Russian War games include 160,000 troops, 5,000 tanks and dozens of ships.

Well, Russia is certainly back and the bear is fully returned from it's couple decades of hibernation it would seem. Apparently well recuperated and rested from the crash of 1989 and ready to assert itself across the world stage again.

Russia holds biggest war games in decades

MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday watched Russia's biggest military maneuvers since Soviet times, involving 160,000 troops and about 5,000 tanks across Siberia and the far eastern region in a massive show of the nation's resurgent military might.

Now I have a rough idea of US numbers and I know we physically have the troops to mass for a thing like this...but could we realistically accomplish it just for an exercise?

Antonov said that Russia had warned its neighbors about the exercise before it started, and provided particularly detailed information to China in line with an agreement that envisages a mutual exchange of data about military activities along the 4,300-kilometer (2,700-mile) border.

The two Cold war-era rivals have forged what they described as a "strategic partnership" after the 1991 Soviet collapse, developing close political, economic and military ties in a shared aspiration to counter U.S. power around the world.

Source

Indeed, they have. On both counts, as a matter of fact. It's interesting to watch as things in Syria and other areas heat and cool in the flow of tensions around the world today. The assumption often seems to be that Russia is lesser than other nations or somehow 'challenged' militarily. While they did have a Navy largely rusting at the pier during most of the 1990's and planes doing well not to land by just kinda falling out of the air, it appears that's changed. Quietly and without much fanfare, it appears to have changed a great deal.

At least great effort, expense and manpower is being put out to display that to the world.

Here is the offending piece of Real Estate Russia and Japan both claim.



Of course, despite Russia losing direct control over a few small border nations on it's European side, it's still one enormous and resource rich nation, as well.



To have them begin retaking their side of world power should be interesting to watch.

relax rabbit... the bear is just stretching... for now.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Watch out Poland !!!!


I would be more scared if I saw USSR stamped on all their tanks.....................


S&F

I don't doubt Russian forces are exercising. But those figures for troop movements, tank numbers etc are just hopelessly ambitious. I think the Russians would be fortunate to get 10 warships to sea at once in the Pacific and as for 5,000+ tanks ? Dubious stats I think.

I will say this,

With the blatant, disregard from functionality I've seen lately from governments, I wouldn't doubt that there is a War brewing, under the sheets.

Water is soon to be a fighting resource, or is this about the usage of the word fracking?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Found this "interesting" in the article......

Khramchikhin, who recently posted an article painting a grim picture of Russia being quickly routed in a surprise Chinese attack, said that the war games were intended to discourage China from harboring expansionist plots.

Oh how the plot thickens...............

War games don't bother me because its just a "game"..... If anything, the military is just doing its due-diligence, which i would expect from my own military... No harm, no foul... Practice away you Ruski's!

It's an internal exercise within their territories. They can spout all the number they want. It seems like it's more directed toward China according to the article, like "Hey, we're still here, don't take things for granted."

However, you need to crawl before you can walk. It'll be interesting to see what they've done to recover from the last 20 yrs, militarily.

The Bear is awakening and wants to be relevant once again.

I found this interesting to add. It's a Military comparison run between Russia and China. It's odd hearing them as allies and pursuing like interests on one hand while Russia has exercises to deter them on the other.

The numbers would tend to show why they'd feel a bit insecure though, even with the sheer overwhelming land mass Russia possesses. They tower over China in that way and some other economic ones shown at the bottom here. They pale for manpower and sheer people force if it came to a ground war along shared land borders, IMO.

Russia vs. China Military Compared

Oh, and according to this one, Russia doesn't even have 5,000 battle tanks. So I'm going to figure they said Armor in Russian and the media heard "Tank" in media-speak. They have plenty with armored vehicles taken together to muster those numbers for a thing like this, by the look of it.

Intresting thread.

Still even though there armed forces are not exactly rusting anymore the majority still seem abit out of date at least compared to USA/ NATO standards.

Certainly not toothless but not exactly going to steamroll of Europe.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


good link wabbit i did not know russia was that low in population 142 million china has them almost 10 to 1 in all areas except air craft,i also NEVER thought i would see Russian artillery dwarfed by another nation so that was surprising as well.

looking at Russian strengths it seems they far out pace china in logistical forces not to mention the often forgotten Russian ally that is winter,and in most cases a Chinese land invasion would have to go through Siberia.......not something i would want to try as a general in any army.although the numbers are much in the favor of china as far as naval actions go i would assume that Russian naval forces will have the edge in tech and experience,not to mention the Russians basically built the Chinese carrier so its weakness should be know to them.

Russia has one thing alot of nations dont have decent oil reserves located within their own borders which seem to be something china has always lacked so thanks for the interesting read wrabbit!

i dont think its likely to indicate a big shift in Russian strategy for them to target china with these games but it does go to show that like the us Russia likes to be prepared for any situation and probably has a variety of contingency plans for any kind of future conflict

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Largest war games they have conducted since the Soviet Union I believe.

Which actually says something since the Soviets were impending a constant American threat during those times. Does Russia feel the same way now? Do they feel a threat from outside world? Or are they just flexing the Russian muscle?

My guess is both.

-SAP-

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


All countries carry out military exercises, like NATOS Exercise 'Joint Warrior', which is the largest military tactical exercise in Europe designed to prepare NATO military forces to work together in a variety of missions from providing humanitarian aid to full-combat operations. It involves the participation of close to 13,000 military personnel, 55 vessels, and up to 40 aircraft from various NATO nations over the ten-day period. It doesn't mean it's going to kick off into a war, it is what it is, an exercise, and they would have told NATO about it ages ago and there is probably some of our guys out there observing the whole thing. I'm ex forces and have been on exercises were Russian observers tagged along, I couldn't understand a word they said , but they were world champion drinkers and laughed like bandits, top guys. Don't worry people, they are just like you and me.

reply to post by windsorblue


Indeed.. All nations do military exercises. I'd done a thread awhile back detailing a large number of exercises around a given period of time. Nothing ended up happening and so it was a lesson learned. Exercises are just war games and nothing in and of themselves to worry about.

As it happens, the headline was actually more suggestive than the title I chose to use, but part of the source story's focus was that it's the largest Russia has done in over 20 years. 160,000 is also remarkable. The lists I've seen and what I had in my thread linked above number in the thousands for other Military war-games or maybe even 10-20 thousand when a carrier is added to a big exercise. 160k tho?

Well, it's worth taking note of, if nothing else. Which, of course, was the point of doing it and being public to even this degree, I'm sure.

* I wonder if that recent Russian Ammo depot fire/explosion was related to this huge exercise? Any good exercise needs ammo to shoot and explosives/shells to blow things up with, right? Hmm... Very similar timing anyway.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


The Russian War Games come after an supposed Israeli air strike in Syria at least this shows number of reasons why we shouldn't intervene.

Why in this case Assad wont step down yet until the 2014 Syrian elections. Yet War mongers like Sen Levin whose retiring and McCain both whom love nothing but wars.

Originally posted by LeBombDiggity
I don't doubt Russian forces are exercising. But those figures for troop movements, tank numbers etc are just hopelessly ambitious. I think the Russians would be fortunate to get 10 warships to sea at once in the Pacific and as for 5,000+ tanks ? Dubious stats I think.

Keep up this stupid, ignorant mentality based on the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR.
Because let me tell you, and make no mistake, your mindset and ignorance is very very much outdated and doesn't even belong to the past decade.

You should start educating your self by actually researching just how many ships the Russian's have at sea at any given time...It's nowhere near as many as the US Navy obviously.

Fortunate to get 10 ships to sea? LOL, how hopelessly ignorant and out of touch with reality you are my friend.

Modern military = Just an excuse to create "jobs", keep everyone busy?

"Money pit", "Gold Sink", "Inflation Counter"?

Current mass exercises = Logistical nightmare, huge waste of gas?

Either Petrol is finite or it is regenerating, please reconcile the contradictions?

Why are these governments not conserving? The answer seems obvious.

I wonder if countries ever practice peaceful diplomacy games, yano, just incase talks break out.

Think of all the trucks that deliver the food, or even the factories that process the food or the farms that create it.

Think of the maintenance on all the vehicles, and all of the spare parts needed.
Trucks and trains as far as the eye can see would be needed to keep the lines flowing constantly.

How much does this cost?
No no, ask yourselves how much would this cost if 'they' didn't do it?
'They' would lose everything wouldn't 'they'?

Meanwhile...'they' convinced 'us' to absorb the shock from the problem through clever mitigation.
Propaganda, organization, and mobilization.

Remember the Cold War?
War by Proxy?
It never actually ended per se, it just evolved and morphed into what you see today.
It's a really good excuse to keep the other nations "occupied", literally, while the UN Security Council top dogs consolidate their political and economic power globally.

Originally posted by SearchLightsInc
I wonder if countries ever practice peaceful diplomacy games, yano, just incase talks break out.

You mean like backroom confidential meetings where they discuss subjects or topics that "we" probably don't even know exist in the first place? And then laugh about it?

Possible.

But if that were true than "the mainstream media" would get caught lying from time to time, and international news stories would be heavily skewed by deception geared towards overt manipulation. But when has that happened?