In November, Russia made a large rotation of top leaders in the armed forces. Russian Defense Policy has looked at the people who have risen to glory. The overall trend is that successful command in combat is a key qualification for promotion. The most prominent command change is that the Aerospace Forces got a new […]
Russia
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Ocean capable corvettes could be affordable force enablers
Yesterday the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Soobrazitelnyy, a corvette from the Baltic Fleet, had passed through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea into the Mediterranean. This was the latest in a series of press releases covering the journey of two Steregushchiy class corvettes and an auxiliary vessel from the Baltic Fleet. The […]
Why don’t Russians revolt?
Aimar Ventsel asks the reasonable question Why Don’t Russians Revolt? on Diplomaatia.ee. He gives a good account of the deteriorating socio-economic situation in Russia and some interesting explanations why this does not lead to a revolt, including: Vladimir Putin has a magnificent image as a benevolent leader. The notion is that the president is not […]
Why does Russia lie about sizes of military exercises?
Lee Litzenberger in War On The Rocks on the possible reasons for Russia to avoid foreign observers at military exercises: Russia pursues this destabilizing behavior, possibly out of a belief that its interests are served by being provocative. There may be several reasons for this. First, Russia may believe that the lack of transparency keeps […]
Book review: War With Russia
General Sir Richard Shirreff’s book is important and educational, but it is mostly for those with an interest in military affairs.
Russia has an inflatable regiment
Robert Beckhusen for War is Boring: This tradition of inflatable dummy tanks and phony ballistic missiles — imitasiia or imitation — is still alive and well in Russia thanks to the 45th Separate Engineer-Camouflage Regiment based in Vladimir Oblast east of Moscow. The unit has a variety of blow-up tanks, missile launchers, armored personnel carriers […]
You have to practice being jammed
Estonian intelligence chief Kapo Rosin has an assessment of the Zapad exercise and Russian doctrine in Defense News: The exercise basically [addressed] two factors. First, how to jam the enemy, which is logical; and second, how to operate [within those] conditions themselves. They of course know that an electronic field is both a challenge for […]
Russia continues military line with 2018-2027 armament program
Dmitry Gorenburg in a policy memo for PONARS Eurasia: By the end of 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin will approve Russia’s State Armament Program for 2018-2027. […] Based on these plans, Russia seems primed to stay ahead of its competitors in some capabilities (anti-ship missiles, electronic warfare, air defenses), narrow the gap in areas such […]
Russia completes transformation to Iskander in Kaliningrad
Russia has completed the transformation to the Iskander-M missile system in Kaliningrad, according to Russian defense blog bmpd. That happened when the 152nd Missile Brigade officially received the modern missile at a ceremony last Monday to replace the old Tochka-U missiles (NATO name SS-21 Scarab). Russia is modernizing its fleet of tactical ballistic missiles at […]
Russia’s new strategic bombers will fly soon
Dave Majumdar for The National Interest: Early next year in February, the first of Russia’s new production Tupolev Tu-160M2 Blackjack supersonic strategic bombers will take to the air. The new bomber is essentially a prototype of a next generation variant of the venerable Blackjack, the first generation of which was built during the 1980s in […]