Is The Russian Military Poorly Armed?- By Eric Wicklund
I have a question for the Russian soldiers but I don’t think I’m ever gonna get the answer. Anyways, here’s the question.
Are you guys that terribly trained that you lost an entire Battalion Tactical Group (BTG) while crossing a bridge?
Russia is not poorly armed. They are one of the best armed countries in the world.
They have a tremendous number of artillery guns and tanks. This T-90 is actually a really good tank.
It has a 125mm smoothbore gun that is stabilized, on two axes. It can fire all the most advanced ammunition out there that NATO tanks can fire. It can even fire ATGM missiles through the barrel (AT-11 Sniper) and even can use laser guidance to guide the missile into the target. I mean that’s nothing to sneeze at.
And what about the Su-35? This is an impressive airplane. It’s fast, has a great range, and some versions have thrust vectoring engines for hyper-maneuverability. In WVR, this aircraft is seriously deadly.
It can carry R-77 radar-guided missiles with a very long range, and the HOBS (High Off-Bore Sight) IR-guided R-73 missiles for short range work. These are all good missiles that will make anyone duck for cover. You have to be on your toes and stay frosty when tangling with one of these guys.
So, a better question is why are so many people dissing the Russian military, seriously busting their chops for being so bad, and that list of naysayers includes me? Does it seem like I’m reversing myself?
I am not reversing my opinion at all.
The problem isn’t the equipment. Russia’s kit is good, not as good as Western gear, but that difference is much smaller than the layman really understands. Victory depends more on individual skill rather than the machines, and that difference is a hairsbreadth across.
Most of the reason I, and others, are being so critical of Russia, is that Russia’s military should be performing much better than they are, based on the quality of their kit. The fact that they aren’t is proof of fraud and corruption, officers promoted based upon loyalty rather than skill, a rigid top-down organizational structure that often leaves Russian forces without direction, terrible maintenance quality, and an appallingly bad logistics chain.
These are your reasons (and there’s still more) for Russia’s poor performance. It’s not Russia’s machines of war that are failing Russia, it is Russians that are failing Russians.
“We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
—Pogo
