The Russian Military: Declining or Better?

[Azor]

From War Is Boring: http://warisboring.com/a-grim-future...bmarine-fleet/

Introduction:

In March 2017, Russia’s new Yasen-class nuclear attack submarine Kazan launched at the northern port city of Severodvinsk. Perhaps the quietest Russian submarine ever, the event was further evidence the Kremlin can still build capable and lethal subs capable of a variety of missions, including cruise-missile attack.

But it won’t be enough. The Russian navy — already badly depleted since the collapse of the Soviet Union — can’t quickly replace most of its existing nuclear submarine fleet, which is approaching the end of its collective lifespan. The outcome will likely mean a shrinking of the Russian nuclear submarine force in the years ahead.

[davidbfpo]

Ambition meets shipyards, a commentary that ends with:

Long story short, Russia’s navy is in bad shape, and Russia is in no shape to rebuild it. In the foreseeable future, Russia should commit to naval projects that it absolutely requires, and that it does well. This mostly means a nuclear submarine flotilla capable of posing a deterrent threat, and a small surface fleet tasked with managing routine maritime maintenance operations. Anything more is probably too much of a reach.

Link:http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the...trouble-21796?

[Azor]

Ambition meets shipyards, a commentary that ends with:
Link:http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the...trouble-21796?

Of course, David, that is why they continue to build nuclear-powered icebreakers, as these are the largest "capital ships" they are capable of. Yet that has spurred the U.S. Coast Guard to want its own icebreakers - with non-genderized washrooms

[davidbfpo]

Thanks to a "lurker" for the pointer to this recent article in Military Review, The Evolving Nature of Russia‘s Way of War by Lt. Col. Thomas (which I have not read).

This article discusses the three Russian military articles about which most Western military analysts specializing in Russia have focused their attention over the past four years. Unlike other analyses of those articles, this one offers a different perspective in that it compares them side by side, examining the text of the original versions and not merely the press reports about them.

(Later) All three articles focus on developing trends in warfare, the changing character of conflict, and the need for new forms and methods of fighting. Owing to the prominence of the authors, they may be taken as representative of prevailing Russian military thought at the highest levels.

Link:http://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journ...as-Way-of-War/

[AdamG]

In other words; Russians being Russians, shivering journalists wet their panties, film at 11.

RUSSIA has practised a full-scale mock invasion of the West that includes capturing Baltic states, bombing Germany and invading neutral countries, it has been revealed.
The terrifying war drills were carried out in September and featured troops, artillery, tanks, missile attacks and naval and air force raids.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/517766...ladimir-putin/

[CrowBat]

The author - Michael Kofman - has published in WoTR, in February 2017 a highly interesting 'dissection' of the Russian military strategy in Ukraine and Syria .

To make things even more interesting, that one is strikingly similar to conclusions from discussions on the Russian strategy and tactics in Syria we've had on the ACIG.info forum back in late 2015 (requires registration to read): VKS (Russian Air Force) - Doctrine and Tactics.

[AdamG]

Check out
Syria War: Who are Russia's Shadowy Wagner Mercenaries?
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=26631

[AdamG]

Russia's new hypersonic Sarmat ICBM, which is capable of overcoming missile defense systems, has completed tests and is a "breakthrough" for the country's missile program, according to President Vladimir Putin.

The announcement was made during Putin's annual address to Russia's Federal Assembly, and was accompanied by a video showcasing the missile's capabilities. Sarmat is capable of outmanoeuvring modern missile defense systems, he said.

The Sarmat will replace the aging but reliable Soviet-era R-36M2 Voevoda (SS-18 Satan) ICBMs.
Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that the new missile “can rip [US] air defenses apart," adding that "at the moment [the US defense shield] poses no serious military threat to us, except for provocations."

https://www.rt.com/news/420157-russi...personic-icbm/

Russia has developed a new cruise missile that is invincible, according to President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Putin made the revelation as he laid out his key policies for a fourth presidential term, ahead of an election he is expected to win in 17 days' time.
He showcased a range of new weapons, including the cruise missile that could "reach anywhere in the world".
Using video presentations, he said the missile could not be stopped by the US shield in Europe and Asia.
It was "a low-flying, difficult-to-spot cruise missile with a nuclear payload with a practically unlimited range and an unpredictable flight path, which can bypass lines of interception and is invincible in the face of all existing and future systems of both missile defence and air defence".
Another weapon he discussed was a submarine launched, long-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43239331

[AdamG]

This week the Russian Defense Ministry is expected to report finalizing its plan for materiel procurement until 2027, with the nuclear arsenal, precision weapons and Army hardware said to be prioritized.
A decade-long plan for military procurement was supposed to be passed in 2016, but was delayed due to economic uncertainty. According to a source in the presidential administration cited by the Kommersant daily, the government decided not to wait any longer for stabilization that is nowhere to be seen.

The Russian Defense Ministry will get $324 billion for procurement under the program, compared to just $51 billion given to the rest of the Russian law enforcement and intelligence services combined. The spending would be more balanced between arms of the Russian military service compared to 2011-2020 plan, which had prioritized the Navy over the Army.
The report says the Russian military would focus on upgrading the national nuclear arsenal, researching future weapon systems like hypersonic missiles and bringing the Army hardware up to date. The latter will receive new air defense systems and modern armor like T-90 and T-14 main battle tanks or Kurganetsh infantry fighting vehicles. Arctic-compatible equipment will also be high on the shopping list.
The nuclear arsenal will see an upgrade of air-launched cruise missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and ground-launched ICBMs. The Defense Ministry is expected to approve the RS-26 Rubezh ballistic missile and the RS-28 Sarmat hypersonic-tipped missile for active service.

https://www.rt.com/news/413570-russi...ement-details/

[AdamG]

The military version of Britain’s Boaty McBoatface contest launched by Russia’s Defense Ministry Thursday opens a portal where seemingly anyone with an email address can submit names for three advanced new weapons: an unlimited-range, low-flying, nuclear-powered cruise missile; a long-distance nuclear torpedo-drone; and a high-powered laser gun.

Proposals immediately began pouring in to the Russian defense ministry’s Twitter and Facebook feeds. The Russian embassy in the United States even seemingly invited Americans to participate in what it called Putin’s “name-that-weapon” contest.

One of the first suggestions: “Volodya,” a Russian diminutive of Vladimir. That sycophantic offering came from the head of Russia’s state-controlled RT network, Margarita Simonyan.

One Russian user wrote the long-range nuclear torpedo-drone should be called “The Kraken.”
Another referenced a Soviet pop song to propose the missile should be dubbed “Goodbye America.”
The laser could be called “Cyclops,” or “The Eye,” wrote one user, and the missile should be “The Anglo-Saxons’ Nightmare,” suggested another.

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/...uclear-weapons

[Rick]

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/...uclear-weapons

Lol this is crazy. While one group of russians create names like "Goodbuy America" for missles, others are looking for the opportunities to leave the country. For example, Germany is super popular for russian investors. They buy a property in Germany, for business and etc. I've found a very interesting article with statistics for 2017 https://tranio.com/articles/german-c...nvestors_5446/ what do you think about all this, guys?

[AdamG]

China's military leadership has pledged its support to Russia as tensions between Moscow and the West further deteriorate into diplomatic isolation, economic sanctions and dueling defense drills.

In his first visit to Russia, newly appointed Chinese Defense Minister Wei Feng attended the seventh Moscow International Security Conference accompanied by a delegation of other high-level military officials. Emphasizing that his trip was coordinated directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Wei said that he had two major messages for Russia at a time when both nations were attempting to modernize their armed forces and strengthen their hands in global affairs in spite of U.S. fears.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-mil...161427016.html

[Azor]

From The Jamestown Foundation: https://jamestown.org/program/russia...ric-potential/

Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 58
By: Roger McDermott

Since first initiating the reforms of the Russian Armed Forces in the fall of 2008, Moscow has developed a number of complimentary niche capabilities. The unifying themes of these reforms have been asymmetry and the recognition that the means and methods of modern warfare have changed. In large part, this has meant the adoption and integration of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) in the Armed Forces, itself a reflection of the move away from platform-based operations to operating in a networked-informational environment. One critical component of this shift has been in the level of progress in electronic warfare (Radioelektronnaya borba—EW) (see EDM, March 6). While this might appear abstract, Russian military scientists and top brass treat the task of EW development quite seriously, seeing it holistically as part of a greater effort to counter a high-technology adversary. Recent developments in this important field were addressed in an interview by the chief of the EW Forces, Major General Yury Lastochkin. His comments reinforce his published work and that of other Russian EW specialists, as well as shed fresh light on the potential deterrence value of these combined niche capabilities (Krasnaya Zvezda, April 16)...

[davidbfpo]

A reflective article on the invasion of Czechoslovakia, which provides some interesting comparisons with the Ukraine more recently:

But looking back at Operation Danube there are some quite striking parallels between the processes that led Brezhnev to approve intervention in August 1968, and more recent acts of Russian policy, not least with reference to Ukraine.
(Ends with) Ultimately, Operation Danube served only to delay by two decades the disintegration of a discredited system that could only govern at the point of a bayonet.

Link:https://defenceindepth.co/2018/08/20...ifty-years-on/

[AdamG]

Shades of the Spanish Civil War, again.

Moscow (AFP) - Russia has sent over 63,000 troops to Syria over the course of its involvement in the conflict, the Russian defence ministry said Wednesday. A total of 63,012 Russian personnel have "received combat experience" in the war-torn country, the ministry said in a video about Russia's campaign to support the Syrian regime dating back to September 2015.

This number includes 25,738 ranking officers and 434 generals as well as 4,349 artillery and rocket specialists, it said. Previously Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in December 2017 that over 48,000 military personnel had taken part in the Syrian campaign.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-sa...141424820.html

[AdamG]

what do you think about all this, guys?

Just saw your question. Globalization and it's associated cross-pollination of populations has turned the planet into a giant Jenga game, which mitigates the risks of all-out conflict but increases the potential of collapse if it does break out.

[AdamG]

Testing military hardware under adverse climatic conditions prior to induction into service is routine in defense industries and militaries across the globe. The Russian Ground Force are currently operating around 16-20 T-14s prototypes for testing, with final operational evaluation scheduled for 2019.

On August 22, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) signed a contract with Russia’s main tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) for the production of 132 T-14 Armata MBTs. The Russian Ground Forces are expected to receive a total of 100 T-14 MBTs by 2020.

The first T-14 MBTs will reportedly be deployed with the 1st Guards Tank Regiment of 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division, garrisoned in Moscow and part of Russia’s Western Military District.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/russ...ank-in-arctic/

[AdamG]

Meet the Russian Hank Scorpio.

Moderator adds: the main thread for this is:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ime-operations

The island, Sakkiluoto, belongs to Pavel Melnikov, a 54-year-old Russian from St Petersburg, who has dotted the property with security cameras, motion detectors and no-trespassing signs emblazoned with the picture of a fearsome looking guard in a black balaclava.

The island also has nine piers, a helipad, a swimming pool draped in camouflage netting and enough housing – all of it equipped with satellite dishes – to accommodate a small army.

The whole thing is so strange that the raid on 22 September, one of 17 in the same area on the same day, has stirred fevered speculation in Finland that the island’s real owner could be the Russian military.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/finland-russia-military-bases-sakkiluoto-putin-dmitry-medvedev-police-a8612161.html

[AdamG]

From Jane's

Samuel Cranny-Evans, Editor, Jane's Armoured Fighting Vehicles provides exclusive analysis of Russia's ambitious modernisation of its armed forces, and NATO's response to re arm and return its attention to the potential for a conventional conflict on a scale thought improbable, since the end of the Cold War.

Video here https://www.janes.com/article/85021/...iet-era-armour

[AdamG]

A Swedish think tank says Russia has emerged as the world's second-largest arms producer after the U.S. Russia surpassed Britain, which had held the spot since 2002 and remains Western Europe's No. 1 arms maker.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wire...ducer-59716336