Have you really paid attention to Russia’s military?
Here is a link that I posted yesterday on Russia’s GDP
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3542266/posts?page=106#106
Navy’s are what you use to project power.
To support efforts away from home.
For an idea of Russia naval condition, google Russian Navy Rusting.
And if you think they are adequately rebuilding, compare their economy to GDP of other nations in my link to what I posted yesterday.
Here is something I posted yesterday on the condition of Russia’s navy.
(If the navy is this bad, consider the rest of the military)
“My point is that the Russian fleet is a paper tiger.
It’s considered a coastal or border fleet.
We have 6 Boomers out at sea. In a month or two, 1-2 or 3 will return and 2-3 will go out, and another month to two, 1-3 more will return.
They rotate around ALL THE TIME.
14 boats, doing 2 or 3 or even 6 tours in a year, depending on the length of tour.
They do about 14 boats x 8 months tour duty, equals 112 months at sea.
The Russians do 5 maybe 6 tours a year.
Maybe get 30-40 tour months a year.
You can’t keep crews adequately trained at that rate.
Despite all the time in port, their navy is slowly falling apart.
Most of their force projection ships are old.
53 out of 168 have been built 1990 or newer.
Their 5 capital ships were built in ‘82, ‘86, ‘89, ‘90, and ‘98. Only one is post USSR.
The Kuznetsov is known (notorious) for engine problems.
Four of 15 destroyers are post USSR
3 of 6 frigates.
19 of 81 corvettes.
Of the 19 corvettes built post USSR, 8 are in the Caspian Sea.
Of their 13 boomers, 3 were built post USSR. 4 are soon to be retired.
(it’s important to note that 3 of the boats were built in ‘13-’14, getting the bulk of the tour time, meaning in actuality, the Russians have 3-4 ready boomers.)
Of the 13 Oscars built, 4 have been retired, 1 sunk, leaving 8, with 3 being modernized, leaving 5 active. Of the 5 active, 2-3 are looking at near retirement.
When one looks at the Russian fleet and sees what they have. How much is newer. How much goes out on tour. How much gets refitted or modernized (OR NOT). You get a real idea of the strength of the Russian military.”