NYT: Russia's Military, Once Creaky, Is Modern and Lethal

[WarGamer]

Some people seemed confused the other day believing that the Russian military was somehow sub-par??

https://news.yahoo.com/russias-military-once-creaky-modern-124721425.html


Under Putin’s leadership, it has been overhauled into a modern sophisticated army, able to deploy quickly and with lethal effect in conventional conflicts, military analysts said. It features precision-guided weaponry, a newly streamlined command structure and well-fed and professional soldiers. And they still have the nuclear weapons.

The new capabilities were evident in Russia’s intervention in Syria in 2015. They were not only effective, but caught some in the U.S. military off guard.

“I’m embarrassed to admit, I was surprised a few years ago when Kalibr missiles came flying out of the Caspian Sea, hitting targets in Syria,” said Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe. “That was a surprise to me, not only the capability, but I didn’t even know they were there.”




Internet Rambos can line up to the right to go fight.

[ItsjustMe]

1. I for one am not worried about Russia

The United States military has the best people and machinery in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDailyAviation/videos

[marie999]

3. And Russia is number 2.

Also, Russia has been using Syria to train its air force. 90% of its pilots have been in combat.

[ItsjustMe]

5. Syria!

Seriously, our pilots are not at all worried about the Syrian or Russian pilots.

[marie999]

6. So, you want American pilots to fight the Russian pilots in a war over Ukraine.

[ItsjustMe]

7. No, but if Putin tries to invade Ukraine

The United States and other Countries will get involved.

But we will not be going to war, Putin will back off, he is a coward.

[marie999]

8. The U.S. cannot send troops to fight Russian troops.

That is a war that will end badly for everyone. Why do you think we have only fought proxy wars for the last 60+ years? If Ukraine joins NATO, Russia will invade Ukraine. Russia will not allow NATO to have a 3,122-mile border with Russia and Belarus. What gives you the idea that Putin is a coward? And don't be too sure about how many NATO countries want to get into a war with Russia over Ukraine.

[ItsjustMe]

10. As I stated above we are not going to war with Russia

Putin Is a coward, he is like Trump he has others to do his dirty work, as all cowards do.

But if I may ask, why are you so pro Russian?

I also noticed that your username is the most popular Russian female name.

https://www.peanut-app.io/blog/russian-baby-girl-names

Mariya. The most popular Russian girl name of 2020 was Mariya. It’s a beautiful name – a Russian equivalent of the globally common Maria, Mary, or Marie.

[marie999]

13. I love the Russian people, I don't like the Russian government, but I understand it.

Read my profile. What makes you think Putin is a coward he has already attacked 2 countries and has his military fighting in others. I do not believe Putin will attack Ukraine as long as it doesn't join NATO. As I stated before if Ukraine is about to join NATO, which I doubt will happen, Russia and Belarus will attack because of the 3,122-mile border there will be between NATO and Russia-Belarus.

[ItsjustMe]

15. Putin hasn't attacked anybody

The Russian military has. Putin is a coward, do you really think Putin has ever been in a fist fight with a man? (I suspect he has beaten on a few women) Putin is a little man with a big mouth, just like Trump.
Do you remember Afghanistan? The Russians got their ass kicked.

And I have no doubt that the majority of the Russian people hate Putin, just as the majority of the people here in the United States hate Trump.

[marie999]

17. Afghanistan? We spent 20 years there and couldn't win.

At least Russia knew when to get out. You don't know anything about Putin yet you keep making these stupid statements.

[ItsjustMe]

20. Putin, Is that you?

[marie999]

21. Putin was a KGB agent.

I have known about half a dozen KGB agents and never met one that was a coward.

[ItsjustMe]

24. Oh Please

I'm sure you have known a few people who claimed to be KGB agents.

You know, I occasionally read a news article about a Russian man here in the United states getting his ass kicked because he ran his mouth off to somebody. The Russian men here are basically Trump supporters, they are cowards who like to run off their mouth to others. As I recall, the last article I read was about a group of Russians that starting some shit with a group of Americans, the outcome was not good for the Russians. As I recall, the beat down was so bad they spent several weeks recuperating before heading back to mother Russia.

[marie999]

26. I knew them because it was my job to know them.

I am not talking about the United States. You think this is all a joke. You have not written one post that has any meaning at all. Why don't you state some verifiable facts for once?

[ItsjustMe]

27. Are you serious?

You haven't stated one verifiable fact.

[marie999]

28. Bye

[Jedi Guy]

19. Not so sure that a majority of people in Russia hate Putin.

The fall of the Soviet Union diminished Russia's standing in the world in a big way, as they went from being a global superpower to... well, kind of a rinky-dink regional power, if we're being honest. The world respected (or at least feared) the Soviet Union. Putin has done basically what Trump did in that he tapped into that anger and resentment, that feeling of being hard-done-by.

If he can resurrect a new version of the Soviet Union, most Russians would probably see that as a good thing. I read an article not long ago about how a lot of Russians pine for the "good old days" of the Soviet Union's heyday. I don't think they're pining for communism as an economic model, but for the lost glory of the old Soviet Union.

Then there's the fact that people critical of Putin tend to end up dead. Even if a majority of Russians hate him, I don't foresee them lining up to shout it from the rooftops given how many folks have mysteriously fallen out of windows. Putin has in place the sort of repressive police state apparatus that Trump only dreamed of.

[WarGamer]

32. But if I may ask, why are you so pro War?

[Mary in S. Carolina]

12. 100% Agree

Putin is an ugly tyrant, but he is not stupid. An invasion into Ukraine could ultimately be the end of Russia -Putin knows that.

He is picking a fight with NATO, where America is the #1 one superpower, while next door, China, the #3 superpower will sit back while Russia is weakened to a point where China will just roll right over and into Russia and cease all of their land which includes its oil and gas.

Russia and China are friendly because China would love to see NATO and Russia go to war - so they can eventually invade Russia. That is my opinion.

[rockfordfile]

23. true

[sarisataka]

30. I never worry about any military

That I don't have to fight personally.

[tirebiter]

2. So, Mr Chamberlain, peace in our time, you say?

[marie999]

4. Do you want the U.S. to go to war over Ukraine?

[Ghost Dog]

9. Wargamers might like to contemplate the following imagined scenario:

Last edited Fri Jan 28, 2022, 06:41 AM - Edit history (1)

http://thesaker.is/ukraine-and-russian-escalation-dominance-a-fiction/

[tirebiter]

11. The best possible scenario is for Russia to realize that imperialism sucks.

Or maybe a nuclear winter can overcome a warming climate. None of this needs to happen

[Lancero]

14. Seriously, that anti-semitic site?

Their banners tagline, Stop the Empire's War on Russia, is self-admitted to refer to the Anglo-Zionist Empire... A variant of the whole anti-semetic "Teh Jewz controlz teh world!' conspiracy theory. Also, sides into Trumps favorite 'Deep-State' conspiracy theories.

Check the sites Terminology section. See it for yourself.

Edit - And lets not forget their 9/11 'Truther' section. And the amount of the sites operating emails that are registered through Yandex. (The Russian equivalent to Google, and a site that was banned in Ukraine because they were harvesting info on Ukranian users sending it off to Russian intel agencies. Big oof.)

Also, their Moderation policy section has some interesting takes too... Such as blatant homophobia, and a outright admission that they were inspire by Moscows actions against the LGBT community. And a nice comment about how they refuse to recgonize Ukraine as, you know, Ukraine and would rather see it call "The Ukraine" (ie, how it was referred to under the USSR).

Seriously, you're linking to what is almost certainly a Russian disinfo website.

[Caliman73]

34. You are posting pro-Russia propaganda?

With a nice anti-Semitic flavor?

[Jedi Guy]

16. Their army might have shaped up a bit, but...

Last I read, their air force wasn't in great shape and their navy was in absolutely dreadful condition. Both are a far cry from what they were in the Soviet Union's heyday. Their army might be able to steamroll Ukraine without much trouble, but that's hardly a surprise.

If this does turn into a shooting war (and given how many nukes are lined up on both sides, we'd all best pray it doesn't), Russia's military is not going to stand up to the full might of NATO. If it goes down that way and Putin realizes he's losing, things could get ugly pretty fast. Even if he doesn't press the red button, it'd be a bloody business.

And of course, China's over there eyeing Taiwan and licking its chops. If the US/NATO get bogged down slugging it out with Russia, China might well see it as the perfect time to scoop up their rebellious kid.

[Calista241]

22. Their navy isn't bad. Right now they're running a global exercise

Involving 140 ships. Some of those ships are obsolete, but their new stuff is bang on top tier naval warships. The Yasen submarines are near peers to our Virginia class. Quiet, fast, and very heavily armed.

Their new Belgorod submarine, equivalent to our SSGN subs, carries the Poseidon torpedo.

The Poseidon is a nuclear armed, nuclear powered autonomous torpedo that can loiter for years in the ocean, deeper and faster than anything we have that can kill it, attacking when directed to via satellite communication. It’s designed to poison harbors and coastlines for years / decades, denying their use to the enemy. It’s a surprise doomsday weapon of unimaginable magnitude.

Rather than competing with us ship class to ship class, or in number of vessels, they’re focusing on their sub fleet. They are investing heavily in subs, and have produced some of the most quiet, heavily armed, and highest quality submarines built in the world.

[ItsjustMe]

25. Red October

Was just a movie.



https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/08/how-russias-yasen-m-submarine-compares-to-the-u-s-navys-block-v-virginia/

[Jedi Guy]

31. Sounds like they didn't bother much with surface ships, then, which is pretty smart.

Last I knew, most of their surface stuff was tied up in port and falling apart from lack of maintenance. Given how we can project force on the surface, I'd imagine a lot of their warships would be in big trouble in any major engagement. But if they're focusing on subs, they can make life miserable for just about anyone.

[marie999]

29. North Korea is looking at South Korea also.

[WarGamer]

33. And that would be incorrect.

Their latest SU35s fighter aircraft (there's (was) a squadron of them in Belarus) is every bit as good as the F35.

A 2008 Rand study suggested that the SU35s would kill 2.4 F35's for every one lost.

[Jedi Guy]

35. Huh. Well, in my defense, I did say "last I read" lol.

Sounds like ol' Vlad has been a busy bee, since as recently as 10-15 years ago I recall Russia's military being described as pretty much a joke. I guess you can do quite a lot with ridiculous wealth and dictatorial power.

[WarGamer]

36. that's right!

They've spent tons of $$ and have the world's first operational hypersonic missile... top notch planes... we don't want none of this.

A carrier group is unsafe around hypersonic Anti-Sea weapons... China and Russia have them.

No war in Ukraine. These people need to sit the fuck down and have diplomats iron it out.

[Jedi Guy]

37. Seems like they leapfrogged us in a couple ways and we're suddenly outgunned.

Not a great position to be in, that.

[Calista241]

38. 2008 was before we really started fielding the F35.

And studies like that tend to just compare airframe to airframe. A f35 is never going up against anything else by itself. The fact that the Russians can field a single squadron or parts of a squadron doesn’t have more strategic implications.


AWACS, networking, support aircraft like fueling and electronic warfare all contribute to an overall air to air conflict; and our assets as a whole are unquestionably superior.

[EX500rider]

40. "A 2008 Rand study suggested that the SU35s would kill 2.4 F35's for every one lost"

Since the F-35 didn't go operational till 2015 that Rand study isn't worth much IMO.

[WarGamer]

41. Better tell Rand and Jane's...

Most people believe they are the Global authority on all things Military.

[EX500rider]

42. A study 7 years before the plane went operational isn't worth much

That would have been with pre beta software...
It's not like those two planes would be dog fighting.. the f-35 would swat the Russian plane out of the air before it even knew it was there

[Takket]

18. Their cyber warfare division is way more deadly and powerful than the military

[Xolodno]

39. Hubris and arrogance have always been the USA's largest weakness.

All too often analysts use the past to compare to the present and future. And think the other side has not learned, changed and developed. Sure, Russia shows off its hardware in parades...but, it seems no one asks the question, "is there stuff they aren't showing off?".

Most here don't even know that it was the Soviets who developed stealth technology initially. They didn't have a high interest in it because its an ability to project power and their military doctrine has been for defense. But you can bet your ass they have to have some shit somewhere, just not in large numbers.

And our biggest problem, we spend tons on military programs the Pentagon says are useless. But since it greases certain politicians hands (usually GOP), they keep ramming it down their throat. Russia and China don't have that problem and can devote their budgets strictly to what their needs are and gives them the most bang for the buck (yeah, I know, bad pun).

But its easy to say, we are absolutely superior in every way because we spend ten times more on certain equipment. You could spend 100 times more on muskets but a smaller army with Kalashnikov's are still going to mow you down like nothing.

And sanctions don't work either. We've been doing it to Cuba which is a puddle jump plane south of us for decades and they have survived. And in some cases, such as medical care, their doctors have taught ours a thing or two when they work together on humanitarian missions in other countries. The threat to take them off the SWIFT system is a wet paper sack. Both Russia and China have already set up alternative systems. And Germany is going to get deliveries from the Nordstream 2 pipeline, eventually, they will be very quiet about it with limited amount at first, but ramp it up when there is another crisis that causes the West to say "Squirrel!".

I don't think I've visited Europe enough, but, its given me enough insight to know they will not die over a hill that's called Ukraine. Sure I walked past a statue of Thomas Jefferson in Paris...then crossed a street named after Joseph Stalin, while I was on my way to a museum that had a display proudly showing off Russian military artifacts that helped defeat Napoleon.

Our perspective of the world is often too small.