towards the manning on contract basis (contractors) is conditioned by:

changes of military and political situation in the world, reform of Armed Forces of adjacent states;

necessity to maintain the combat readiness of the Armed Forces on appropriate level by manning military units with professionally trained personnel capable of qualitative long-term accomplishment of missions under the conditions of the Armed Forces reduction;

decrease of the indices as to health, professional and moral qualities of enlistees, reduction of their number;

deterioration of training and accumulation of highly qualified human resources recruited for such kind of service during mobilization.

The Armed Forces transition towards the manning on contract basis will give the possibility to maintain the structure and strength in correspondence with economic capabilities of the State and its defense missions, to increase combat readiness and requirements to personnel.

The Program is to be implemented during the period up to 2015 in three phases: 2002-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015.

It is expected to fulfill the following tasks during the implementation of the Program:

reform of the existing system of manning units, military educational institutions, facilities etc.(hereinafter, military unit) ;

reform of the military training units (centers), enlisted personnel schools, military colleges in order to improve the system of professional training of contractors - non-commissioned officers (petty officers) and qualified soldiers (seamen) as well as training and retraining of the military personnel in reserve (hereinafter, reservists);

improvement of the level of the educational work and reform of the military-patriotic education system;

creation of new structure of military manpower reserve, improvement of the training and accumulation system of the reservists intended to man the Armed Forces and other military components during mobilization;

optimization of number and quality of the personnel by performing organizational measures primarily directed to improve the professional level of personnel and introduction of new armament systems (approximate strength of the Armed Forces personnel from 2002 to 2015 is attached in annex #1);

improvement of the military social security system of servicemen and their families by creating the appropriate living conditions, achievement of the appropriate money allowance level, social guarantees and benefits;

reform of local military control bodies (military commissariats) in order to optimize their structure and number, specification of functions and inherent powers;

automation of registration and distribution system of military manpower reserve;

provision of the legislative and scientific support during the Armed Forces transition towards the manning on contract basis.

The Program is also directed to improve the planning, organizational, financial, economic, educational and other activities of the Armed Forces and relevant executive and control bodies during and after the creation of the professional Armed Forces in Ukraine.

The President of Ukraine as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is in charge of the overall supervision over the activity of the Program executors.

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine exercises coordination and supervision over the activity of central executive bodies dealing with the Program.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is responsible for implementation the provisions of the Program.

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine has the immediate control over the execution of the Program.

The adequate research institutions and specialists are involved in scientific support of the implementation of the Program's provisions.

1. Standard legislative base regarding the issues of the Armed Forces transition towards the manning and organization of military service procedures on contract basis shall be developed.

2. The system of selection of candidates, professional training and the military service procedures on contract basis shall be improved. The main efforts shall be focused on creation and development of new contractors training mechanism, criteria system of evaluation of Ukrainian citizens suitability for the active military service as to health and physical conditions, level of education, moral and physiological criteria.

3. Training units and military colleges shall be reformed in order to improve the professional training system for the contractors, training and retraining of reservists.

4. Reforming of training system of warrant and non-commissioned officers, qualified soldiers (seamen) shall be performed and the military service procedures for non-commissioned officers shall be developed in order to train professional personnel as the base of the future Armed Forces who'll responsible for education and training of subordinates. This process will partly facilitate and simultaneously reduce the officers' functional duties concerning the soldiers' education and training.

5. The structure of local military control bodies (military commissariats) shall be reorganized by means of their conversion into territorial centers (in Autonomous Republic of Crimea and administrative regions) and offices (in administrative districts and cities), as well as by reduction of their number and specification of their functions. To meet these requirements, the local military control bodies shall be equipped with modern information technologies providing the automation of manpower registration, coordination of advertisement of military service, selection of candidates for military service in Autonomous Republic of Crimea, regions, cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol.

6. The automation of manpower reserve registration and distribution process shall be conducted in military commissariats of administrative districts, cities and regions, organization-mobilization departments of the Operational Command HQs and in the Armed Forces General Staff by establishing local data networks and automated working places equipped with special software and by their integration into automated control systems "DNIPRO" and "KARPATY".

7. The new structure of military manpower reserve and mechanism of accumulation and training of reservists intended to man the Armed Forces and other military components during mobilization shall be worked out.

8. The system of military patriotic education of personnel aimed to develop conscientious attitude to the performance of the constitutional duty and positive attitude of youth towards the military service on the contract basis, acquisition of high business and moral qualities shall be improved; the popularization system of the military service on the contract basis shall be created.

9. The terms of the active duty service shall be reduced up to 12 months.

10. The majority of sergeants and enlisted personnel organic positions determining the combat readiness shall be occupied with contractors.

11. The quantity of the Armed Forces contractors will reach the number of 50000 by the completion of the Stage 1.

12. The development and adoption of legislative rules regulating the military service on the contract basis is under completion.

13. The new criteria system for the adequate evaluation of the professional level, business, moral and mental qualities of sergeants (petty officers), their correspondence to assigned positions, determination of service perspectives, creation of candidates reserve for promotion and training abroad is under developing.

14. The procedures of transition of non-commissioned officers category to sergeant (petty officer) category shall be carried out; a new list of organic positions and appropriate organic ranks of sergeants (petty officers) who are the subject to replacement by contractors, shall be developed and put into force.

15. The optimization of the organizational structure of local military control bodies (territorial manning centers and its branches) is under completion. The results of their unification as well as its capability to fulfill tasks under new conditions of the created structure and automation of registration and distribution process of manpower reserve should be taken into account. The number of local military control bodies' personnel shall stay in accordance with tasks to be performed.

16. The new structure of military manpower reserve shall be created to meet requirements of the Armed Forces and other military institutions as to human resources during mobilization and in wartime. The military manpower reserve shall be divided into the first and the second categories of reservists included in its turn into active and passive manpower reserves.

The first category of reservists consists of persons who have been on active military duty and received military occupational specialty as well as persons who have received military occupational specialty after the graduation from military schools, colleges, and military faculties of high educational establishments, Ukrainian Defense Encouragement society educational institutions and technical secondary schools.

The second category of reservists consists of persons who have not military occupational specialty including females.

The active reserve is a component of military manpower reserve. It is intended to man the Armed Forces and other military institutions in accordance with the mobilization plan of wartime and is generally manned by reservists of the first category.

The Passive Reserve is a component of military manpower reserve. It is staffed by reservists of the first and second categories and intended to man the strategic reserves, additional military institutions in case of emergency and to restore the human losses of the active Army.

17. The social secure system of servicemen and their families is under improvement; appropriate level of cash allowances and appropriate living conditions shall be achieved.

18. The completion of the Stage 2 shall finish the manning with contractors of all organic military positions determining combat readiness of the units.

19. The number of contractors in the Armed Forces shall reach 50 percents.

20. The transition of the Armed Forces towards the 100 percents contractors manning is under completion.

21. The cash allowance for contractors shall meet the requirements of the military service and raise the prestige of military service.

22. The creation of new structure of military manpower reserve is under completion.

The financial support of the measures regarding the transition of the Armed Forces towards the manning by contractors shall be conducted at the expense and in limits of funds allotted to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in State Budget of Ukraine for the current year.

Expected indices of annual funds for the Armed Forces personnel are determined on the basis of the volume of expected financial resources, which can be directed to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Program (annexes #2, #3).

1. The elaboration of the legislative rules regarding the remission of limitations in manning the positions of enlisted personnel by contractors.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Ministry of Finance of Ukraine

Ministry of Economy of Ukraine

Ministry of Labor of Ukraine

2002-2004

2. The development of legislative rules regarding the providing of the professional and psychological selection of candidates (by testing) on contract service which will determine the requirements of psycho-physiological, mental physical abilities and health conditions and the abilities to perform assigned duties.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Ministry of Public Health of Ukraine

Ministry of Justice of Ukraine

2002-2005

3. Development of the draft of the Law of Ukraine ''About amendments to the Law of Ukraine ''On general military duty and military service'' regarding:

the reduction of the terms of active duty service and determination of new conditions of recruiting on contract basis;

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Other relevant central executive bodies

2004-2005

the transition of the noncommissioned officer category to the sergeant category;

the determination of the new structure of military manpower reserve, personnel reception procedures, their training (retraining), determination of the maximum terms of service in reserve, rights, duties and regulation of the social secure system for the persons performing their duties on contract basis about the service in active military reserve (further - performing duties of reservists).

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Ministry of Economy

Ministry of Science and Education

Other relevant central executive bodies

2006

4. Development of the programs of professional training of NCOs, sergeants and qualified soldiers (seamen), which are directed to reach the high professional level. Determination of the terms of training and the list of military occupational specialties, which are the main issues for the training according to the military service procedures.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Ministry of Science and Education

2002-2004

5. Reform of the professional training system of NCOs, sergeants and qualified soldiers (seamen)with maximum use of the existing training centers and military colleges for

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Ministry of Science and Education

2002-2004

6. Reform of the training system for sergeants and petty officers in order to train professional sergeants (petty officers).

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2003-2006

7. Bringing into accord of the logistic-technical facilities of the training centers and military colleges with the requirements of the contractors professional training including their practical training.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002-2005

8. Development of the complex of measures directed to improve the educational work with personnel, improvement of the military patriotic upbringing system of the Armed Forces personnel.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002

9. Organization of non-organic coordination teams in the Armed Forces branches, Operational Commands and Corps to improve the military patriotic upbringing of the military and civil personnel.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002

10. Increasing of the contractors money allowance according to the inflation processes.

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine

Since 2002

11. Elaboration of procedure of selection, training and participation of contractors in peacekeeping operations.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2003

12. Organization of joint task group responsible for elaboration of new structure of military manpower reserve, procedure of training and accumulation of reservists assigned to man the Armed Forces, other military institutions during mobilization and the procedure of forming of single state order for its training.

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine

2002

13. Reform of district and local military commissariats into the territorial manning centers with simultaneous reduction of its strength:

the first stage - amalgamation of military commissariats as to optimize its strength;

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002-2005

the second stage - reforming of the military commissariats' organizational structure, creation of territorial manning centers on its basis.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2006-2008

14. Forming of structural units responsible for publicity and explanatory work and organization of the candidates' selection for contractors in the military commissariat of Autonomous Republic of Crimea and regional military commissariats.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002-2005

15. Equipment of visitors' rooms in military commissariats with agitation materials of military and patriotic character and spreading of advertising information concerning the service on contract basis.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2003-2004

16. Working out of special software in frame of research and design program ''Stvol-M/1'' to computerize the processes of personal and quantitative registration and distribution of military manpower reserve in district, local and regional commissariats, organization-mobilization departments of Operational Command HQs and in the General Staff of the Armed Forces

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002-2005

17. Equipment of the regional, district and local military commissariats with computers, appropriate apparatus and establishment of local networks and computerized working places.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002-2005

18. Reform of military commissariat of Autonomous Republic of Crimea, regional, local military commissariats of Kyiv and Sevastopol into territorial manning centers with the determination of their functions.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2003-2008

19. Conduct the psychological researches among the servicemen to determine the factors, which influence the decision-making process concerning the extension of terms of duty and making of new contracts. Preparation of proposals according to the results of researches regarding the improvement of the military service procedure on the contract basis.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2003-2005

20. Creation of the official web-site of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine in the Internet to advertise the service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the contract basis.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Since 2002

21. Increasing the number of military TV and wireless channels and programs on State TV and Radio mass media.

Minister of Defense of Ukraine

State information Committee Since

2003

22. Preparation, manufacture and printing the products and advertising video films about service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the contract basis.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002-2015

23. Implementation of long-term programs of international military cooperation to study the other countries' experience of transition towards the manning on the contract basis.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2002-2010

24. Development of propositions as to make changes in the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated November 7, 2001, # 1053 "About military service procedure of appropriate categories of servicemen''.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Minister of Interior Affaires

State Border Committee

Ministry of Emergency Situations

State Security Department

2005

25. Making necessary changes in legislative rules, which regulate the way of carrying out military medical examination in the Armed Forces.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Public Health

2004-2005

26. Determination of organization procedure and carrying out the procedures of selection and recruiting on contract basis the citizens of Ukraine as soldiers, seamen, sergeants and petty officers by appropriate military officials of units and military commissariats.

Ministry of Defense

2004-2005

27. Creation of the professional courses for contractors in the training centers of the advanced and other units of the Armed Forces.

Ministry of Defense

2004

28. Development of propositions to improve house-building procedures for contractors and their families.

Ministry of Defense

Ministry of Finance

Ministry of Economy of Ukraine

29. Reconstruction of barracks, which are vacant because of the reduction of the active duty servicemen, and its utilization as billets and hostels for contractors.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2004-2015

30. Transition to the military service on contract basis in the advanced units and in units which will participate in international peacekeeping operations.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2005

31. Determination of the optimal proportion of the strength of services and branches of the Armed Forces according to the requirements of wartime and peacetime and the needs in personnel by military occupational specialties

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2005

32. Elaboration of complex of measures directed to enhance the prestige of military ranks of sergeants and petty officers. Revision of terms of duty in ranks of sergeants and petty officers and the determination of promotion procedure.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Other relevant central executive bodies

2005-2006

33. Organization of training for sergeants, petty officers, qualified soldiers (seamen) in the training centers on contract basis exclusively.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2005

34. Determination of the list of military occupational specialties according to which it is necessary to provide military reservists' training and general need in reservists by these specialties for the Armed Forces and other military institutions.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Other relevant central executive bodies

2005

35. Development and introduction of the system of criteria of impartial evaluationt of professional level, business, moral and psychological qualities of sergeants (petty officers), their fit to post, determination of the perspective of service, creation of reserve for promotion and appointment for training.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2006-2007

36. Organization of preliminary military training of enlisted personnel including active duty soldiers by special programs in training centers with further their assignment to military units.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2006-2007

37. Improvement of the procedure of assignment to the organic military positions and enlisted personnel service changes with due regards for their professional level, health condition and ability to perform military missions.

Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

2006-2007