Check the combat readiness of our army in the framework of the exercise “Kavkaz-2016” has ended, and journalists of foreign media are still discussing how the Russian army is there, how strong she is, coped with the problems? But at the same time and how much she needs to be afraid of.
Here’s my two cents inserted, and the Czech author Vladimir Baumel in the publication “Czech position”. He outlined three major problems of the Russian army:
First, in his view, the financial crisis and Western sanctions do not allow the Putin regime to increase the strength of the army (land forces consist of about 300 thousand people). It compares the number of our army with the army of the United States and China and the conclusion of Russia’s weakness.
For a start, it’s worth noting that no one except our General staff does not know about the number of Russian land armed forces. But for some reason Western experts one and all converge on the figure of 250 thousand in 2016.
In fact, the total number of Armed forces of Russia occupy only the fifth place with 798 thousand. Ahead of us, for example, a million-strong army of North Korea and India, with its 1.3 million troops. Do they become stronger? Unlikely.
Of course, the Chinese army compared to ours seems to be just a colossal 2.3 million soldiers. It is very often forgotten that of them from 1.1 to 1.5 million – it is the people’s armed police, whose training and equipment are carried out by a residual principle. Directly, the number of ground armed forces in China, equal to 850 thousand.
Even in the US, with its 1.3 million soldiers in the land armed forces consist only 500 thousand people.
Of course, even having taken into account all these details, we may notice that the ground forces of the army of the United States and China surpass Russia in 2-3,5 times.
However, we should take into account the fact that countries often, except the armed forces, there are also various paramilitary forces, which in case of war can serve as a source of professional personnel.
In the case of Russia is another half a million men. And in some countries such groups? The North Koreans more than 5 million South more than 3 million At the same time, States have recruited slightly more than 14 million people. China has slightly more than 600 thousand people.
And yet there is such a thing as a reserve. Russia has in reserve $ 2 million ready to tear the enemy fighters, who were peacefully working in the civil field, while some cocky adversary decides to try on a tooth “weak and small” of the Russian army.
If all of that together, we will see that, first, in the event of war the Russian army will quickly grow to 3 364 thousand trained people and catch up with the Chinese. Second, the ability of States less than the Russian by a good million. Third, steeper than the North Koreans with their of 7.6 million no one.
Only the armed forces of the DPRK did not cause delight Vladimir Baumela. Maybe because he actually understands the effectiveness of the army is measured not in the amount raised under the gun the soldiers?
And the last one. If we look at the development of the Russian armed forces over the past decade, we note that our land Armada dropped from 1 million in 1992 to 250 million in 2016. Isn’t it supposed to push Vladimir Baumela on the idea that we do not interfere with the sanctions, we just don’t want to increase the size of the army?
We are a peaceful country, for the protection which is enough to those forces that we have.
Second, Vladimir Baumel believes that the traditional forces of the Russian Federation numerically very weak and still was equipped mainly with outdated technology.
The Russian army still stand 2800 units of tanks T-55. Outdated it equipment? Of course. Perhaps that is why she is on distant storage depots.
Directly in the military units we have a different technique. For example, T-90 “Vladimir” in various versions – until recently, the best tank in the world and the leader of the planet for over nine years. In various versions we have 350 units and another two hundred in storage.
Also, the T-14 heavy platform “Armata” from September 8, enters service in the Russian army. This tank took the T-90 the palm, becoming the best in the world. In addition, we have in service is a great tank T-80U up to 450 units. This modernization is that the T-80, which Soviet designers created in response to the German “Leopard 2”. It will not be our Czech friend to say that “Leopard 2” – outdated technology?
How about six hundred T-72B3? This upgrade of the Soviet T-72 “Ural” to bring individual characteristics to the level of T-90. By the way, the T-72 in versions “B” and “BA” we have 1300 units.
You need to understand that, say, a tank “Abrams” in itself – the ancient ruins of the early 80’s. More or less meets today’s challenges make it only upgrades available.
Our T-72 is older than “Abrams” only for 6 years. But bare this tank is just for long-term storage, as well as several thousand “Abrams” from the Americans. The parts also carry combat duty modernized T-72 with the dynamic armor, new engines, optics, complexes of guided weapons and all the rest. In addition, upgraded versions of BMP-3 in firepower is not much inferior to some tanks, and BTR-82 infantry fighting vehicles superior to other foreign on all counts.
So why would they be obsolete?
Of course, we had the difficult period of the 90s which the development of weapons brought nothing good. However, as time has shown, they were only able to slow down the pace of development, but did not interrupt him.
The opinion about the vulnerability of Soviet technology against the NATO is the result of the work of journalists, not designers.
Thirdly, according to Vladimir Baumela, the recent doctrine confirms that the Russian army is gradually out of the crisis, which lasted for the last 20 years, and again becoming an important power tool of the foreign policy of their country.
Simply put, the journalist believes that we will solve foreign policy problems that the army, not diplomacy. But this is not our method.
In addition, it is inefficient and only works with poor countries.
Our strong and well-equipped army performs only one foreign policy challenge — not allowing bad head any contender for world domination to appear the idea to negotiate with us, by putting a knife to our throat.
So no need to be afraid of us. We are polite people. We Russian civilization. You need to be afraid of our enemies.
