Russian Armed Forces great or not?

[Henk]

Ok the Soviet Union came to a down fall in 1991 and so thus the cold war came to an end as well.

The Cold War was a great thing when it came to technolagy going forward at a allarming speed and the US and USSR having to try and build something better, stronger, larger and faster than that of the other one and build it in much more numbers.

Now the thing that lets me wonder is what is the state of the Russian Airforce, Army and Navy today and even after the Soviet Union got out of government how do they compare to the Armed Forces of the likes of the US and UK and are they capable of fighting a war? How much of there equipment can still be used?

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I would go as far to say that the Russian Army is well trained (okay well not as well as it used to, due to lack of funding) but it is held back by no money, lack of parts, and old equipment.

It was actually the same during the cold war. We found out after the cold war ended that they were not as advanced as we thought they were. The Russians were allways a step behind in technology and equipment.

The only reason they were able to compete was because of sheer man power and there nukes.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

which is still the situation today, it's not the equiptment that's the threat so much as it's the number of men behind it..........

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeap if anything the equipment situation has gotten worse but they still have a lot of men.

[Henk]

Ok now that sounds the same as during WW2 the Russians had sheer man power and not the equipment as the Germans had.

The Russian nukes how do they compare in numbers to the US nukes, because I have never gotten the right answer?

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The russians have allways held back there own technology through polotics. The communist system is flawed.

As for Nukes the Russians have more than the United States but most of theres in my understanding are still in the form of bombs that have to be dropped from aircraft. The US has bombs too that have to be dropped but I believe the US has more ICBM Nukes than the Russians do.

All in all it does not matter since the US has eneogh nukes to destory all of Russia let alone the world over twice and so does the Russians.

[Henk]

The thing that scares me is that the Russian nuke is larger than the US one. The US are very smart when it comes to where to place there Nuke missile silos. The movie K-19 made me wonder if the Russians were really as great as they made them selfs to be, but does the Russians not have a lot of mobile Nuke launching trucks?

[mkloby]

Originally Posted by Henk

The thing that scares me is that the Russian nuke is larger than the US one. The US are very smart when it comes to where to place there Nuke missile silos. The movie K-19 made me wonder if the Russians were really as great as they made them selfs to be, but does the Russians not have a lot of mobile Nuke launching trucks?

I don't see the point in that - when we would probably just crack the earth in half in an all out exchange anyway!

Proliferation is the real threat in my opinion...

[Henk]

Yes, true mkloby but think about it in the sense that lets say the US can not shoot back or the nuke falls into the wrong hands? As a civilian it is quite scary to think of it that you are totally defenceless.

I think the West is going to be its own downfall and it will come. The "free" part of our world is just causing a whole bunch of sh*t in the world and they do it in the name of "freedom", but there are hidden agendas and that is the thing you should be afraid of. Where does there loyalty stand, with there best interests, or with their countries?

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The Georgians actually just arrested a Russian scientist trying to sell weapons grade uranium in plastic bags that he smuggled in his pockets. Fortunatly the guys he was trying to sell it to were undercover agents, but that shows that for a price they will do anything.

The reason, the Russians can not pay there own scientists so they go elsewhere for money. Pretty scary huh?

[mkloby]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

The Georgians actually just arrested a Russian scientist trying to sell weapons grade uranium in plastic bags that he smuggled in his pockets. Fortunatly the guys he was trying to sell it to were undercover agents, but that shows that for a price they will do anything.

The reason, the Russians can not pay there own scientists so they go elsewhere for money. Pretty scary huh?

Selling your soul for money - that's a new one Seriously though, that stuff is scary... like i've said before, I don't think the concept of MAD will work w/ lunatic islamic fundamentalists...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I agree.

[Chief]

I'm not sure if the nuke has it's effect anymore and the risk of one falling into the wrong hands scares the witts out of me. I'm one who think worst case senario when it comes to stuff like this.
Psychologically, they still have their effect of deterrence. If I attack him will he use his nukes against me. But, to use them could me the destroying himself in the process when hit him with ours.

Nuclear technology is one different. Nearly limitless energy/fuel for almost 10,000 years. That's saying something. But, as far as nuclear weapons is a completely different story. I think they're to big of a risk to have around. Like said before if put in the wrong hands, even just one, could mean the destruction of United States. I'm including EMP in that and the fact that the US is so dependant on electronics anymore. Call me paranoid, but that's how I feel. As an energy source is one thing, but as weapon is to big of risk I think.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

One nuke could not destroy the US.

[Nonskimmer]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

...no money, lack of parts, and old equipment.

God, do I know how that feels.