politics

Russia holds biggest war games in decades

13 Comments
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

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13 Comments
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Don't you love the term " military analyst," conjures up some mystical being who can read the minds of politicians and the military hierarchy. This is just another individual who feeds the media so called scenarios, who in turn put their interpretation to print, to try and panic the public into believing the rhetoric of those politicians who wish to live in a world of conflict and in the pockets of the military industrialists. It was a military exercises thats all, the boys playing with their big toys.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Should have done this in the Caucusus. unless sending a message to China.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

AKBfan, It is aimed at China. Better to keep them from looking longingly at the Russian Far East.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

In the end it's about how many warheads you have and not tanks. It's called modern warfare, so I doubt these exercises scare anyone these days.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The equipment is antiquated (& in need of paint), and the troops looked, um..."round."

I will say this though, some of these ground units deployed 3,000 km in two days. That's logistically impressive. I doubt the PLA could pull that off. I think that's the big message here. "Don't plan on weeks or months to dig in if you make a land grab cause we'll be there the day after tomorrow."

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Yes,it will certainly happen. Japan is not a Russian enemy.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Warheads have their place, but so does ground forces. Do remember for all the heckling of the Russian forces in Georgia, they finished their attack faster than the West could have started. If a Western military ran the op, we would have heard about the war for one year as they try to whittle down the Georgians with well-backed air attacks.

Besides, I hadn't heard of many exercises using over 100,000 men for a long time. The organization of so many men in itself is impressive.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I personally would not Lay claim to any Islands North of Japan that they don't really have any right to. Let this be a sign of what to expect it . It would hurt all of the Japanese population for the actions of a very few politician's.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Yeah agree. The usual rhetorics about modern military forces are about small, fast, technologically advanced and high skill unites. This maneuver sounds a bit old school, possibly aimed at old school listeners. However an old truth that I guess still holds is that good logistics wins war.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"some analysts believe the show of force was aimed at China and Japan" said the author.

The exercise serves more as a warning to USA and Japan after their recent joint exercise.

Russia and China have declared themselves as strategic partners. Both are members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which conducts joint military exercises, at least once every 2 years involving 6 countries. Both have recently conducted a joint naval exercise "Joint-Sea 2013" in July 8–10 2013 involving 19 warships in Sea of Japan. Both have conducted joint military exercises every year at least the last 6 years. China builds Russian military hardware under license like MI-17 helicopter and so on.

Do not repeat the mistakes Japan made around World War Two. To my Japanese friends, do not misread the warning signs. This leads to deadly and costly wars.

(1)For the first time, Chinese warships pass near north Hokkaido in 2013. (2)"Joint-Sea 2013" is the largest joint Russia-China joint naval exercise todate. (3)More Russia-China joint military exercises have already been scheduled for 2013. (4)Japan and Germany had better military technologies, better trained people etc than China and Soviet Union during World War Two. Japan and Germany were defeated because their manpower, resources etc were dwarfed by those of China, Russia or USA.

(5)The Korean War and Vietnam War killed millions of Koreans and Vietnamese civilians. They turned the 2 countries into mass cemeteries and wastelands of destroyed buildings, dams, power plants etc. But the mainlands of allied countries USA, China, UK etc which sent troops were not attacked by either sides. Korea is divided. Vietnam is taken over by Communists.

USA will not attack un-disputed Chinese or Russian territories and vice versa, if it comes to Japan's defence.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In the end it's about how many warheads you have and not tanks. It's called modern warfare, so I doubt these exercises scare anyone these days.

As Kazuaki Shimazaki very well explained above, Georgian leadership felt the very same way prior to invasion in South Ossetia. According to Russian military doctrine, Russian Military forces fight armed forces of enemy side, not civilian population. Nuclear warheads could be used only in case of retaliatory counter-strike in case of massive attack by WMD from enemy side. Bombings by Tomahawks and guided bombs civilian population of certain ME country belong more to war crimes than to "modern warfare"

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I grew up watching James Bond and Hollywood movies and therefore looked at the USSR with great fear. Now I am 60 and never knew I would be thrilled to read such a report. The more US and Japan try to provoke, the more military exercises Russia and China will conduct. This report gives the suggestion that this exercise is directed at China. Well I live in China for the most part of the year and they read this exercise very favorably! The UN better get it's act together otherwise the future for everyone is not so nice!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

This is why Japanese is always afraid to even make a peep about those islands north of it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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