Nuclear Weapons Reasserts Russian Might, Sort Of

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:27 pm

Nuclear Weapons Reasserts Russian Might, Sort Of

A new review of Russian nuclear forces published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says that the Kremlin appears to be attempting to reassert its nuclear strength after years of decline in order to underscore Russia's status as a powerful nation. Large-scale exercises have been reinstated and modernizations of nuclear forces continue with reports about a new maneuverable warhead and the mobile version of the SS-27 (Topol-M) expected to become operational later this year.

Yet the reassertion is done with fewer strategic warheads than at any time since the mid-1970s, approximately 3,500 operational strategic warheads. The number of operational non-strategic nuclear weapons has been cut by more than half to approximately 2,300 warheads.

Moreover, during 2005, Russia's 12 nuclear ballistic missile submarines only conducted three deterrent patrols. This is a slightly better performance than in 2002 when no patrols were made, but a far cry from the 1980s when Soviet ballistic missile submarines conducted 50-100 deterrent patrols each year.

Links:

Article: Russian Nuclear Forces, 2006

http://www.thebulletin.org/article_nn.php?art_ofn=ma06norris

Background: Russian Submarine Patrols

http://www.nukestrat.com/russia/subpatrols.htm

source: FAS newsletter on Nuclear Policies.

What do you think? Just a rearmament process to fill the missile/bomb gap between the Russian Federation and NATO or feels Putin just better with the new nuclear weapons?

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:40 am

This sounds like simple image/ego building exercises to me. They are just trying to show the world the are still a force to be reckoned with, and with the Russian economy slowly getting back on its feet after 80 years of command economy and mismanagment it could be.

Russian military tech is both robust and powerful and if they choose to use it and can afford to run it AND pay there troops they can be a serious threat to any nation to challenge them.

Rod.

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:00 am

rodglas wrote:

Russian military tech is both robust and powerful and if they choose to use it and can afford to run it AND pay there troops they can be a serious threat to any nation to challenge them.

True.
But the problem is, that they cannot pay their troops and that the old Soviet Generals and officers are anywhere around in their Army, Air Force and Navy.
Just a week ago, the news of a drafted 21-year old Russian that was tortured swept though the ranks of the military analysts and media correspondants.
The Russian Federation can rearm their nuclear strike capability but not ensure the safety of the drafted. From my point of view, a Russian nuclear strike force in the current Post-Soviet/Pre-Democratic unstable military system is extremly endangering.