Thursday, June 12, 2008
Russia rebuilding Superpower Military
Martin Sieff UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
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.
Their multiple-launch rocket mortar forces are without parallel in any other armed force in the world.
However, modernization has not been going remotely as fast as former Russian president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would like.
Head of the Russian armed forces general staff Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, left, and Gen. Liang Guanglie, right, chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, seen in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 18. 2005. Russia and China launched their first-ever joint military exercises Thursday as the top commanders from both countries issued repeated assurances that the war games aren't intended as a threat to anyone. (AP Photo)
That is one reason Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has shoehorned out four-star Army Gen. Baluyevsky and replaced him with four-star Army Gen. Makarov.
According to a June 3 report from RIA Novosti, the state news agency, Russian analysts generally interpret Gen. Makarov's appointment as meaning there will be a major new drive to upgrade the Russian army's operating procedures, officer and troop training and procurement procedures.
Gen. Makarov enjoys Defense Minister Serdyukov's full confidence and previously worked closely with him as deputy defense minister.
By contrast, Gen. Baluyevsky, is closely tied to Mr. Serdyukov's predecessor, Sergei Ivanov. They are both associated with Russia's so far unsuccessful campaign to prevent the United States from deploying a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Gen. Makarov also got the job because his specialty has been solving the bottleneck problems of industrial production, spare parts and supply that have bedeviled Mr. Putin's efforts to revive Russia's military might.
Gen. Makarov previously ran the Russian military's armed forces procurement operations.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (right) shakes hands June 3 in Moscow with Gen. Nikolai Makarov, who has been appointed chief of staff of Russia's armed forces. Gen. Yury Baluyevsky (below) was ousted in the switch by Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, looking on in the photo above.
Three-star Col. Gen. Leonid Ivashov, president of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Studies, told RIA Novosti in an interview that Gen. Makarov would focus on seeking to "reverse the negative, destructive trends that are now plaguing the armed forces, and stop the technical degradation of the army and navy."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, shakes hands with general Nikolai Makarov who has been appointed Chief of the General Staff in Moscow, Tuesday, June 3, 2008, as Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, center, looks on. President Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed Russia's top military officer in a move apparently aimed at strengthening control over the armed forces and smooth the path for reforms. Medvedev on Tuesday relieved Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky of his post as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces and moved him to the presidential Security Council. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Presidential Press Service, Vladimir Rodionov)
Gen. Ivashov also confirmed the assessment of leading U.S. military experts that the Russian military "has an acute shortage of new weaponry and military equipment, ammunition and other technical systems."
However, Gen. Ivashov also expressed confidence that Gen. Makarov would be able to overcome the Herculean problems he is facing.
Gen. Makarov will certainly not lack financial resources. Mr. Putin, on the day he was sworn in as prime minister within 24 hours of handing over the presidency of Russia to his handpicked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, pledged to boost the country's defenses.
With oil prices regularly topping $120 per barrel and Russia the world's second-largest oil producer, Gen. Makarov will certainly get all the funding he needs.
Gen. Makarov is also an acknowledged expert in the very areas where the problems are worst - industrial production and timetables for supplying weapons and other equipment.
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8 comments:
Hi, Lt.! Every once in a while I stop by to read your very informative site, but then I look at the huge blocks of unformatted text and go away again.
When you take the trouble to use paragraphs, I'll take the trouble to read.
Hope all that hardware works out way better than their 1st Grozny blitz. That was embarrassing. The mighty Red Army quagmired in their own back yard.
Russia's defense industry is still weak - most of the bling she sold to Libya, Alegeria, India and Pakistan is coming back for warranty issues. Plus - TOR turned out to be totally blind to Little Satan's AF in the Syrian raid.
Nikita Petrov at Russia's RIA Novosti paints a future Russia that is crunk, disorderly and in need of more Western style out of the box thinking than old school collectivist conventional considerations:
"It is unclear whether the 2007-2015 state rearmament program will be
implemented because some of its provisions are not being fulfilled
completely.
The management of the Novosibirsk Aircraft Plant had promised to supply six, rather than two, Su-34 bombers in late 2006. Moreover, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) remains only partially operational with 13 spacecraft. Right now, the Army can buy only six to seven, rather than ten, fighting vehicles because raw materials, components, fuel, heat and electricity are becoming increasingly more expensive.
Only 36% of strategic defense enterprises are solvent, while another 23% are tottering on the verge of bankruptcy.
Another problem has to do with human resources. Most skilled workers and scientists are nearing retirement age. At the same time, quite a few technical-college graduates are in no hurry to sign up with the defense industry because of low wages and insufficient career opportunities.
The lack of qualified personnel and up-to-date production equipment will inevitably impair product quality. In fact, India, Algeria and some other countries are beginning to file quality claims.
Since 1992, not a single state defense order has been fulfilled completely and on time. It would be naive to hope that the industry's problems will be solved in a couple of years. Nor should we expect a major breakthrough this year. All we can do is work patiently, without deviating from the preset program.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20080109/95840754.html
Very cool site LT!
Dear Lieutenant Fishman,
I am a first timer to your blog. I found you from your comments to Sunshine.
Thank you so much for your service and for going above and beyond for Sunshine and her family.
I haven't had time yet to read your blog. I just wanted to say "Thank you" for now.
I, like brian h, find paragraphs easier to read. However, I find it much easier to read blocks of unformatted text than formatted arrogance. Not meant as a potshot. Just an observation.
Anyway, when I recently found Sunshine's blog, I read from beginning to present and all of the comments. I intend to read your entire blog, too. I already have such a profound respect for our military, but Lieutenant, wow!
With much appreciation and admiration,
Hope
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