The Russian Military: Declining or Better?

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This thread includes a smaller, more politically themed thread on Russia saying it will become more assertive - before Putin's return as President. There is a separate thread 'Russian Fleet Movements' (ends).


12 May Washington Times - Russian Military Seen in Decline by Bill Gertz.

Russia's military forces have steadily deteriorated since the early 1990s and Moscow is trying to compensate by building up its nuclear forces and commando troops, according to military specialists.

Moscow's military and policy leaders are focused on countering what they view as the threat from the United States and NATO, but they are missing the dangers posed by Islamist extremism and the rise of China, the specialists say.

"The Russian military all these years has learned nothing and forgotten nothing," said Heritage Foundation specialist Ariel Cohen. "They're still in the Soviet mode of preparing for a global war."

Russia's emphasis on amphibious forces, interoperability with Chinese forces, building more submarines and test firing ballistic missiles has very little to do with its stated military goal of countering terrorism, Mr. Cohen said.

"For them, it is about deterring the main adversary, the United States," he said...