Russias biggest military overhaul since the Soviet era

[Buddha12]

Russia is in talks to set up naval bases in former Cold War allies Cuba and Vietnam as President Vladimir Putin undertakes the country’s biggest military overhaul since the Soviet era.

“We are working on establishing navy bases outside Russia,” Vice-Admiral Viktor Chirkov, the navy’s commander-in- chief since May, said in an interview with the state-run RIA Novosti news service and confirmed by the navy. “We aim to set up resupply bases in Cuba, the Seychelles and Vietnam.”

Russia’s intentions for overseas military expansion threaten to further strain relations with the U.S. when the former superpower rivals are at loggerheads over American missile-shield plans and how to respond to the fighting in Syria. Putin’s government plans to spend 23 trillion rubles ($712 billion) this decade on defense spending, including 4.4 trillion rubles next year, an increase of 19 percent.

There’s a lot of tension between Washington and Moscow right now as Syria is creating a lot of bad feeling between them,” said Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent defense analyst in Moscow. “This will be seen by some in the U.S. as the Russian bear growling in its lair.”

Pentagon spokesman George Little said Russia has “a right to enter into military agreements and relationships” with other nations, just as the U.S. does. He didn’t raise concern about Russia seeking military access to Cuba, which lies near the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico and is 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Florida Keys.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...s-cuba-vietnam

[youreyes]

so whats the discussion exactly? I don't get the term "overhaul". Look at number of US bases in other countries and look at the proposed Russian bases. Tartus is the only current Russian Navy base, all to be lost to the Western supported terrorists overtaking Syria. What is the discussion here?

[Buddha12]

It was only about 20 years ago that USSR was in disarray and decomposition due to lack of MONEY. Now , with the new capitalist system they have the MONEY to rebuild their military once again, to throw their MONEY into the same DOD as most others have been doing. It would seem to me that Russia should have learned their lesson about putting most of their wealth into their military for it will take more and more to keep it up. Throwing away their newfound wealth just is rather odd to me.

[superstring01]

Exactly. The Ruskies would first have to actually get their rusting ships up out of water, arm them, and actually get the rickety Russian technology to function for once. I for one am excited about the news. Should be like watching a classic episode of the Keystone Cops.



~String

[quadraphonics]

Yeah, most of what I've read about these Russian moves indicate that it's a PR exercise and that they will not actually have serious power projection capabilities stationed anywhere far from home. It's more like leasing a spot to store gas and food, and unlikely to host major deployments.

[youreyes]

It was only about 20 years ago that USSR was in disarray and decomposition due to lack of MONEY. Now , with the new capitalist system they have the MONEY to rebuild their military once again, to throw their MONEY into the same DOD as most others have been doing. It would seem to me that Russia should have learned their lesson about putting most of their wealth into their military for it will take more and more to keep it up. Throwing away their newfound wealth just is rather odd to me.

newfound wealth? Soviet Union was doing great until people financed by west like Chernomirdin decidely broke it apart under the "liberty" slogan. Now the ruling party of Russia is coming to its sense. The Military needs to be invested many times over what it is invested in now, in order to prevent the Libyan/Egypt/Syrian "Friends of Syria" to come and make themselves "Friend of Russia" while supplying weapons to terrorists to destroy Russia. No thank you! US should go stuff it up to their own little lies and WMD and freedom agendas.

[Buddha12]

The Military needs to be invested many times over what it is invested in now, in order to prevent the Libyan/Egypt/Syrian "Friends of Syria" to come and make themselves "Friend of Russia" while supplying weapons to terrorists to destroy Russia. No thank you! US should go stuff it up to their own little lies and WMD and freedom agendas.

Here's what I don't understand, why sell only weapons to other nations or any military arms? Is that all that Russia can manufacture? I think that any other nation on Earth would buy good products, like oil, to them by anyone that they can do business with. I really do not know why arms dealers must be satisfied to arm other countries what so ever when most don't have the wealth to do so. The ones that do seem to use their military to suppress their citizens and force their citizens into submission to do what those in power want through the use of force.