Russian Military Pictures and Videos

[RPK]

defence.professionals | defpro.com

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Says State Defense Order to Rise to $36 Billion in 2010


MOSCOW | Russia's state defense order will rise 8% in 2010 year-on-year to 1.1 trillion rubles ($36 billion), Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Tuesday according to RIA Novosti.

Defense orders in 2009 are expected to amount to 1 trillion rubles ($33 bln), with 332 billion ($10.9 bln) being spent on purchases and maintenance of military equipment.

Ivanov earlier said that Russia would spend 470 billion rubles ($15.5 bln) on arms, equipment and maintenance of its Armed Forces in 2010.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier identified the priorities for the financing of the Armed Forces as "Maintenance and development of the nuclear capability and missile and space defense forces, providing troops with modern offensive weapons, as well as command and control, communication and intelligence systems, and strengthening military infrastructure in key strategic sectors."

 

[RPK]

Russian observers to attend land-based military drills in Japan | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

TOKYO, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military officials will attend exercises of Japan's ground self-defense forces for the first time in the history of relations between the two countries, a Russian diplomatic source told RIA Novosti on Friday.

A group of Russian military observers has been invited to monitor the drills of the 7th tank division, which is part of the Northern Army deployed on the island of Hokkaido.

"It is the first visit of Russian military observers for land-based exercises of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). It is important to note that the drills will be held on Japan's most northern island, which is the closest to the Russian border," the source at the Russian embassy in Japan told RIA Novosti.

"The fact that the Russian officials were given access to the 'sanctum sanctorum' of the JSDF - the Northern Army could be rightfully called a historic event," the source added.

According to the source, the visit will continue from September 28 until October 2. The Russian military officials will monitor live-firing drills conducted by the 7th tank division, and visit the headquarters of the Northern Army.

The first official contacts between the Russian and Japanese defense ministries date back to 1993. The countries signed a "Memorandum on creating a foundation for the development of dialogue and contacts" in 1999, which was renewed in 2006.

The document envisions consultations between the respective defense ministries, exchange visits of observers and warships and joint sea search-and-rescue drills.

Japanese military observers attended for the first time Russian military exercises in the Leningrad military district in September last year.

The lengthy dispute over the four southern Kuril islands has so far prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal WWII peace treaty. The islands were annexed by the Soviet Union at the end of the war.

In 2006 Russia offered to return to Japan the Shikotan and Khabomai islands, with a combined area of just 276 square kilometers (172 square miles), or 6% of the disputed territory, on the condition that Tokyo renounced its claims to the two larger islands, Iturup and Kunashir, whose combined area totals 4,629 square kilometers (2,890 square miles).

 

[youngindian]

Mig-29k fighter jets for Admiral Kuznetsov

Russia plans to buy 24 new MiG-29K fighter jets for the country’s only aircraft carrier, the Severomorsk-based “Admiral Kuznetsov”.

A contract on purchase of 24 fighter jets for Airwing Kuznetsov could be concluded within two years, a source in the Ministry of Defence told news paper Vedomosti. Landing drills with the planes on the “Admiral Kuznetsov” can start already this autumn.

Russia has 19 Su-33 aircraft carrier fighter jets. They need to be replaced within 2015, so the question of providing new planes is highly relevant. Russia is currently producing MiG-29 jets for India.

Mig-29k fighter jets for Admiral Kuznetsov IDRW.ORG

 

[RPK]

Russian bombers test high-precision weaponry during drills | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

BARANOVICHI (Belarus), September 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russian strategic and tactical bombers equipped with new high-precision weapons systems have successfully conducted live-firing drills at a practice range in Belarus, a Ground Forces spokesman said on Sunday.

The drills at the Obuz-Lesnovski range were part of the Zapad (West) 2009 large-scale Russian-Belarusian military exercises currently underway in Belarus.

"Today, Tu-22M3 Backfire strategic bombers and Su-24M Fencer tactical bombers, which are equipped a specialized computing subsystem SVP-24, conducted a series of live-firing drills aimed at destroying ground targets designated by a commander of a motorized infantry brigade," Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky said.

SVP-24 allows target data to be automatically transmitted by on-ground spotters and received by ground attack aircraft during combat.

Drobyshevsky said the drill involved quick retargeting of the aircraft in response to a decision made by a unit commander on the ground, who shifted priority to a new set of targets during an intense battle.

"Air strikes on these new targets were delivered with high precision in poor weather conditions from outside the effective range of the enemy's air defenses," he said.

The September 8-29 Zapad 2009 exercises involve around 13,000 service personnel, 63 airplanes, 40 helicopters, 470 infantry fighting vehicles, 228 tanks and 234 artillery pieces on both sides.

S-300 air defense missile systems are also participating in the drills, designed to test the effectiveness of the unified regional anti-aircraft defense systems of Russia and Belarus.

 

[youngindian]

Russia announces plans for extensive short-range missile network

Tue, 29 Sep 2009

Moscow - Russia's military announced plans Tuesday to set up an extensive network of short-range Iskander missiles throughout the country as part of a broader reform of the armed forces. According to a report by the Itar-Tass agency, ground forces commanding General Vladimir Boldyrev said the Iskanders, with a range of 500 kilometres, would be stationed in every defence district.

An exception from the restructuring would be the Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, located on Poland's northern border.

After the US administration of President Barack Obama announced it was abandoning its missile shield programme in Central Europe, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Russia would not position any Iskander missiles close to Poland's border.

Boldyrev said that all Russian reconnaissance battalions were to be equipped with unmanned spy planes. Moscow recently acquired 14 such drones from Israel for an estimated 37 million euros (55 million dollars).

The restructuring is part of a reform of the armed forces which Medvedev, as supreme commander, announced at the outset of the year in order to create a "strong, modern and professional" army.

Media reports in Moscow say there is resistance in the armed forces to the planned reforms, which among other things foresees slashing the number of officers by 160,000 by the year 2012.

Russia announces plans for extensive short-range missile network : Europe World

 

[RPK]

Russia to dismantle 191 nuclear submarines by 2010

St Petersburg: Russia's state-run civilian nuclear power corporation 'Rosatom' will dismantle 191 out of 198 decommissioned nuclear submarines by 2010, a company report said Tuesday.


'As of today, 198 nuclear submarines have been decommissioned from the Navy. The disposal of about 25 submarines is not yet over; many of them are in the process of disposal. By the end of 2010, 191 nuclear submarines will have been dismantled,' said Yevgeny Yevstratov, Rosatom deputy general director.

Russia has signed cooperation agreements on the disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines with the US, Britain, Canada, Japan, Italy and Norway.

 

[RPK]

defence.professionals | defpro.com


Russia to Boost Domestic UAV Development and Introduction Into Service

12:40 GMT, September 29, 2009 defpro.com | According to an interview with the Russian Chief of Staff of the Army, General Vladimir Boldyrev with ITAR-TASS, on the occasion of the operational and strategic management exercise "Ladoga-2009", Russia is considering equipping all reconnaissance battalions of the Army with remotely piloted tactical aircraft.

As Boldyrev explained, the Army is planning to introduce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on a tactical level with ranges of 25 to 100 kilometres. Boldyrev stated that Russia might also introduce long-endurance tactical UAVs with ranges up to 500 kilometres which, however, would then probably be operated by the Air Force.

The General furthermore stated that Russia’s Army has established a strategy for the development of UAVs. The development of domestic unmanned aircraft for intelligence and other activities is being carried out at the Yegorievsk military base. However, Boldyrev acknowledged that Russia has a certain technological gap to UAV manufacturers in other countries.

In 2009, Russia signed a contract with Israel for the purchase of a number of samples of unmanned aerial vehicles for military purposes, valued at approximately $50 million. Nevertheless, defence experts estimate that the respective Israeli UAVs which have been bought were not very recent models.

According to press reports, the Russian Defence Minister has repeatedly stated that purchased UAVs were not for use in the Army but, rather, to analyse possible tactics and applications. At the same time, the Defence Ministry reportedly expects that such devices, capable to compete with foreign UAVs, will be created in Russia in the future.

 

[youngindian]

EU blames Georgia for starting war with Russia

Wednesday 30 September 2009

An EU investigation into the roots of last August's conflict has reserved its harshest criticism for Georgia's military assault on the breakaway region of South Ossetia and its capital Tskhinvali.

"Open hostilities began with a large-scale Georgian military operation against the town of Tskhinvali and the surrounding areas, launched in the night of 7 to 8 August 2008, the report concluded."There is the question of whether the use of force by Georgia in South Ossetia was justifiable under international law. It was not."

Heidi Tagliavini, the Swiss diplomat who led the EU "mission", rejected Georgian claims that it was defending itself from an imminent Russian attack or violence from Moscow sponsored South Ossetian militias.

"None of the explanations given by the Georgian authorities in order to provide some form of legal justification for the attack lend it a valid explanation," she said.

Her report stated: "There was no ongoing armed attack by Russia before the start of the Georgian operation. Georgian claims of a large-scale presence of Russian armed forces in South Ossetia prior to the Georgian offensive could not be substantiated by the mission. It could also not be verified that Russia was on the verge of such a major attack."

Russia's military response to Georgia, the EU investigators found, was initially defensive, and legal, but quickly broke international law when it escalated into air bombing attacks and an invasion pushing into Georgia well beyond South Ossetia.

"In a matter of a very few days, the pattern of legitimate and illegitimate military action had thus turned around between the two main actors Georgia and Russia," said the report.

The five-day war left over 400 Georgian and South Ossetian civilians dead. Almost 200 Georgian servicemen were reported killed or missing, while Russian military casualties stand at 64.

While blaming "all sides" for war crimes, the EU report singled out Russian backed South Ossetian paramilitaries for "systematic looting and destruction of ethnic Georgian villages".

"Several elements suggest the conclusion that ethnic cleansing was indeed practised against ethnic Georgians in South Ossetia," it said.

More than 100,000 civilians on both sides were displaced at the height of the conflict. Several thousand South Ossetian civilians remain homeless and some 25,000 Georgians have been unable to return to South Ossetia.

In conclusion, the EU report, which runs to 1139 pages in three volumes, blamed the roots of the conflict on Russia's attempts to dominate its small neighbour and Georgia's sometime erratic responses to Moscow's aggression.

"(The evaluation) has to consider the impact of a great power's coercive politics and diplomacy against a small and insubordinate neighbour, together with the small neighbour's penchant for overplaying its hand and acting in the heat of the moment," the report concluded.

A UK Foreign Office spokesman welcomed the report. "This is not the time to apportion blame and stoke tensions," she said.

"We therefore urge all sides to exercise restraint in their response to the report and redouble their efforts on working towards a durable and peaceful solution."

Both Russia and Georgia have tried to claim that the EU report vindicates each of them

"The report proves that Russia was all the time preparing this war and August 7 and 8 were the culmination," said Temur Iakobashvili, a Georgian minister.

Natalya Timakova, the Kremlin's chief spokesman, said: "We can only welcome that the commission found that the war was started by Georgia."

EU blames Georgia for starting war with Russia - Telegraph

 

[Vladimir79]

Georgia killed Russian peacekeepers, they are lucky we didn't march to Tblisi.

 

[Sridhar]

Russian military denies existence of new ’super-tank’

BY: Novosti

The Russian military has denied the existence of a new-generation main battle tank (MBT) based on T-80 design and featuring explosive reactive armor and a box-shaped turret.
The Russian media has recently resumed discussion of the secret tank, dubbed Black Eagle, which was developed by the Omsk Transmash design bureau and whose pictures were shown in several publications and on the Internet.
“There was no such project…and those 20-year-old pictures show a mock-up of a futuristic tank which remained just a product of someone’s imagination,” Col. Vladimir Voitov, head of research at the Main Directorate of the Armored Troops, said in an interview with the Echo Moskvy radio on Saturday.
He added that he was aware of a prototype of an experimental tank, but insisted that ‘the turret of the vehicle did not have anything inside.”
According to the Russian media, an early prototype of the Black Eagle was shown at an arms exposition in Siberia, in June 1999. It appeared to be based on a lengthened T-80U hull, and to have very thick front armor and new-generation Kaktus explosive reactive armor.
However, recent reports in open sources suggest that the Black Eagle program has been halted due to the acceptance of the T-90, built by the Uralvagonzavod plant, into the Russian military in the mid-1990s.
In addition, Russia has reportedly opted for Uralvagonzavod as the developer and manufacturer of a new-generation MBT, which will most likely have a designation as T-95.
Sergei Mayev, head of the Federal Service for Defense Contracts (Rosoboronzakaz) told a news conference in July 2008 that the Russian Armed Forces would start receiving new-generation tanks superior to the T-90 main battle tank after 2010.
The new tank will feature better firepower, maneuverability, electronics and armor protection than the T-90 MBT.
Its speed will increase from 30-50 kph to 50-65 kph (19-31 mph to 31-40 mph).
According to some sources, the new tank may be equipped with a 152-mm smoothbore gun capable of firing guided missiles with a range of 6,000-7,000 meters.
In comparison, the T-90 MBT has a 125-mm 2A46M smoothbore gun, which can fire AT-11 Sniper anti-tank guided missiles with a range of 4,000 meters.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 and is filed under Asia.

Russian military denies existence of new ’super-tank’ IDRW.ORG

 

[RPK]

Russian customs prevent smuggling of MiG-29 aircraft parts to Syria

defence.professionals | defpro.com

Customs officers at Krasnodar international airport in southern Russia have prevented an attempt to smuggle components for a MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter aircraft to Syria, a customs press secretary said on Wednesday according to RIA Novosti.

Tatyana Kuznetsova said customs officers acted on a tip-off about a possible attempt to smuggle arms and components to Syria.

She did not specify what components had been seized or when.

Several suspects were detained, who are facing prison terms of up to seven years.

 

[RPK]

Russia to showcase advanced weaponry at airshow in Libya | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

TRIPOLI (Libya), October 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Monday it will exhibit a wide range of aircraft, air defense systems and high-precision guided missiles at an airshow in Libya.

The 4th Arab-African Aviation Exhibition and Conference LAVEX-2009 will be held in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, on October 5-8.

"Rosoboronexport will showcase in Tripoli a wide range of Russian aircraft, air defense systems and other advanced weaponry due to their high popularity in the Middle East and North Africa," a company's official told RIA Novosti.

According to the official, the countries in the region expressed a high interest in the Russian Su-35 Flanker-E multi-role heavy fighter.

The Su-35 fighter, powered by two 117S engines with thrust vectoring, combines high maneuverability and the capability to effectively engage several air targets simultaneously using both guided and unguided missiles and weapon systems.

The aircraft also features the new Irbis-E radar with a phased antenna array, which allows the pilot to detect and track up to 30 air targets, while simultaneously engaging up to eight targets.

It is equipped with a 30-mm cannon with 150 rounds, and can carry up to eight metric tons of combat payload on 12 external mounts.

Russia plans to export at least 160 Su-35 fighters to several countries, including Algeria.

"We will also exhibit the new S-400 Triumf air defense system, developed to counter all existing and future types of airborne threat," the Rosoboronexport official said.

The S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) is capable of intercepting and destroying airborne targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), and can simultaneously engage up to six targets.

Saudi Arabia, which has traditionally bought only Western, mainly U.S.-made, civilian and military equipment, has recently expressed an interest in acquiring S-400 air defense systems.

Rosoboronexport will also promote high-precision "air-to-air" and "air-to-ground" missiles, guided bombs, on-board radars and fire-control systems, navigation and communications equipment and computer-assisted training systems for air defense personnel.

"We are expecting to sign a number of new, in certain respect breakthrough, deals [during the airshow in Libya]," said Alexander Mikheyev, deputy general director of Rosoboronexport and the head of the Russian delegation at the LAVEX-2009.

 

[youngindian]

Russia's new submarine complete series of tests at sea

05.10.2009, 18.02

ARKHANGELSK, October 5 (Itar-Tass) --The strategic nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky which is being built by the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk has completed a series of tests at sea.

“The nuclear submarine missile carrier Yuri Dolgoruky has completed one of the stages of testing in accordance with the approved programme and returned to Sevmash’s wharf,” the shipyard’s spokeswoman Anastasiya Nikitinskaya told Itar-Tass on Monday.

According to preliminary estimates, the submarine will need five to six more sea trial runs before its handover to the Navy.

The launch of the first submarine of the Borei class, the Yuri Dolgoruky, was scheduled for 2002 but was delayed because of budget constraints. The vessel was eventually rolled out of its construction hall on 15 April 2007 in a ceremony attended by many senior military and industrial personnel.

The Yuri Dolgoruky was the first strategic missile submarine to be launched in seventeen years since the end of the Soviet era. It was the first Russian (rather than Soviet) vessel. Currently, there are two more Borei class submarines under construction, named Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh. The planned contingent of twelve strategic submarines is expected to be commissioned within the next decade (five "Project 955" are planned for purchase to 2015).

Although the Yuri Dolgoruky was officially rolled out of its construction hall on 15 April 2007 the submarine was not put into the water until February 2008. And by December 2008 it had yet to be armed with Bulava missiles and is therefore not fully operational, although ready for trials at sea on 24 October 2008. On November 21 2008 the reactor on the Yuri Dolgoruky was activated and on December 18 it was announced that the submarine would start its sea trails before the end of the year. However on December 30, this was delayed to the spring of 2009.

The submarine will be armed with Bulava missiles. The Bulava carries the NATO reporting name SS-NX-30 and has been assigned the GRAU index 3M30. In international treaties, the common designation RSM-56 is used.

The Bulava design is based on the SS-27 (Topol M), but is both lighter and more sophisticated. The two missiles are expected to have comparable ranges, and similar CEP and warhead configurations.

The Russian military developed Bulava to possess advanced defense capabilities making it nearly impervious to existing missile-defense systems. Among its claimed abilities are evasive maneuvering, mid-course countermeasures and decoys and a warhead fully shielded against both physical and EMP damage. The Bulava is designed to be capable of surviving a nuclear blast at a minimum distance of 500 metres.

The Borei claims to be a state-of-the-art submarine, featuring characteristics superior to any submarine currently in service, such as the ability to cruise silently and be less detectable to sonar. Advances include a compact and integrated hydrodynamically efficient hull for reduced broadband noise and the first ever use of pump-jet propulsion on a Russian nuclear submarine. Costing about 890 million U.S. dollars, Borei is approximately 170 metres long, 10 metres in diameter, and has a maximum submerged speed of at least 46 kilometres per hour.

ITAR-TASS

 

[Vladimir79]

Yuri Dolgoruky has been running like a charm. Amasing considering all the scandals. At least we still know how to build quality next generation subs.

 

[RPK]

Russian ex-commandos preparing to be deployed in Iraq

Moscow: As more and more local companies are expanding operations for rebuilding Iraq, a special group of Russian ex-commandos are undergoing intensive military training ahead of deployment in the war-torn state for security duties performed earlier by the infamous US Blackwater agency, according to a report.

"The 'Oryol' (Eagle) is made up of ex-military officers go through highly-specialised training, under very tough conditions at their anti-terror centre, which may seem like an intense action scene from a Hollywood blockbuster, but in fact it is to prepare Russian men to work in Iraq," Russia Today TV reported.

These men from the anti-terror group 'Oryol' and, much like their infamous, American counterpart "Blackwater"; provide private security for Russian engineers and businessmen operating inside Iraq.


The company is entirely made up of ex-military officers who wanted an outlet to continue to use their skills and believe they can compete with their British and American counterparts by adopting a unique approach.

"Before we send people there, we put them through some serious training. This includes psychological training and an educational programme," says Sergey Epishkin, head of Oryol anti-terror training centre told Russia TV.

"In our classes, we even speak the way they speak in this particular region. If you can't master local slang, you can run into a serious trouble sometimes"

He said even though they have soldiers' backgrounds, one of their main strategies is a unique form of diplomacy.

"We establish a good relationship not only with the Americans and the British, but with the Iraqi police and National Guard as well. To be frank with you, even with opposition forces. In such a region, it is important to find a common language with people," Epishkin said.

He said the Russian could do a lot in the Middle East, much more than American and British private security agencies

 

[Vladimir79]

Post 95 is a copy of post 84. I guess you forgot you posted it in your enthusiasm. xaxa

 

[RPK]

Post 95 is a copy of post 84. I guess you forgot you posted it in your enthusiasm. xaxa

sorry for that, I removed it & replaced with new one

 

[RPK]

Russia to start construction of 4th Borey-class sub in December | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

MOSCOW, October 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Sevmash shipyard will start the construction of the fourth Borey class (Project 955) strategic submarine on December 22, a Sevmash press secretary said Monday.

Anastasia Nikitinskaya said the keel-laying ceremony for an as-yet-unnamed sub was timed to coincide with the shipyard's 70th anniversary.

She said Russia's newest Borey class strategic nuclear submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, had undergone three sea trials out of the required six.

The Yury Dolgoruky, which is expected to be armed with the new Bulava sea-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), successfully completed its first round of sea trials in the White Sea on July 10.

The vessel is 170 meters (580 feet) long, has a hull diameter of 13 meters (42 feet), a crew of 107, including 55 officers, a maximum depth of 450 meters (about 1,500 feet) and a submerged speed of about 29 knots. It can carry up to 16 ballistic missiles and torpedoes.

The construction cost of the submarine totaled 23 billion rubles (about $713 mln), including 9 billion rubles ($280 mln) for research and development.

Two other Borey class nuclear submarines, the Alexander Nevsky and the Vladimir Monomakh, are in different stages of completion. Russia is planning to build eight of these subs by 2015.

According to Navy officials, fourth-generation Borey class nuclear-powered submarines will form the core of Russia's modern strategic submarine fleet, and will be deployed with Russia's Northern and Pacific fleets.

However, the submarine's commissioning into the Navy could be delayed by setbacks in the development of the troubled Bulava missile, which has officially suffered six failures in 12 tests.

However, some analysts suggest that in reality the number of failures was considerably larger. For example, according to Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer, of the Bulava's 12 test launches, only one was quite successful.

The future development of the Bulava has been questioned by some lawmakers and defense industry officials, who have suggested that all efforts should be focused on the existing Sineva SLBM.

But the Russian military has insisted that there is no alternative to the Bulava and pledged to continue testing the missile until it is ready to be put in service with the Navy

 

[A.V.]

mig 1.44 in full Flight!

YouTube - Mig 1.44

 

[RPK]

Russia has 5 arms deals with Libya - Rosoboronexport | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

TRIPOLI, October 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday that Russia has five ongoing contracts with Libya in the sphere of military cooperation.

"The contracts involve military equipment for the Ground Forces and the Navy, including the modernization of T-72 tanks, and the general supply of spare parts for the above-mentioned branches of the Armed Forces," said Alexander Mikheyev, deputy general director of Rosoboronexport.

Mikheyev, who is heading the Russian delegation at the LAVEX-2009 air show in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, said Libya has already provided guarantees on payments under at least three contracts.

"We are also participating in a Libyan tender on the delivery of aircraft and air defense systems," he said.

According to the official, the Libyan military wants to have only the most advanced military equipment because neighboring countries, including Egypt, have recently bought new weaponry and strengthened their defense potentials.

Rosoboronexport General Director Anatoly Isaykin earlier said that Russia had signed two arms deals with Libya in 2009 and was working on new contracts for the supply of Russian weaponry to the North African nation.

The 4th Arab-African Aviation Exhibition and Conference - LAVEX-2009 - runs October 5-8.