Current Events: Red Bear Rising?

[Raellus]

Russia wants its propers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20110228/wl_csm/366331

[HorseSoldier]

Doesn't sound like they're doing anything to actually address the problems in their military organization, just throwing some money out there in a public relations gesture.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Oh man, if we're not careful by FY2020 they could have a military mighty enough to beat us 10 years ago!

[Dog 6]

Originally Posted by raketenjagdpanzer

Oh man, if we're not careful by FY2020 they could have a military mighty enough to beat us 10 years ago!

lmfao

[schnickelfritz]

Sad. Maybe in the coming years they can develop a SLBM that will actually reach a target before the motor explodes. I remember really fearing the Typhoon class. Now look at them and their follow on subs, which sit toothless.

They could probably head in the right direction by scrapping most of what they have for tanks and narrow it down to heavily modernized T-55's, and the T-64/-72/-80. Everything else needs to go to a museum or scrap yard. They need to thin out their navy, especially the submarines to a force that you can actually maintain.

And what's up with them having to sell the Kiev class because they no longer had access to a dry dock of sufficient size? Really? Embarassing.

At least you could modify/replace the turret on a t-55 with modern fire contral, a manually loaded 125mm, and a better drivetrain. It won't be able to go toe-to-tow with any of the current western 120mm tanks, but might be of some use in lower echelon formations. What they have now beyond Cat 2 is a total waste of lives and resources.

It's sad to see a once proud and capable force like this reduced to a shell of it's former glory.

-Dave

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Originally Posted by schnickelfritz

Sad. Maybe in the coming years they can develop a SLBM that will actually reach a target before the motor explodes. I remember really fearing the Typhoon class. Now look at them and their follow on subs, which sit toothless.

They could probably head in the right direction by scrapping most of what they have for tanks and narrow it down to heavily modernized T-55's, and the T-64/-72/-80. Everything else needs to go to a museum or scrap yard. They need to thin out their navy, especially the submarines to a force that you can actually maintain.

It's so weird that one of their better MBT is actually an upgraded tank of the M47's age (T55).

Along these same lines, I think a large problem they have is that they've tried to build one ultra-specialized vehicle for everything they want to do (albeit on common chassis) - IIRC they have a T62 based "medium" tank that's dedicated to protecting an actual MBT. That's right, a tank to defend a tank. Has a couple of 30mm autocannons, rocket launchers, etc.

And what's up with them having to sell the Kiev class because they no longer had access to a dry dock of sufficient size? Really? Embarassing.

Man...the Russians do not, will not and cannot grasp the finer points of carrier aviation. And that's sad. Even Brazil gets it. Thailand. Thailand has a thru-deck cruiser/carrier that puts to sea more often than Adm. Kunetzov.

At least you could modify/replace the turret on a t-55 with modern fire contral, a manually loaded 125mm, and a better drivetrain. It won't be able to go toe-to-tow with any of the current western 120mm tanks, but might be of some use in lower echelon formations. What they have now beyond Cat 2 is a total waste of lives and resources.

They could do an "M60-2000" like GDLS tries to sell and mate modern turrets to old hulls. I mean, holy crap, the Israelis were using 105mm-armed Shermans in the '67 conflict, and before they retired most and converted a few to SPA, they were in use up until the 80s.

It's sad to see a once proud and capable force like this reduced to a shell of it's former glory.

-Dave

Actually it doesn't bother me that much: most of the time it had that "glory", the pointy end was pointed at the West. And these days I think they're getting a little twitchy and wanting to point the (dull, rusty) pointy end back at us.

[schnickelfritz]

Sad. Maybe in the coming years they can develop a SLBM that will actually reach a target before the motor explodes. I remember really fearing the Typhoon class. Now look at them and their follow on subs, which sit toothless.

They could probably head in the right direction by scrapping most of what they have for tanks and narrow it down to heavily modernized T-55's, and the T-64/-72/-80. Everything else needs to go to a museum or scrap yard. They need to thin out their navy, especially the submarines to a force that you can actually maintain.

And what's up with them having to sell the Kiev class because they no longer had access to a dry dock of sufficient size? Really? Embarassing.

At least you could modify/replace the turret on a T-55 with modern fire contral, a manually loaded 125mm, and a better drivetrain. It won't be able to go toe-to-tow with any of the current western 120mm tanks, but might be of some use in lower echelon formations. What they have now beyond Cat 2 is a total waste of lives and resources.

It's sad to see a once proud and capable force like this reduced to a shell of its former glory. Russian soldiers/sailors/airmen deserve better than this.

-Dave

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by schnickelfritz

And what's up with them having to sell the Kiev class because they no longer had access to a dry dock of sufficient size? Really? Embarassing.

Has more to do with the major shipyards being located in the Ukraine...which is now an independent country. The problem with the Kola Peninsula and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) shipyards is that ole 6-8 months of ice and snow...this is why the French were able to land the contract to build the LPDs for the Russians, they just don't have the shipyards to build large vessels anymore....