Russian Military Training Is Catching Everyone's Attention

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev visits cosmodrome Plesetsk, which is nestled among the taiga forests of Russia's north, October 12, 2008. REUTERS/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/Dmitry Astakhov

Russia Flexes Muscles With Volley Of Missile Tests
-- Reuters

MOSCOW, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Russia test-fired two ballistic missiles and bombed a dummy town at the weekend, but analysts said the show of military preparedness was for domestic consumption and not a Kremlin warning shot to the West.

The exercises -- some overseen by President Dmitry Medvedev and all given extensive coverage on national television -- followed weeks of angry rhetoric between Russia and the United States over the August war in Georgia.

On Saturday, Medvedev watched the successful launch of a Sineva intercontinental missile from a submarine in the Arctic Barents Sea. It hit a virtual target near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, the first flight at this range.

The next day, Medvedev inspected the Plesetsk military cosmodrome in the north-west of Russia where he watched the test-launch of a Topol nuclear-capable missile which hit a target on Russia's Pacific coast.

Over the course of the weekend, 12 Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers took off for an exercise that involved launching multiple cruise missiles to pulverise a dummy town on a testing ground in the Arctic.

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My Comment: The Russians are now spending the money on their military. In the past, such live fire tests would not have occurred because of costs .... but in today's world that is no longer an obstacle.

Russia Rebuilding Superpower Military

Tanks In Red Square

From Washington Times:

Gen. Nikolai Makarov has replaced tough, old Gen. Yury Baluyevsky as the chief of staff of Russia's armed forces and has been tasked with rapidly modernizing them.

Despite all the stories of a run-down and demoralized military that regularly appear in the Western media, Russia's armed forces remain the most powerful and effective land force across all of Eurasia.

They don't have enough modern equipment. But what they do have is state-of-the-art, especially in main battle tanks, heavy artillery and close ground tactical air support.

Read more ....

News From Other Sources:
Russia to increase its Arctic military presence -- Canada.com
Russia Defense Watch: Flexing Arctic power -- UPI
Russian Navy to expand presence in Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific -- RIA Novosti
Russia "Boosts" Military Presence In Central Asia -- Eurasia Daily
Russia Attempts to Revive Its Military -- NPR

My Comment: With billions in oil revenues, it should be no surprise that some of it is going into military weapons. But to reach the same level as the U.S., it will take more resources than what they have already committed.