Moscow, Oct 29 (IANS/TASS) Russia will have full radar coverage of the Arctic by the end of this year as part of its plan to expand military presence in the region, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.
The minister said Russia was expanding military presence in the Arctic region, building infrastructure on its islands.
He told a session of the defense ministry's Public Council that restoration of airfields was launched recently at the Novosibirsk Islands and also airfields were being reconstructed in Tiksi, Naryan-Mar, Alykel, Vorkuta, Anadyr and Rogachevo on Franz Josef Land to defend national interests in the region.
Earlier reports said Aerospace Defense Forces were building radar stations to create a radar field covering the whole country. The ministry said plans were to create this field by 2018.