Is Russia really a Military power to be feared

Question

Or just a Sabre rattling bully?

Answer 1

Against a small country like Georgia its a mighty power ,against America and Europe its a pipsqueak, Not in numbers but in modern weapons and firepower it is so far behind as to be medievil

Answer 2

Both, they do like to bully but they have the power to back it up against most countries and as events have shown are more than willing to do so.

Answer 3

any country holding nuclear bombs is a global danger.

Answer 4

Russia, although nothing like the military power it used to be during the Cold War era, is never-the-less a potentially powerful military nation.

One only has to go back in history to understand that on two famous occasions the russian people and their army simply threw the enemy back with a swipe of the Russian Bear's paw - Napoleon and Hitler.

The Russians are planning a massive victory parade for 2012 in celebration of their glorious victory over Napoleon in 1812 - 200 years ago.

Mockba

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia...

Retreat from Mockba

http://expatua.com/forum/history-today/b...

The Annual Victory Parade Red Square Mockba - 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4INBamQPv...

The Magnificent Russian Army on Parade - Hurrah!

Answer 5

I would say both.  They now have the money and military power to back up their sabre rattling as we are seeing now with Georgia.

Answer 6

Yes. Russia can field 5,000,000 infantry, with 1,000,00- in reserve. This doesn't include Special forces of about 5,000. The have a huge navy including nuclear submarines, and an air force on par with the USA. They have squadrens of the russian T-72 battle tank with a 125mm gun and equipped with armour piercing shells guided by digital radar. Etc. Etc.

Answer 7

so many retards on tonight, where does one start....

Why would Russia need to get nukes from Iraq, when they can just make their own?

Don't you love how Russia is allied with Iran (probably gave them a few fireworks)...is considering alliance with Pakistan (whom we gave nukes to) and possibly North Korea, and China...and here we Americans are, can't even get the story straight, let alone realize how NATO, Israel, and US government are covertly supporting Georgia and 5 new carrier tasks forces just moved into the Persian gulf...oh my fav episode of popular-reality-tv-show is on!

Answer 8

It's not the military that should be feared but the idiots in charge of it. The ego's in America will get us destroyed first.

Answer 9

If you live in a former Soviet Republic, yes. If you live in the U.S., no.  

Answer 10

Regionally, yes.

All those small ex-Soviet states (Estonia, Armenia, Azerbaijan etc.) would be powerless to stop a Russian invasion. However on a world stage they can't compete with the USA. Or an alliance of Western European countries.

One problem with Russian military equipment is that a lot of it is old. In the  1990s Russia was bankrupt and so slipped behind the west in military technology. Most of their equipment is soviet era.

Answer 11

Russia is getting nukes from Iraq, huh? Russia's troops get killed in an attack  by Georgia and that makes Russia a sabre rattling bully?  The Georgians are trained by the Israeli's who killed thousands in an unprovoked attack on the Lebanon and that makes Russia a bully? And Sawadee Krub, have you been asleep for the last twenty years?

Russia only gets involved in military action to protect its own frontiers.  America on the other hand has an incredibly aggressive military and an industrial complex with companies earning billions from the government.  America has a record of undermining regimes, especially elected ones in South America.  America bombed Serbia, including such military targets as the radio station, and did in Kosovo exactly what the Russians are doing in Georgia.  America has military bases all around Russia's borders while they are still bullying Cuba for the temerity of being socialist state. It has started wars in the Middle East. America also supported Al Qda as long as they were fighting Russia.

Oh, and East European immigrants are staggeringly well educated.  The British education system wruined through the adoption of infantile American disorders.  Not that you'd know from reading the Americans here,

But, shouldn't we go and help those nice people down South  The thoughts of them Russkies in Savannah makes me want to reach for my grand pappy's cavalry sabre!!

Answer 12

As long as Putin has a place in their government, then no. Putin is too much of a coward to repeat what his country did before he was in there. The only thing to fear in Russia is the Spetsnaz and those freaky little stacking dolls

Answer 13

Good god yes, kind of scary to think about...

Answer 14

Their ground forces are relatively weak, but no one wants to engage them, start a new Cold War, and give them an excuse to use nuclear weapons.

Answer 15

Yes they are definately someone to be feared, especially by the americans because China and Russia will easily destroy USA without thinking twice about it.

Im an american. Whenever I discuss this subject, my fellow americans give me thumbs down because they have way too much pride and can not possibly accept the fact that another country may actually attack them and win. I think its going to be over Taiwan, but USA occupying land in Iraq and then telling Russia they cant do what theyre doing is only adding fuel to the fire thats building up.

Answer 16

The military budget of Russia is about 30 times less than american's.

The primary military power to be feared is the nukes that don't need a big budget.

Some of the other types of weapons are better, some competitve, some are backward, but US is a leader.

In the case of the war between soldiers of US and Russia without nukes, US will certainly win, not only because the technology advantage, but because of better organization, experience and large number of different types of weapons.

Answer 17

Both----- believe it comrade.

Answer 18

russia is getting nukes form iraq i'm scared when somebody says "war" and "russia" in the same sentece.

Answer 19

Yes!

Answer 20

do not be fooled by the press!Russia is still an immensely powerful country who knows where nuclear subs are sitting at this minute loaded with nuclear war heads not to even mention where are there ICBMs pointing?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...

Answer 21

LOL!

Any country with nukes should be feared, and they still have more nukes than America and ALL its allies put together!

Think of Russia as a sleeping bear, and be afraid, VERY AFRAID.

Answer 22

they still have pretty much all their cold war strategic weaponry, their military was run down after the fall of communism but is on the up again as the economy improves, they also have access to vast internal energy reserves and the steppes are self sustaining in grain, so their is a lot of military potential, though in a conventional fight they would probably be at a disadvantage (last bit with a pinch of salt, I have not done any comparative analysis of Russian and Western military strengths)

edit: did someone call Putin a coward? the man is an ex kgb mobster who created a new political office so he could keep power, that says cunning and intelligent not cowardly