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General: Russia Shakes Up Production of Problem Missile

Russia has shaken up the production of a major new missile that repeatedly failed in test firings by replacing its chief constructor and factory, the country's top general said Wednesday.

Russian chief of staff General Nikolai Makarov, in a rare public comment on the issue, admitted that the repeated failures of the Bulava sea-to-surface intercontinental missile had dealt a heavy blow to morale.

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The Bulava, touted as the future pride of revamped Russian missile forces, has failed on more than half of its 11 test-firings when the latest launch in July ended in disaster after the missile blew up before completing the first stage.

"There are serious studies going on to ensure that the mistakes that happened in the production of the missile are not allowed," Makarov told Russian reporters in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator.

"The series of unsuccessful launches of course dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the constructors," he added.

He said the missile's chief constructor, the head of the Moscow institute of thermotechnology Yuri Solomonov, had resigned while "the factory where the work will take place is being changed."

Makarov insisted that the problems were due to the production cycle of the missile and not with particularities in its design.

"I think that the industry will master it and the missile will fly."

The Bulava, which can be equipped with up to 10 individually targeted nuclear warheads, has a maximum range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).

It is the sea-based version of the Topol-M, Russia's new surface-to-surface intercontinental missile, and designed to be launched from Moscow's newest Borei class of submarines.

Reports have said that almost half the defense ministry's purchasing budget is being spent on development of the Bulava.

General: Russia Shakes Up Production of Problem Missile - Defense News
 

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Russian Warship Hijack by Somali pirates: Pakistan involvement seen

Moscow/Islamabad: Investigations into the hijacking of a Russian warship in April by Somali pirates show that Pakistani nationals played an important role in the hijack.


Twelve Pakistanis had been apprehended along with the Somali pirates. Pakistan has so far not launched a probe into the Russian allegations and claimed that 12 men were fishermen, the Times Now television channel reports.

Authorities have confirmed the first case of alleged Pakistani involvement with Somali pirates in a revelation that has raised concerns about a possible link between piracy and suspected terrorist groups.

On April 28, a Russian warship apprehended 12 Pak nationals - along with Somali pirates - for attempting to attack a tanker off Somalias coast.

Investigations pointed to Pakistani nationals having played a ''lead'' role. Their nationality was confirmed through identity cards and evidence was handed over on May 8 to MSS Rehmat, a Pakistan Maritime Security Agency ship, 12 miles of Gwadar.

Pakistan first claimed that these men were fishermen but three months on, there is no word on the probe.

The incident occurred when Russian warship Admiral Panteleyev received a distress call 120 km east of Somalias coast from a tanker Bulwai Bank, registered in Antigua, en route to Singapore. The tanker was under attack from Somali pirates. Russian commandos intervened and foiled the attempt. They found that the pirates speedboats were being guided from another mother vessel.
 

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Report: Russia confirms fighter jet deal with Syria

Russia confirmed that some 18-months ago it signed a deal with Syria according to which it will supply the country with MIG-31 fighter jets. However, it was reported that talks on the implementation of the deal were still ongoing.

Russian paper Kommersant quoted the CEO of the Russian company as saying the Kremlin signed two agreements with Damascus about a year-and-a-half ago according to which Russia will also supply the Syrians with a shipment of MIG-29 fighter jets. (AFP)

Report: Russia confirms fighter jet deal with Syria - Israel News, Ynetnews
 

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Russian official speaks of jet fighter deal with Syria: report

A top Russian official confirmed the existence of a contract for the supply of MiG-31 fighter jets to Syria but said work on the planes had been frozen, the daily Kommersant reported on Thursday. "A few years ago, two contracts were signed: one for (the supply to Syria of) MiG-29s and one for MiG-31s," the head of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, Alexei Fedorov, told the paper. "Consultations on this contract are now ongoing, so its future is unclear." Kommersant reported in May that Russia had halted work on the modernisation of the fighter jets at the Sokol aviation plant in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod. But Russia's state arms exporter has dismissed such reports as rumours. The 400-500 million-dollar (280-350 million-euro) contract for the delivery of eight MiG-31s fighter jets was inked in early 2007, according to Kommersant. It cited sources close to the arms exporter in May saying the supplies of the planes had been frozen under pressure from Israel over fears the weapon sales could offset the balance of power in the region. According to a a government official cited by Kommersant, the contract had been suspended after Damascus could no longer afford the planes. In 2005, Moscow forgave 70 percent of Syria's total debt of 13.4 billion dollars. United Aircraft chief Federov nevertheless told the paper the Russian planemaker was counting on completing contracts, as production at its factories has slumped amid the global financial crisis. "Negotiations are ongoing, I hope that in the end the contracts will be realized. We put a lot of hope in it stabilizing the situation in Nizhny Novgorod," he was quoted as saying.

Saudis eyeing more than Russian choppers
 

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Venezuela to sign deal for 100 Russian tanks - source

MOSCOW, September 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Venezuela are expected to sign a contract on the delivery of at least 100 main battle tanks worth about $500 million to the Latin American country, a Russian defense industry source said on Wednesday.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is expected to arrive in Moscow on Wednesday for a two-day visit as part of his 11-day foreign tour and will hold talks with the Russian leadership.
"During the visit, the sides are expected to sign a contract on the delivery of T-72 and T-90 tanks to Venezuela," the source said.
Moscow and Caracas could also discuss future deliveries of Russian-made infantry fighting vehicles, the source added.
According to military experts, the T-72 main battle tanks will comprise the bulk of the deliveries because this tank is cheaper than the T-90 and better fits the demands of the Latin American market.
The price of a T-90 main battle tank, manufactured by Russia's Uralvagonzavod plant is $5-7 million, while the price of a T-72 model is $1-2 million.
Last year, Uralvagonzavod produced a total of 165 T-90 tanks. Over half of the vehicles were exported, and the remaining tanks replaced some of the T-72s in the Russian Armed Forces; therefore, Russia may have enough T-72 tanks available for the sale to Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Army currently has more than 80 outdated French-made AMX-30 main battle tanks and several dozen AMX-13C light tanks.
Chavez, who has spent billions of dollars on weapons from Russia in recent years, earlier confirmed that Caracas and Moscow were discussing purchases of Russian T-72 and T-90 main battle tanks among other military equipment.
The Venezuelan president has said the country plans to buy weaponry from Russia over a possible increase in U.S. military personnel in neighboring Colombia.
Between 2005 and 2007 Russia signed 12 contracts worth more than $4.4 billion to supply arms to Venezuela, including fighter jets, helicopters and Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Venezuela to sign deal for 100 Russian tanks - source | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire
 

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Russian Navy denies reports of damage to Black Sea Fleet flagship | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

MOSCOW, September 11 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy has denied media speculation that the Moskva missile cruiser, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, needed repairs at a shipyard after a recent incident on board.

The Navy earlier acknowledged that smoke filled one of the auxiliary compartments of the warship on September 7, but said its source was quickly found and contained. No one was hurt in the incident.

"Several media sources speculated, citing different sources, that the Moskva missile cruiser of the Black Sea Fleet will be sent from Sevastopol to a shipyard in Nikolayev [Ukraine] for repairs after the alleged damage. This information is untrue. The Moskva cruiser remains ready for combat," the Navy's press service said late on Thursday.

"The crew of the warship will fix the faulty systems at its current location at a berth [in the Sevastopol naval base] within a few days," the press service said in a statement.

The Moskva is a Slava-class missile cruiser designed as a surface strike ship with some anti-aircraft and ASW capability.

The ship has 16 SS-N-12 Sandbox nuclear-capable supersonic anti-ship missiles, mounted in four pairs on each side.
 

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Russia ready to supply tanks to Venezuela - Medvedev | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire



MOSCOW, September 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is ready to supply Venezuela with tanks and other types of military equipment, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday at a joint news conference with his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez.

"Russia will supply Venezuela with arms on Venezuela's request. We will supply tanks as well," Medvedev said.

"Military and technical cooperation is an important block of our relations. I will not be insincere, such contracts are seldom signed in public," he said.

Earlier a Russian defense official told RIA Novosti that a contract worth as much as $500 million for the delivery of up to 100 T-72 and T-90 tanks would be signed during Chavez's visit to Moscow.

Chavez said his country had no aggressive intentions, but would strengthen its defenses. "We need to increase our defense potential," he said. "A blockade is closing in around us."

Since 2005, Venezuela has bought Russian armaments, including helicopters, combat aircraft and Kalashnikov assault rifles, worth $4 billion.

Chavez said during talks with Medvedev in the Kremlin earlier Thursday that his country recognized the independence of the former Georgia republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"I want to take the opportunity to announce that Venezuela is joining those recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia," he said, adding that Venezuela was starting the relevant procedures.
 

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Russia, Belarus start Zapad 2009 military exercise | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

MOSCOW, September 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Belarus are starting a large-scale military exercise involving about 12,500 service personnel and up to 200 items of military equipment and hardware, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The drill, called Zapad (West) 2009, takes place in Russia and Belarus and will end on September 29.

"The plan for the exercises was developed jointly by the Russian and Belarusian Armed Forces General Staffs and is purely defensive," the ministry said, adding that tasks to be practiced include dealing with armed conflicts, natural and man-caused disasters and ensuring strategic deterrence as well as the security of the Russia-Belarus Union State.

The ex-Soviet neighbors announced plans in the late 1990s to form a union state in a bid to achieve greater political, economic and military integration, but the project has largely existed on paper.

The exercise will, among other things, rehearse interoperability within the framework of the Belarusian-Russian integrated air defense system, which the two countries agreed to establish recently.

Russia is represented by the Moscow Military District units, Ground Forces, Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Airborne Troops and Baltic Fleet naval task forces, and Belarus by operational command units, Interior Ministry, Emergencies Ministry and State Security Committee troops.

The exercise will involve 5,000-6,000 Russian servicemen and 7,000-8,000 Belarusian servicemen, as well as up to 40 aircraft.
 

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Russia's strategic missile forces to play war games on Sept. 8-11 | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

MOSCOW, September 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) will conduct on September 8-11 large-scale command-and-staff exercises involving over 2,000 personnel, an SMF spokesman said on Monday.

"During the exercises, the SMF will practice operations control in scenarios involving conventional and nuclear warfare," the official said.

"A total of over 2,000 servicemen and 150 theater- and tactical-level command-and-control centers will take part in the drills," he said.

The exercise coincides with the start of the Russian-Belarusian large-scale Zapad 2009 exercises, which will be held on September 8-29 and involve around 13,000 service personnel on both sides.

Russia's SMF plans by 2016 to modernize its command-and-control systems in order to improve their ability to overcome missile defenses and increase the survivability of delivery vehicles.

At present, six types of silo-based and mobile ICBM systems are on combat duty with the SMF, including the heavy Voyevoda (SS-18 Satan), capable of carrying 10 warheads, and the Topol-M (Stalin) systems.

According to open sources, the total arsenal of Russia's SMF comprises 538 ICBMs, including 306 SS-25 Topol (Sickle) missiles and 56 SS-27 Topol-M missiles.

Silo-based missiles constitute 45% of the total ballistic missile arsenal. They carry about 85% of nuclear warheads
 

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Russian Air Force MiG-29SMT?s to be upgraded IDRW.ORG

MiG-29SMT jet fighters that have been returned by Algeria will be upgraded and brought into line with the requirements of the Russian Air Force, Anatoly Kanashchenkov, first deputy general director and general designer of the Fazotron-NIIR corporation, told Interfax-AVN.
“The MiG-29SMT jet fighters that will be handed over to the Russian Air Force will receive a new “technological face”,” Kanashchenkov said.The planes’ navigation systems and Zhuk-ME onboard radars will be modernized, he said.“Improvements will be made to the radar stations’ frequency range,” he added.
“We will also form a new “technological face” for the radar currently used on MiG-29SMT planes,” the official said.Up to 20 Zhuk-ME radars are expected to be produced before the end of the year, Kanashchenkov said.Some of these radars will be installed on board MiG-29K/KUB deck- based airplanes slated for export to India, he added.
 

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Russia lends Venezuela $2.2 bln to buy weapons IDRW.ORG

Russia has agreed to lend Venezuela over $2 billion to finance the purchase of weapons including tanks and advanced anti-aircraft missiles, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday.

Chavez said the purchases agreed on a trip to Moscow last week included 92 tanks and the S-300 missile system, which is capable of shooting down fighter jets and cruise missiles.

“We have to thank the Russian government, which approved a $2.2 billion loan for arms spending,” Chavez said on his weekly television show. He did not say how much the new weapons cost.
A major oil exporter, Venezuela’s finances have suffered this year because of lower crude prices. Chavez said Venezuela needed to borrow the money for defense spending to avoid cuts in education and health.

In recent years, Venezuela has bought over $4 billion of weapons from Russia including 24 Sukhoi fighter jets. Critics say Venezuela is fueling an arms race in Latin America, but Chavez says he is modernizing the military for defensive purposes.

Venezuela is embroiled in a diplomatic crisis with Colombia over a deal to allow U.S. troops access to more bases in the neighboring country to fight drug traffickers and left-wing guerrillas.

Chavez, a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy, says the Colombian bases plan could be used to launch an attack on Venezuela and increases the risk of war in South America.

“Let me be clear, Venezuela has no plans to invade anybody, or to be aggressive towards anybody,” Chavez said on his show.

Last year, the former soldier ordered tanks to the border with Colombia in a dispute over a Colombian bombing raid in Ecuadorean territory.

ADVANCED MISSILES

Chavez, who visited Moscow last week, said Venezuela was now buying 92 Russian T-72 tanks along with several types of missiles to build an air defense system.

He mentioned the Buk-M2 and S-300 surface-to-air missile systems. The S-300, also known as the SA-20, is considered one of the most effective anti-aircraft systems and is capable of tracking 100 targets at once.

It can be used with missiles that have a range of about 125 miles (200 km) and can engage six targets simultaneously.

“With these rockets it’s going to be very difficult for foreign planes to come and bomb us,” Chavez said.

It was not immediately clear when Venezuela would receive the new weapons.

Russia signed a contract in 2007 to supply Iran with the S-300 system but has dragged its feet delivering the weapons after the United States and Israel expressed fears it would be use to protect nuclear facilities from attack.

Last week Russia dismissed rumors that a ship supposedly loaded with timber that went missing in the Atlantic in July had really been carrying a cargo of S-300s for Iran.

Chavez repeated on Sunday his commitment to developing nuclear power for peaceful purposes with the help of Russia and reiterated he was opposed to nuclear weapons.
 

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German Eurofighter in air intercept IDRW.ORG



The first incident involved intercepting a Russian military Antonov An-72, which was flying in international air space but close to Baltic air space. The Luftwaffe escorted the An-72 until it left the vicinity, and remained on station around 50 min. to ensure the aircraft did not return..

It took the Eurofighter Typhoons around six minutes from alert to be airborne and another 15 minutes to reach their target. The aircraft belong to the 74th Fighter Wing and are fitted with the IRIS-T air-to-air missile.
 

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Russian plant to double Su-34 production in 2010​

The state order for the production of Sukhoi Su-34 aircraft at the Novosibirsk aviation plant will double in 2010, Sukhoi Director-General Mikhail Pogosyan has told Interfax. "It is planned to double the production in 2010 [compared with 2009]," he said.

Link
 

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Russian army general visits Cuba

Havana, Sep 16 (EFE) Russia’s armed forces general staff chief Nikolay Makarov is visiting Cuba, officials have said.
Makarov arrived in Cuba Monday. The officials didn’t provide details on his agenda or the length of the trip.

Cuba and Russia have been bolstering bilateral relations since last year, with the heads of state of both countries and other high-level officials taking turns visiting each other’s capitals.

A Russian navy ship made a three-day “working visit” about a month ago to the port of Havana, where it took on provisions.

In late July, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin visited Cuba.

The Russian official met the island’s president, Raul Castro, and signed several economic agreements.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev’s government extended a $20 million loan to Cuba last November, and a Russian naval flotilla made a port call in Havana in December.

Moscow and Havana have said in recent months that bilateral ties are the best they have been since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Soviet government was Cuba’s staunchest ally, buying 63 percent of the island’s sugar, 73 percent of its nickel and 95 percent of its citrus — all at inflated prices as part of Moscow’s massive subsidies to the Communist regime in Havana.
 

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Russia signs military base pact with Georgian rebel provinces

Moscow, Sept 15 (PTI) Russia today signed agreements with Georgia's two breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia that will allow it to maintain military bases in these rebel region.

According to Defence Ministry spokesman, the 49-year base deal was signed by Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his Abkhazian counterparts Merab Kishmariya and Yuri Tanayev.

"In accordance with the agreements, Russia has the right to build, use and improve military infrastructure and military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and create and maintain joint military contingents [in both republics] in times of peace and war," Defence Ministry spokesman Alexei Kuznetsov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

The agreements allow stationing of 1,700 Russian troops at Gudauta base in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali in South Ossetia.

The base agreements will be in force for 49 years, with the option to renew them successively for five years at a time after that.
 

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Russia Gives Up Mass Army

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19:4314/09/2009
Leading Russian military expert Vitaly Shlykov spoke during one of the sessions of the Valdai Discussion Club last week about the sweeping reform of the country’s armed forces, which begins in December and will cut the number of tanks from 20,000 to 2,000 and reduce the number or reservists to just 100,000. The reform, which Shlykov described as nothing short of a revolution, will significantly affect the Kremlin’s approach to the composition of and future cuts to the country’s military arsenal.

Shlykov, who heads the Security Policy Commission of the Defense Ministry’s Public Council, is a former deputy minister of defense and a retired colonel of the GRU military intelligence service. He is also one of the authors of the reform plan. On the margins of the conference, RIA Novosti’s Andrei Zolotov Jr. spoke to Shlykov about the upcoming drastic changes in the military.

Q. What are the components and the significance of the military reform that is underway in Russia?

A. It’s very broad, with dozens of ways in which what is going on can be understood. But the gist of it, the
Leading Russian military expert Vitaly Shlykov (Part 1)​


reason why the chief of the General Staff has said that it is the biggest reform in the last 200 years, is that Russia is giving up the mass army preparing for a large-scale war. That old system was introduced by War Minister Dmitry Milyutin in 1874. The purpose was to have a rather small regular army for peace time and a huge pool of reservists, five or six times the size of the regular army. And that was followed for almost 150 years. That explains the existence of so many divisions, so many tanks which were a part of so-called “empty divisions.” The majority of Russian divisions consisted of a couple of hundred officers of different ranks, a small company of soldiers, and lots of equipment stored at the base. And in the case of war, conscripts would be called up and the division would be considered to be combat ready.

Q. And what comes instead?

A. Instead comes a much smaller army if we consider the reserves as a part of it. The reserves are gone. The General Staff thinks that it is sufficient to have about 100,000 reservists and 1,000,000 strength of a regular army.

Q. So, basically, there is no more mobilization?
Leading Russian military expert Vitaly Shlykov (Part 2)​



A. No mobilization, no large-scale war, no threats from NATO. Why was the threat of the NATO so popular with the military? Because it allowed them to keep up the old system, this mobilization system, and consider themselves useful, though the regular officers of those divisions have been doing nothing for the last 15 years -- no military training, no re-education. We had 20,000 tanks, now 2,000 tanks will be left. The rest will be turned into scrap.

Q. And what kind of effect is it going to have on Russian nuclear arsenal?

A. Well, the military ought to be not necessarily prepared for a large-scale war, but certainly ought not exclude it completely from its planning. And for the time being nukes are the replacement - and mostly tactical nukes, because strategic nukes are a political weapon. The tactical nukes are actually the replacement for those reserves, dozens and dozens of reserve divisions in case of something happening. It is not considered a real threat at the present time. But when they speak about Chinese spread or NATO spread, you cannot just dismiss it as something impossible. Still, in the planning and they ask: “Are you ready to respond to a large-scale Chinese attack?” Of course, those small brigades of 3,000-4,000 men would not be serious force compared to the Chinese. So what about the nukes?
Leading Russian military expert Vitaly Shlykov (Part 3)​


That’s the old tactic of NATO against the Soviet Union, when it had an overwhelming conventional power in Europe. NATO was relying on nukes. That’s not a new project, just takes over the old NATO approach to…

Q. The Soviet army?

A. Well, yes, there is nothing new under the moon…

Q. And what about the sergeants?

A. Lots of experts – and I was pretty vocal about this – were saying that an army cannot exist without professional sergeants - sergeants who stay with soldiers beyond the time of their compulsory service. But the Russian sergeants were conscripts, they were serving among the people the same age. And with this hazing, with the two years of service, the soldiers of the second year of service, the so-called “old soldiers,” consider themselves superior to regular sergeants. So, an army was existing without sergeants, and officers were taking over for them. That is intolerable! But it was tolerated for more than 20 years.

Now, from December 1, we are starting to educate regular sergeants, prepare them at special schools, with the length of studies from two and a half years to three years. They will be well paid even when studying. They are promised to get at least 35,000 rubles -- that is more than $1,000 per month - after graduating from those schools. And they are eager to serve!

Well, it is a step forward. It is not a solution, because we do not have a real hierarchy of sergeants as most armies have. But still, it’s a start, it’s a step in the right direction.

Q. But there has been a lot of talk about a need for military reform and announced reforms over the past 15 to 20 years, most of which do not seem to have come through. What makes you believe that this one can go through?
Leading Russian military expert Vitaly Shlykov (Part 4)​



A. Because it is not really a reform. Not many people remember that President Vladimir Putin said in 2003 that the reforms were finished. There will be no reforms, there will be modernization, he said, because the word “reforms” had been used by different defense ministers in uniform coming from different services. Under the cover of the term “reform” they were settling their accounts with competing services. The paratroopers would start reducing the infantry, when paratrooper Pavel Grachev was the minister. When the minister was Marshal Igor Sergeyev from the Strategic Missile Forces, he wanted to unite under him all nuclear forces with naval submarines, strategic bombers, and everything, taking all the money for the strategic service, and so on. That made everybody unhappy and brought clashes. Actually the service chiefs were destroying each other using the term “reform.”

That is why “reform” is not the term, it is not applicable actually to what is being done. It is a revolution actually, which Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has launched. He said it is a “new look” army. Well, December 1 will be the point of no return: Russia, unnoticed by most observers, will have a new army. Only 100 percent strength in all the brigades, divisions, army corps. Reserve regiments are gone. It is certainly a revolution! And it is difficult to accept with the military mind, that is why lots of officers are unhappy about what is going on. But it should have been done, in my opinion, five, 10 - maybe even better - 15 years ago. What’s being done is overdue. But it’s painful.


Russia Gives Up Mass Army | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire
 

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Russian Special Forces-Specnaz

Russian Special Forces-Specnaz

Worlds one of the best Special Forces,these are also Combat Proven,
They do only what needs to be done, and they do it without mercy or question.
We seem to know a lot of stuff from the USA/UK, But getting or known about these forces is very little.

YouTube - Russian Special Forces-Specnaz
 

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Devil Force-Specnaz

YouTube - devil force specnaz

these forces are called devil forces because I heard a little story about the SPETNAZ, from the Afghan conflict, the rebels captured a squad of Russian conscripts and executed them and posted it on you tube, the SPETNAZ guys saw it and went crazy, they stormed their stronghold and executed every last member of that group every man, women, child, the whole lot, not many western forces could do that and this was one of Bloody Opp's i,ve heard.
 

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