The Russian Military: Declining or Better?

[Bob's World]

We need to grow used to the idea that in a more balanced world there will be many nations working to secure the interests they see as vital to them.

Some will invite many larger nations to trade with them and to provide some aspect of their mutual security. For example, I can see where Vietnam would see nothing incongruous about having ships from US, Russian, Chinese and Indian navies all in port in Cam Ranh at the same time. Best to keep ones options open.

Some will go out into the world and ensure they have access to resources, markets and reliable nodes to sustain their security forces. A US sharing the benefits of a global market should recognize the benfits of sharing security duties for the access to those markets as well.

The US will remain the biggest dog in the pack for years to come, but our days of playing the lone wolf (or leader of a pack of lesser dogs subservient to our will and interests as we define them) are about over.

[carl]

What Russian professes they want to do and what they can do are two different things. They don't have much and unless they fix their demographic problem and become something other than a mafia state, they will have less in the future.

[slapout9]

Until Directed Energy Weapons become truly viable it is all about guided missiles. And regardless of what the long term outlook for Russia is, Putin will be a formidable adversary in the coming years for America. The more we push for a so called Missile Defense for Europe the more you will see a Russian Missile push back. Naval ports and Missiles....that is something that Russia has a long history with and they are good at it.

[carl]

Slap:

I am beginning to see your point about missiles.

Speaking of directed energy weapons, Information Dissemination recently had this about USN lasers.

http://www.informationdissemination....lk-lasers.html

The Russians seem to do missiles well but when talking about sea fighting that often means ships or planes, if only to carry the missiles to within launch range and to target them. In the Russians case they don't have much in the way of ships and planes. And since sea fighting is most often conducted by navies, and the Russian Navy has about the worst history of accomplishment of any navy I can think of, I can't see what Russia can do coming anywhere close to what they say.

[davidbfpo]

A quick search on Google found numerous reports of the USA having a facility for drones in the Seychelles, plus China wanting to have access for its navy. Not to overlook the close relationship India has with the Seychelles.

IIRC the USA has a possibly commercially run military satellite station there too.

So a Russian base or access to facilities will fit in very nicely.