thesaker | Russia and the USA have been at war since at least 2014 (I have been warning about this year, after year, after year).
So far, this war has been about 80% informational, 15% economic and 5%
kinetic. But this could very well change, and very suddenly. Russia has
therefore embarked on an immense effort to prepare against both a
conventional and a nuclear attack by the AngloZionist Empire. Here are
some of the measures which have been taken in this context: (partial,
non-exhaustive list!)
In response to the conventional NATO threat from the West:
- Putin has ordered the re-creation of the First Guards Tank Army. This Tank Army will include two Tank Divisions (the best ones in the Russian military – 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division and the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division), and a total of 500+ T-14 Armata tanks. This Tank Army will be supported by the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army (in progress). This will be what was called a “Shock Army” during WWII and the Cold War.
- The deployment of the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system (completed)
- The doubling of the size of the Russian Airborne Forces from 36’000 to 72’000 (in progress).
- Creation of a National Guard: which will include troops of the Interior Ministry (about 170’000 soldiers), personnel from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the OMON riot police forces (about 40’000 soldiers), the SOBR rapid-reaction forces (about 5000+ soldiers), the Special Designation Center of the Operational Reaction Forces and Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs including the Special Forces units “Zubr”, “Rys’” and “Iastreb” (about 700+ operators) for a total of about 250’000 soldiers which will probably reach the 300’000 men figure in the near future.
- The procurement and deployment of advanced multi-role and air superiority fighters and interceptors (MiG-31BM, Su-30SM, Su-35S and, soon, the MiG-35 and Su-57).
- Deployment of S-400 and S-500 air defense systems along with very long range radars.
- The adoption of about 70% of new, modern, systems across all the armed forces.
In response to the ABM “encirclement” of Russia by the USA:
- The deployment of the RS-28 Sarmat ICBM with hypersonic maneuverable reentry vehicles
- The deployment of conventionally armed very long-range cruise missiles
- The deployment of a nuclear powered cruise missile with a basically unlimited range
- The deployment of a nuclear powered unmanned submersible with intercontinental range, very high speed, silent propulsion and capable of moving a great depths
- The deployment of the Mach 10 hypersonic missile Kinzhal with a 2’000 kilometer range
- The deployment of a new strategic missile Avangard capable of Mach 20 velocities
This list is far from being exhaustive, there is much more missing
from it including new submarines, (air-independent propulsion,
conventional diesel-electric, nuclear attack and SSBNs), strike
aircraft, new armored vehicles of various types, new advanced (high
tech) individual soldier equipment, new artillery systems, etc. etc.
etc. But by far the most important element in the Russian readiness to
confront and, if needed, repel any western aggression is the morale,
discipline, training, and resolve of Russian soldiers (so powerfully
illustrated in several recent examples in Syria). Let’s just say that in
comparison US and EU servicemen (or their commanders, for that matter)
are not exactly an impressive lot and leave it at that.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
The reality is, of course, that nobody in Russia plans for a war,
needs a war or wants a war. In fact, Russia as a country needs many more
years of (even relative) peace. First, because time is obviously on
Russia’s side and that the military balance with the USA is very rapidly
shifting in Russia’s favor. But no less important is the fact that,
unlike the USA which strives for conflicts, wars, and chaos, Russia
badly needs peace to deal with her still very numerous internal problems
which have been neglected for all too long. The problem is that the
entire US political system and economy are completely dependent on a
permanent state of war. That, combined with an imperial hubris boosted
by an increasingly vocal russophobia is a potent and potentially
dangerous mix leaving Russia no other options than “bare her fangs” and
engage in some saber rattling of her own. So will Putin’s speech be
enough to wake up the Empire’s ruling elites from their delusional
slumber?
Probably not. In fact, in the short term, it might have the opposite effect.
Remember when the Russian’s deflected Obama’s planned attack on
Syria? The US reaction was to trigger the Maidan. Sadly, I expect
something very similar will happen soon, most likely in the form of a
full-scale Ukronazi attack against the Donbass this Spring or during the
World Cup this summer. Of course, regardless of the actual outcome of
such an attack (already discussed here),
this will not in any way affect the actual correlation of forces
between Russia and the Empire. But it will feel good (Neocons love
revenge in all its forms). We can also expect further provocations in
Syria (already discussed here).
Hence and for the foreseeable future, the Russians will have to
continue on their current, admittedly frustrating and even painful
course, and maintain a relatively passive and evasive posture which the
Empire and its sycophants will predictably interpret as a sign of
weakness. Let them. As long as in the real world the actual power (soft
or hard) of the Empire continues to decline, as long as the US MIC
continues to churn out fantastically expensive but militarily useless
weapon systems, as long as US politicians are busy blaming everything on
“Russian interference” while doing nothing to reform their own,
collapsing economy and infrastructure, as long as the USA continues to
use the printing press as a substitute for actual wealth and as long as
the internal socio-political tensions in the USA continue to heat up –
then Putin’s plan is working.
