Russia is disengaging from Syria: Arms shipments stopped, warships exit Tartus

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report August 29, 2012, 4:44 PM (GMT+02:00)

Russian Navy in Tartus

Russian naval vessels have unexpectedly departed the Syrian Mediterranean port of Tartus and Russian arms shipments to Syria have been suddenly discontinued. DEBKAfile’s military sources reveal that those and other steps indicate that the Russians are rapidly drawing away from the Syrian arena to avoid getting caught up in the escalating hostilities expected to arise from military intervention by the US, Europe and a number of Arab states. Russian intelligence appears to have decided that this outside intervention is imminent and Moscow looks anxious to keep its distance for now.

According to our military and Russian sources, these drastic steps must have been personally ordered by President Vladimir Putin. He is believed to have acted over the objections of some of his army and naval chiefs. This would explain the mixed statements issuing from Moscow in recent days about the disposition of Russian personnel at the naval base in Tartus and Russian military personnel in Syria.

Wednesday, Aug. 22, Commander of the Russian Navy Vice Adm. Viktor Chirkov said that if the fighting in Syria reached Tartus, Moscow may decide to evacuate the base. He stressed that this decision would have to be taken on the authority of President Putin. He was the first Russian official to suggest the possibility of an evacuation.
A week later, Aug. 28, Russian chief of staff Gen. Nikolai Makarov denied anything had changed in the working procedures of Russian military personnel in Syria or that there were any plans to evacuate the Russian naval base in Tartus:

“I think it’s too early to draw conclusions [from the situation in Syria],” said the general. “No one is running away from there.”

When a Russian journalist pressed the general and ventured to ask whether Moscow was terminating its military involvement in Syria, Marakov retorted, “Why are you so worried about Syria?”
But he didn’t answer the question.

DEBKAfile’s military sources disclose that the Russians have taken five significant military steps with regard to Syria in the last two weeks:

1. They cancelled a large-scale naval exercise dubbed “Caucasus 2012” scheduled to start mid-August in the eastern Mediterranean opposite the Syrian coast;

2. Warships from three fleets – the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea – concentrated opposite Syria have dispersed and returned to their bases;

3. Syrian President Bashar Assad was notified that Moscow was halting military aid to his army – except for intelligence updates and advice on logistics from Russian military advisers;

4.  Moscow has not clearly announced a freeze on arms shipments, including replacement parts for Russian weapons, which make up the bulk of the Syrian army’s weaponry. Officials have only said, “There are no large Russian weapons shipments planned in the near future to Syria.”

5. The only Russian naval ship left in Tartus – a floating Russian Navy PM-138 shipyard – is also under orders to depart Tartus and return to the Black Sea in September.
A Russian source disclosed that all the remaining Russian personnel in Tartus have gathered on the floating shipyard, except for two officers on shore. This vessel and the remaining personnel are evidently packed up and ready to sail at any moment out of the Syrian port.

Big Foreign Military Forces Pile Up On Syria’s Borders As War Looms

Posted by truther on July 26, 2012

Debka

Russian, Western and Arab forces were piling up on Syrian borders Wednesday, July 25, bringing closer a war confrontation which could spur the Assad regime into making good on its threat to use chemical weapons against “external aggression.”

Based on this reading, Moscow added its voice Tuesday to that of US President Obama and warned Bashar Assad against using chemical weapons in view of “its commitments under the international convention it ratified prohibiting the use of poisonous gases as a method of warfare.”

debkafile’s military sources: With operational intelligence deployment and electronic stations positioned inside Syria, the Russians are better placed than any other outsiders to know what is happening on Syria’s battlefields. Their warning must therefore be tied to solid information confirming Washington’s assessment that Assad is dangerously close to deciding to use his chemical and biological weapons in a way that would precipitate a regional conflict.

Israel, Turkey and Jordan would be the first targets on his list. The immediacy of the peril, debkafile’s military sources report, has speeded the arrival of Russian warships to Syria to counter a potential Western, Arab or Israeli assault on the embattled country.

The Russian Ministry of Defense, which rarely discloses Russian military movements outside its borders, announced early Wednesday morning, July 25 that a fleet of Russian warships had passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean.

The fleet is headed by the anti-submarine and anti-aircraft Admiral Chabanenko warship and consists of another three vessels carrying a large number of Russian marines. This fleet will rendezvous with a Russian flotilla standing by in the Mediterranean since July 21, detached from Russian Black Fleet and composed of the Smetlivy figate and  two large landing craft loaded with Russian marines. This group awaited the main force before approaching Syria.

The fact that Russia is massing large numbers of marines off the Syrian coast looks as though a landing on Syrian soil is on Moscow’s cards.
The Russian marine contingent,  debkafile’s sources say, will stand ready – either to come to the aid of the Assad regime or to serve as a bargaining chip for a last-minute deal between Moscow and Washington for ending the war by establishing a transitional military regime in Damascus whose makeup would be agreed between them and Assad.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hinted at this possibility on Tuesday, July 24, when she said: “We do believe that it is not too late for the Assad regime to commence with planning for a transition.”

But Clinton also hinted, in a more threatening tone, that a situation is developing for the creation of safe zones in rebel-controlled areas of Syria. “More and more territory is being taken and it will, eventually, result in a safe haven inside Syria which will then provide a base for further actions by the opposition,” she said.

Clinton didn’t name the potential protectors of those havens. However, since the Syrian rebels are short of manpower, Western, Muslim or Arab defenders would have to be called in.

Wednesday, British military sources in London said the moment is rushing forward for British forces to get involved in what is happening in Syria. Iran and Turkey are not indifferent either.

Deputy Iranian Revolutionary Guard chief, Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, warned on Tuesday, July 24, that Tehran would not permit regime change in Damascus and if Syria’s enemies intervened, Iran would hit them hard. The Iranian commander pointed a finger at Saudi Arabia and Qatar, adding that the US and Israel are at the forefront of the comprehensive campaign against Syria but are being beaten back.

This was the first time Tehran had explicitly threatened military intervention in Syria.

Wednesday, Turkey shut its border crossings to Syria. Military sources in Ankara confirmed that massive Turkish military strength had been on the move toward the Syrian border.

A Full Rundown Of Russia’s Immense Military Acquisitions

Walter Hickey | Jul. 23, 2012

 

koraxdc / flickr The MSTA-S 2S19

 

Funded by booming oil and gas profits, Russia is in the midst of a huge equipment upgrade backed by Putin‘s promise to increase military spending by $770 billion from 2014 to 2020.

It sounds like a lot, and it is, the Russian military budget doubled from 2006 to 2009 from $25 billion to $50 billion; but it’s still not a tenth of the U.S. defense budget, which averages around $600 billion per year.

Perhaps the most interesting facet of Russian military production is that it’s a bit less refined than America‘s, more burgeoning capitalism than entrenched lobbying with the state.

Private enterprise is exporting sophisticated arms packages and entering into international contracts with foreign powers to enhance already well developed weapons program.

So while this doesn’t necessarily bring us to a new Cold War as some suggest, it should keep the U.S. aware that it’s not the only player on the world’s military stage, and in the end, that can only be a good thing.

 

Russia’s T-90 main battle tank tank is just as advanced as the America’s M1 and costs half as much

Николай Александрович Колосов / wikimedia

Produced from 1995 onward, the T-90 is a modernization of the Soviet T-72. 

The overhaul is remarkable and the fact the T-90 costs anywhere from $2.8 to $4.3 million compared to the M1 Abrams $8.6 million is more remarkable still.

Manufacturer Kartsev-Venediktov has pumped the tank full of electronic warfare capabilities, and it’s filled with laser warning receivers, an electronic jamming system and a three-tiered protection system consisting of turret armor, explosive reactive armor and a full countermeasures suite.

Despite the T-90′s well advanced status it’s only a stop-gap piece. Russia’s T-99, coming by 2020, will serve as the new main battle tank, infantry fighting vehicle, and armored personnel carrier.

Production begins of the T-99 begins in 2014.

The MSTA-S 2S19 can run on six different types of fuel

michael / picasa

While this artillery platform is pretty interesting on its own — a 152mm self propelled howitzer that entered service in 1989 — perhaps its most compelling feature is its versatility. 

The 2MSTA-S 2S19 offers significant automation with loading and firing, allowing the crew to stay mobile while firing and it can run on six different types of fuel including diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel, and alcohol. Russia has 800 of them as of 2008.

The MSTA has been adapted into a number of different variants which include a wheeled variant, various enhanced versions, a “laser tank” and a prototype which includes dual howitzers.

The Sukhoi Su-35 is Russia’s most advanced operational fighter jet

Alex Beltyukov

The Su-35 is a twin-engined multi-role fighter. Since Russia has not been in a significant war since the aircraft’s development, the supermaneuverable jet is currently used by the nation’s Russian Knights air display team. The Russian Air Force has eleven of them, mostly an upgraded version. 

The Air Forces of Libya, India, Malaysia and Algeria have considered purchasing the craft.

Exporter Rosoboronexport lost $4 billion after the Libyan revolution because of cancelled contracts, so the future of the jet outside of Russian borders remains unclear.

The Sukhoi T-50 will be Russia’s stealth fifth-generation fighter

Maxim Maksimov

This is the future of Russian combat aviation. 

Currently a prototype T-50, the second model started flight testing in March 2011. Next year, the Defense Ministry plans to buy 10 evaluation aircraft, followed by an initial purchase of 60 jets by 2016.

The service life is projected to be three decades, and this aircraft will likely contend with the the U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet. Still, the Russians managed to confine development costs to around $10 billion.

While less stealthy than the F-22, newspapers have claimed it is more maneuverable.

The MiG-35 has state-of-the-art radar and is all digital

Dmitriy Pichugin

The MiG-35 is a huge upgrade to the MiG-29, a jet so successful it remains in use all over the world. 

It’s still in the development phase, but some Russian leaders have been completely explicit about the name: The MiG 35 is seen as a probable direct competitor to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Installed on the MiG-35 will be a state-of-the art radar system developed by Phazotron. This fighter is all digital. It should be able to hit Mach 2.25 and has a range of 125 miles. It first flew in 2007.

The Mi-28 is the most advanced attack helicopter made in Asia — for now

Россин Денис Владимирович

Right now, the Mi-28 is the top attack helicopter made in Asia. It functions in any weather, by day or night, and has no other possible use beside aerial offense. 

Still, the helicopter is a mere placeholder for the time being. Right now Russian Helicopters — the corporate parent of Mil — is designing the next-generation attack helicopter to bring Russian rotors out of the eighties. With China developing the Z-10 (with some help from Pratt  & Whitney of course) it’s time for an upgrade.

The fifth-generation helicopter has bold goals: light, noiseless, and invisible to radar. They want to start work after the Su-35 is done.

The Antonov An-70 can haul up to 300 troops at a time

Marianivka / wikimedia

Russia has sixty of the Ukrainian aircraft on order, to be delivered sometime between 2015 and 2016. Right now Antonov has two prototypes complete. It’s able to hold 300 troops or 200 wounded. 

It has got four propellers. It’s comparable to the C-130J. The project has had some significant hurdles, with Russia pulling out in 2006 before ordering sixty aircraft in 2010, consistent with the rearmament program for the new decade.

The Yasen-class of attack submarines will carry up to 32 cruise missiles

Russian President’s Office

The Office of Naval Intelligence thinks the Yasen sub is the quietest in the ocean belonging to a competitor to the United States. 

It’s powered by a nuclear reactor and one is currently in trials after its 2010 launch. The next is expected in the ocean before 2015. It’s been describes as state-of-the-art, and costs the Kremlin $1.2 billion each.

While the Borei-class subs will move ballistic missiles around the world, the Yasen is armed with up to thirty two cruise missiles and has ten torpedo tubes. I

The Bulava, Sineva, and Layner ballistic missiles explain why the Russians are obsessed with submarines

A submarine launched U.S. Trident missile

wikipedia commons

Russia came to the point a few years ago where it designed submarines around ballistic missiles. Right now, three submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) help define Russian naval missile defense. 

The Sineva SLBM was introduced in 2007 and has an operational range of 7,100 miles. It’s designed to be launched from the Delta IV class submarines, built from 1985 to 1992.

The Bulava SLBM carries a warhead with six 150 kiloton bombs in them. They have an operational range of 6,100 miles, but since they’re stocked in the Borei-class submarines that range can be expanded far away from the Russian motherland. They are planned to enter service this year.

The Layner SLBM is being developed by the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau. It has got 12 warheads and can allegedly pierce anti-ballistic missile defenses. It should enter service soon. It’s designed to augment, not replace the Bulava.

The Steregushchy-class corvette is the foundation of Russian coastal defense

Black león / wikimedia

The Steregushchy  class was initially developed to replace the Grisha  class of anti-submarine corvettes. 

Three ships have been in service beginning in 2007. At the moment, three are under construction, and two more are expected to be exported to Algeria.

It has a helicopter hangar, eight torpedo tubes, and 12 cells for surface to air missiles of the S-400 type. The ships are currently undergoing sea-trials. With Russia charging $150 million per export ship, these vessels are a steal for the Russian Navy compared to the United States’ plannedLittoral Combat Ships which cost $2.4 billion.

The Gorshkov Frigate is a multi-role ship that will form the core of Russia’s future Navy

The Gorshkov’s predecessor, the Krivak-class

George Chernilevsky

Right now, Severnaya Verf is building the first three of a planned 15-20 frigates for the Russian Navy. They’ll be 425 feet long with a range of 4000 nautical miles. 

The plan is to replace the aging Sovremenny destroyers and Burevestnik frigates with the ships. The first frigate — the Gorshkov — was begun in 2006, launched in 2010, and will be commissioned in 2013.

The ships will have advanced radar systems, a 130mm naval gun, Oniks missiles, multiple torpedo tubes, and will hold one helicopter.

Russia focuses on four theaters for their Navy. They have a Northern Fleet, a Baltic Fleet, a Pacific Fleet and a Black Sea fleet.

The S-400 may be the best air defense system in the world

A Russian S-400 Surface-to-Air Missile system

Public Domain

The S-400 is a massive upgrade to Russia’s successful S-300 surface-to-air missile system. While it’s only in limited service at this point, its predecessor currently stands as Russia’s premiere air defense system. 

The S-400 has a range of 250 miles, at least twice that of the United States’ MIM-104 Patriot. Three different missiles are used for various ranges, with the fastest going twelve times the speed of sound. The radar can track 100 targets at once.

With this system, even some of the most elite attacking aircraft are at risk.

The S-500 is definitely going to be the best air defense system in the world

PressTV

The S-500 is a more efficient version of the S-400 designed for ICBM interception among other air defense goals. It’ll be derived from the S-400 but will be reduced in dimensions. 

The radar systems have been improved from the S-400, and most of the equipment will be derived from the S-300 family. It’s supposed to be a highly mobile system. Again, details are loose, but this could be a serious game-changer.

The most interesting take away: This isn’t designed to defend from a U.S. ballistic missile attack.

As China builds up their ICBM range, this is likely insurance against either a souring of relations between Moscow and Beijing or the spread of Chinese ICBMs to less-predictable countries.

The Iskander-M missile system replaces the SCUD as the go-to tactical ballistic missile

Aleksey Toritsyn

The Iskander-M is a hypersonic single-stage surface-to-surface ballistic missile with an operational range of 250 miles and an accuracy of 5-7 meters. It’s designed for conventional warheads. 

The missiles are 24 feet long and weigh four tons. They are designed for theater-level conflicts.

The case in point is the 2008 South Ossetia war against Georgia, where the missile was hugely effective in destroying military targets.

According to Wikileaks releases of emails from Stratfor.com, there are five Iskander missile brigades stationed in Russia.

The Pantsir-S1 is one of the most sophisticated and compact air defense systems in Russia

Vitaly V Kuzmin

The Pantsir S-1 is one incredible system. It combines both medium-range Surface-to-air missiles with anti-aircraft artillery and the most sophisticated radar system available in a single compact package. 

Produced beginning in 2008, it’s effective against aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles. Russia is even installing it on their aircraft carrier.

Pantsir carries twelve missiles, each with an operational range of 12 miles. The main selling point of the Pantisir is the phase-array radar, which has 360 degree coverage amd a detection range of 20 miles. It can track 20 targets simultaneously.

Russian skies are safe from incoming threats.

Topol is Russia’s first new ICBM since the Soviet breakup

goodvint wikimedia

Produced beginning in 1994, the Topol-M Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) packs a single 800 kiloton warhead and is propelled by a three-stage solid propellant. It has an operational range of 6,800 miles and travels at 22 times the speed of sound. 

The Topol can be launched from either a reinforced missile silo or a transporter.

Even more, the Topol is being developed to sustain Multiple Re-entry vehicles (MIRV), which would allow multiple warheads to be transported by a singe rocket.

The beleaguered START treaty would have Russia replace their existing MIRV ICBMs with ICBMS with a single warhead. Don’t hold your breath.

Russia is committed to defending their country from external threats

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/a-full-rundown-of-russias-military-might-and-future-2012-7?op=1#ixzz21U9tEEXB

Russian Military to Hold Over 1,000 Drills in June-October…WHY???

Naval drills

INDRA-2010 Military Drills

 MOSCOW,  (RIA Novosti)

Related News

• Russia, U.S., Norway to Hold Joint Naval Drills in August
• Russia, India Prepare for INDRA-2012 Military Drills
• Russia to Join Slavic Commonwealth Military Drills
• Russian Warship to Join Blackseafor Drills
• Russia, Mongolia Plan Joint Military Drills

The Russian Armed Forces will conduct over 1,000 command-and-staff and tactical exercises during the summer training period from June to November this year, the Defense Ministry said.

The summer training will focus on improving interoperability of all branches of the Armed Forces and efficient use of automated battlefield management systems, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The training will be carried out on average 2-3 times a week with the emphasis on weapons proficiency and driving skills.

The training period will culminate with the Kavkaz-2012 large-scale strategic exercises in southern Russia and North Caucasus, which would also involve Abkhaz and South Ossetian military units.

In addition, Russia will hold about 50 joint military exercises with foreign countries, including the Slavic Commonwealth – 2012 with Ukraine and Belarus, the INDRA-2012 with India and the Selenga with Mongolia.

The Russian Navy will traditionally take part in RIMPAC, FRUKUS, Northern Eagle andBlackseafor international naval drills.