Moscow, Sep 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the government to draft a new defence industry modernisation programme which includes increased private investment and improved social benefits for employees.

"This programme must be tailored so that enterprises are modernised in parallel with the resolution of these social issues," Putin said during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin who oversees the Russian defence industry.

"This is an acute problem and you must take the appropriate steps in line with the state defence order," Putin said.

The president stressed the importance of direct support for the defence industry from both -- the state and the private sector.

Russian defence industry brings together 1,353 organisations and companies in 64 regions of the country, and employs over two million people.

The government has allocated 20 trillion rubles ($641 billion) to the comprehensive rearmament of Russia's Armed Forces. It is hoped this will see the share of modern weaponry reach 30 percent by 2015, with this figure rising to 70 percent by 2020.

An additional 3 trillion rubles (approximately $100 billion) in public funds and about the same amount in private investment have been allocated to modernise the defence industry over the next decade.