Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to observe military exercises. RIA Novosti/Reuters
Sebastian Roblin , 19fortyfive: 4 myths about the Russian military that just won't go away
* Heightened tensions with Russia have given new life to some enduring myths about Russia's military.
* It's mistaken to assume perceptions of the Russian and Soviet militaries necessarily remain true today.
* Militaries change in response to experience and material circumstances, and Russia's is no different.
It's time to retire outdated stereotypes about the Russian military: As the possibility of an escalated Russian war in Ukraine looms larger and larger, a noted strategist and historian took to social media to argue Moscow's forces could be handily repelled by little hit-and-run warfare by Ukrainian civilians-at-arms.
"My call for a Ukraine national militia of quick-trained volunteers to attack stopped Russian columns opportunistically (the Finnish model) is misrepresented as a call for an endless guerilla war… After losing a few soldiers the Russians will withdraw (as in Chechnya). Losing 10,000 before breakfast never hurt the career of a Russian general, but with no surplus boys, Russia too is post-heroic. No tolerance of casualties."
The invocation of Chechnya and Finland is peculiar as while both conflicts with Russia suggest certain operational and tactical lessons, neither ended victoriously for Russia's opponents.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Many of my relatives have served in the Soviet and later Russian military. And they all tell me the same thing. Today's Russian military is nowhere near what it was even a decade ago. Today's Russian military is well trained, lethal with overwhelming firepower, high-tech, and very effective.
11 comments:
"But any economists can tell you a dollar spent in China or Russia can buy more than a dollar in, say, Switzerland or the United States, meaning Russian military systems cost much less than Western ones, and salaries paid even to contract soldiers are much lower than in the US or Europe.
Furthermore, declines in the ruble-to-dollar exchange rates don't as directly affect the price of military hardware Russia buys from Russian firms, ie. most of it. When adjusting for purchasing power, this may multiply effective defense spending by at least a factor of three."
Tried telling Jay Jay that, but he still sings from the International hymnal.
They know this because what peer has Russia actually fought?
Fazman,
‘Their battle-drills are no different from the real thing ... It would not be far from the truth to call their drills bloodless battles, their battles bloody drills.’
- Josephus on the Romans
There was an English sea captain in the 17th or 18th century, who paid out of his own pocket for the training of his own sailors. It made a difference after a long period of peace. His crew could actual hit their target.
I would say that training can get you 60% to 90% there. Combat get you the next 39% to 9%. You are never perfect and the situation always changes.
The Russians have done a lot of training. I would not assume Ivan will perform poorly.
if you need to fight a peer to find out, that would bad news for US/NATO indeed.
It would be bad news for Russia. They will lose Kaliningrad, Most of Belarus for the eastern part of Ukraine. Good deal?
What we are seeing is a coming out party for Russia’s military. Europe will take notice and begin buckling to Russian demands. Germany will not increase its defense spending in the face of Ukrainian threats from Russia yet Russia has just shown it can mobilize a formidable high tech force. Today it’s near Ukraine, tomorrow it could be on Germany’s doorstep in the Baltic. Poland too is facing encirclement by this high tech force.
The USA just collapsed in Afghanistan after a 20 year effort. The USA has vast $30 trillion debt. It’s led by corrupt people who haven’t won a military expedition since 1991. The myth is now overrating the US military.
(CNN)Intercepted communications obtained by the US have revealed that some Russian officials have worried that a large-scale invasion of Ukraine would be costlier and more difficult than Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin leaders realize, according to four people familiar with the intelligence.
Three of the sources said those officials include intelligence and military operatives.
The officials have also grumbled about their plans being discovered and exposed publicly by western nations, two of the sources said, citing the intercepted communications.
There is no evidence that these officials are opposed to the overall plan, or would revolt against Putin's orders, two of the sources said. Another source familiar with the US intelligence noted that Russia has a professional military that would be expected to effectively carry out Putin's orders.
Still, Russian defense personnel believe it will be difficult, a senior European official said. "In the assessments we see it is clear some people on the [Russian] defense side are not really understanding what the game plan is," the official said. The official added that the assessments suggest the defense personnel think "it's a very difficult game plan to stand up."
Another of the sources familiar with the intelligence said that the way the Russian planning has evolved and expanded over the last two months suggests that the concerns have been heard by senior Russian officials.
"The USA just collapsed in Afghanistan after a 20 year effort. "
The US was there 20 years, but effort? After one surge the US pushed the pot to the back of the stove.
"The USA has vast $30 trillion debt."
https://dilbert.com/strip/1994-03-24
The debt matters in relation to GDP and other ratios.
"It’s led by corrupt people who haven’t won a military expedition since 1991. "
Doubling up on on Afghanistan aren't you.
The US set up a government in Iraq after 2003. It has been up and running for 16 years or so. That government has required outside help, but so has Syria. So your point? The government has become very corrupt, but so was the one before it. It is a tough part of the world, but when you look at it the world overall is very corrupt to include Russia, China, the US, Wester Europe, etc...
Another worthless comment at 10:30 by the resident ultracreepidarian, a truly stoopid tool.
your comment reflects your upbringing: bad DNA
Is that all you have Fred? Copy and paste, mommy insults, and bad DNA assertions?
Once again Mr. Magoo-like Fred is flushed out.
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