INTL Developments in Russia

[Zagdid]

Russia Looks to Combat Drones with Marker Robots

The Marker is expected to become the foundation for testing the interaction between ground robots, unmanned aerial vehicles and special operations forces.

nationalinterest.org

Russia Looks to Combat Drones with Marker Robots

October 26, 2021 by Peter Suciu

The Marker is expected to become the foundation for testing the interaction between ground robots, unmanned aerial vehicles and special operations forces.

Throughout much of military history, improved defenses meant that improved weapons needed to be created. Now in the modern era, advanced weapons are also countered. The advent of aircraft required anti-aircraft weapons, and now with the threat of drones and drone swarms, there are efforts underway to counter those threats, too.

Russia’s “Marker” robotic platform, which was recently tested at the Vostochny launch site, is one of the systems that Moscow is employing to combat drones and other autonomous weapon threats. Resembling a miniature tank, the Marker is being used as a springboard for the development of other robotic technologies. It will be able to combat intruding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by utilizing electronic pulses, small so-called “suicide drones” and even by overtaking and capturing the computer network that controls the autonomous weapons.

According to the press service of Android Technics, the maker of the Marker robot, the platform will be able to identify multiple types of intruders including unauthorized individuals, motor vehicles and drones. Various countermeasures can and will be applied, depending on the intruder type.

“Options of radio electronic jamming of the drone control system, capturing networks and suicide drones to neutralize the intruding UAV are considered in case of drone combating,” the press service told the Tass news agency on Sunday.
If the Marker robot locates an intruding individual, then it will use an audio system and communicate an unauthorized access message to the rapid response team, according to the report.

“The process of combating intruders using a motor vehicle is approximately the same but in this situation the Market can also follow and intercept the intruder,” Tass added.

Advanced Research Project
The Marker has been under development as part of an effort from the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects’ National Center for Development of Technologies and Basic Elements of Robotic and the Android Technics’ Scientific Production Association, which seeks to use the platform to test future generations of combat robots. The Foundation for Advanced Research is considered Russia’s counterpart to the U.S. military’s DARPA.

“The Marker is a robotized platform used for testing the most advanced technologies for second-generation combat robots, which currently only undergo the concept development phase,” Foundation CEO Andrei Grigoriyev told reporters earlier this year. “Marker is also a concept, developed specifically for testing of the third, fourth and fifth-generation technologies. However, the specific machines will be eventually developed by the Ministry of Defense.”

The Marker is expected to become the foundation for testing the interaction between ground robots, unmanned aerial vehicles and special operations forces. It is positioned as a constructor kit for the development of future warfare models.

The platform had successfully passed autonomous trails in Russia’s wintry conditions earlier this year. In fact, the platform is able to adhere to the rules of war while protecting civilians, and is capable of selective firing, distinguishing between civilians and enemy soldiers, according to The Defense Post.

 

[northern watch]

 

[northern watch]

 

[jward]

EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3

Update: Unconfirmed reports that Russia moved at least 7 OTRK "Iskander" to the border with Ukraine.

3:10 PM · Oct 30, 2021·Twitter Web App

View attachment 298894

 

[jward]

Brrrrrrr




EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
9m

Update: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova: The meeting with the US delegation is not on the schedule of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 summit in Rome.
“American colleagues are not on the schedule,” Zakharova said on the Soloviev Live YouTube channel. (RIA Novosti)

 

[danielboon]

EndGameWW3

@EndGameWW3
·
29m

“American colleagues are not on the schedule,” Zakharova said on the Soloviev Live YouTube channel. (RIA Novosti)

 

[jward]

AncientSubHunter
@AncientSubHunt

"in the future, we have no intention of increasing the quantity of nuclear submarines but we do envision taking all the necessary measures to substantially enhance their tactical and technical characteristics and quality." -- Fleet ADM Chernavin, CINC Soviet Navy

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1454480592838533126

View: https://twitter.com/AncientSubHunt/status/1454480592838533126?s=20

 

[jward]

So much drummin' goin' on, but for once, it doesn't make me feel like dancing : ((

Putin: Russia must build up defenses in view of NATO moves
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOVan hour ago

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with hight level officers and heads of defense industry enterprises in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday emphasized the need to strengthen the country's air defenses in the face of NATO's moves. (Evgeniy Paulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday emphasized the need to strengthen the country’s air defenses amid NATO’s military activities near Russia’s borders.
Speaking during a meeting with military officials and arms makers in the southern Russian city of Sochi, Putin specificially noted the deployment of NATO’s U.S.-led missile defense components in Eastern Europe and increasingly frequent missions by NATO ships near Russian waters in the Baltic and Black Seas.

“Even now, a U.S. warship has entered the Black Sea, and we can see it in binoculars or crosshairs of our defense systems,” he said in a reference to the USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the U.S. 6th Fleet, deployed to the Black Sea.
Russia has bristled at the deployment of U.S. and other NATO ships near its waters as tensions between Moscow and the West have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, its support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine and other irritants.
Last month, Russia suspended its mission at NATO and ordered the closure of the alliance’s office in Moscow after NATO had withdrawn the accreditation of eight Russian officials to its Brussels headquarters, saying it believed they had been secretly working for Russian intelligence.
Moscow has repeatedly voiced concerns over the deployment of NATO forces near Russian borders, describing it as a threat to its security. Russia and the alliance also have continuously accused each other of dangerous and provocative maneuvers at sea and in the air.

In June, Russia said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of British destroyer Defender to drive it away from Black Sea waters near the Crimean city of Sevastopol. Britain denied that account, insisted its ship wasn’t fired upon and said it was sailing in Ukrainian waters.
Like most of the world, Britain recognizes Crimea as part of Ukraine despite the peninsula’s 2014 annexation by Russia.
In the aftermath of the incident, Moscow warned that it is prepared to target intruding warships if they fail to heed warnings.

“We must further improve our air and space defense system as leading powers have been developing prospective high-speed strike weapons,” Putin said. “It’s also warranted by the military-political situation, including increasingly intensive flights by NATO aircraft near Russia and the appearance of the alliance’s warships armed with guided missiles in the Baltic and Black Seas.”

 

[danielboon]

EndGameWW3

@EndGameWW3
·
10m

Update: Putin and Lukashenko have approved the military doctrine of the Union State of Russia and Belarus. In total, 28 programs were agreed upon, about which almost nothing is known. A month ago, Luka spoke about opening a front against Ukraine.

 

[jward]

CIA head raises ‘serious’ concerns with Putin

CIA Director William Burns reportedly discussed U.S. concerns regarding Russia's military buildup at the Ukrainian border last week during a rare direct discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Vladimirovich PutinRussia hits daily COVID-19 infection record after stay-at-home week France and Germany seem to forget who's behind Russia's war on Ukraine To be optimistic or pessimistic? The good and bad of COP26 MORE.

"It would be foolish for us not to be considering the possibility of an invasion or incursion," a source told CNN regarding the "serious concerns" of the U.S.
Putin's spokesperson Dimitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that “such a conversation took place via telephone.”

What else was discussed: “Peskov added that the leaders discussed "bilateral relations, the crisis situation in the diplomatic practice, and an exchange of views on regional conflicts."

"Of course, cybersecurity issues were also mentioned," he said.

The Pentagon’s response: In a press briefing on Monday, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby called the military buildup “concerning” and confirmed that the U.S. is watching the matter "closely."

“I'm not going to get into intelligence assessments from the podium, particularly in quantifying this,” Kirby said. “We continue to see concerning movements by the Russian military in their western areas and around Ukraine. We continue to call on them to be clear about what their intentions are, what they're actually doing and to abide by the Minsk agreements and to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”

Overnight Defense & National Security — Pentagon works to evacuate US troops’ families

It’s Monday, welcome to Overnight Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsl…

thehill.com

 

[Zagdid]

Russia Teases New S-550 Missile System - The Moscow Times

Russia is developing an advanced, never-before-seen S-550 missile system, the Defense Ministry announced Tuesday.

www.themoscowtimes.com

Russia Teases New S-550 Missile System
Updated: 11 hours ago

Russia is developing an advanced, never-before-seen S-550 missile system, the Defense Ministry announced Tuesday.
Reports suggested the model is a revival of a late Soviet project shuttered in a deal with the United States.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the orders came from President Vladimir Putin at a recent meeting with military top brass.

“The head of state placed special emphasis on the importance of advancing the development of domestic air and missile defense systems, and the supply of S-350, S-500 and S-550 to the Armed Forces,” Shoigu said at a Defense Ministry conference as footage of existing systems played on a screen behind him.

Shoigu did not provide any details on the newly mentioned S-550 missile system.

According to the state-run TASS news agency, the Soviet Union had been developing S-550 “high-mobility terminal air defense system” in 1981-1988. That project, along with many others, was reportedly scrapped as part of Soviet-U.S. arms control agreements. It was not immediately clear if the newly announced S-550 is related to the Soviet development.

Shoigu’s announcement comes after the Russian military for the first time showed footage of a live fire test of the S-550’s predecessor S-500, an intended replacement for S-300 and a supplement to the advanced S-400 systems, in July.
Reports have said that the S-500 carried out the world’s longest surface-to-air missile system test in 2018.

Shoigu’s former deputy and current Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said in September that the Armed Forces have started taking delivery of the S-500, though it was thought to be scheduled for delivery in 2025.

 

[Zagdid]

Russian ‘Terminator’ Combat Vehicle Ready for Service

The Russian Army will receive its first batch of nine ‘Terminator’ tank support combat vehicles on December 1.

www.thedefensepost.com

Russian ‘Terminator’ Combat Vehicle Ready for Service
INDER SINGH BISHT NOVEMBER 11, 2021

A Terminator-2 tank support fighting vehicle, right, drives during the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercise Zapad 2017. The platform was shown off at Russia's annual Victory Day military parade on May 9, 2018. Photo: Vasily Maximov/AFP via Getty Images

The Russian Army will receive its first batch of nine “Terminator” tank support combat vehicles on December 1, TASS revealed, citing the commander of the central military district.

The batch will join the military district’s 90th Guards Tank Division in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions following the completion of June trials, the outlet added, citing division commander Colonel-General Alexander Lapin.

Development
Lapin said the vehicle’s performance was very “effective” during trials, claiming its firepower is “unrivaled” in its class. He revealed that a more extensive “operational evaluation exercise” will take place next June “to explore the potential of employing a battalion of tank support combat vehicles,” adding that a company of vehicles for a motor rifle regiment is also possible.

The “Terminator,” full name Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov-72 (BMPT-72), is an upgraded version of the BMPT tank support combat vehicle developed by UralVagonZavod Corporation, Russia. The BMPT, built on the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank, was launched more than 20 years ago but didn’t find many takers in the military, National Interest wrote.

The BMPT-72 was unveiled at the Russian Arms Expo exhibition 2013 and later displayed at Russia’s annual Victory Day military parade in May 2018. The army began testing the first batch of the vehicles in December 2020 in the Chelyabinsk region.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1333698035579281408

Features
Deputy commander of the 90th Tank Division, Col. Andrey Sigarev, was quoted by Defense News on Channel One television as saying that the vehicle’s “uniqueness” is its ability to engage three types of targets simultaneously.

Its weaponry comprises the Ataka supersonic anti-tank missile system — capable of striking targets at up to 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) — two 30mm guns for infantry forces and helicopters, two grenade launchers, and a Kalashnikov submachine gun. It has a top speed of 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour.

“One BMPT actually substitutes [for] one motor rifle platoon: six infantry fighting vehicles and 40-strong personnel. It is actually impossible to survive under the Russian vehicle’s fierce precision fire,” UralVagonZavod claimed in a statement.

The vehicle is reportedly designed to protect its five-member crew from radiation following a nuclear blast and operate in diverse climatic and geographical conditions, including urban warfare. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle was developed to shield tanks from anti-tank systems, particularly in urban conflicts.

However, it has acquired more diverse characteristics over time, including that of a “fire support combat vehicle rather than a tank support fighting vehicle,” which can be utilized with “armored, motorized infantry formations and on its own.”

 

[stop tyranny]

We should be allied with Russia as they share many of the same global threats as we do. Instead our corrupt government prefers to ally with countries that are trying to destroy us through economic warfare, bioweapons, cyber warfare, and terrorism. It should make any sane person wonder just who our government is really serving?

 

[vestige]

Russian ‘Terminator’ Combat Vehicle Ready for Service

The Russian Army will receive its first batch of nine ‘Terminator’ tank support combat vehicles on December 1.

www.thedefensepost.com

Russian ‘Terminator’ Combat Vehicle Ready for Service
INDER SINGH BISHT NOVEMBER 11, 2021

A Terminator-2 tank support fighting vehicle, right, drives during the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercise Zapad 2017. The platform was shown off at Russia's annual Victory Day military parade on May 9, 2018. Photo: Vasily Maximov/AFP via Getty Images

The Russian Army will receive its first batch of nine “Terminator” tank support combat vehicles on December 1, TASS revealed, citing the commander of the central military district.

The batch will join the military district’s 90th Guards Tank Division in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions following the completion of June trials, the outlet added, citing division commander Colonel-General Alexander Lapin.

Development
Lapin said the vehicle’s performance was very “effective” during trials, claiming its firepower is “unrivaled” in its class. He revealed that a more extensive “operational evaluation exercise” will take place next June “to explore the potential of employing a battalion of tank support combat vehicles,” adding that a company of vehicles for a motor rifle regiment is also possible.

The “Terminator,” full name Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov-72 (BMPT-72), is an upgraded version of the BMPT tank support combat vehicle developed by UralVagonZavod Corporation, Russia. The BMPT, built on the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank, was launched more than 20 years ago but didn’t find many takers in the military, National Interest wrote.

The BMPT-72 was unveiled at the Russian Arms Expo exhibition 2013 and later displayed at Russia’s annual Victory Day military parade in May 2018. The army began testing the first batch of the vehicles in December 2020 in the Chelyabinsk region.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1333698035579281408

Features
Deputy commander of the 90th Tank Division, Col. Andrey Sigarev, was quoted by Defense News on Channel One television as saying that the vehicle’s “uniqueness” is its ability to engage three types of targets simultaneously.

Its weaponry comprises the Ataka supersonic anti-tank missile system — capable of striking targets at up to 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) — two 30mm guns for infantry forces and helicopters, two grenade launchers, and a Kalashnikov submachine gun. It has a top speed of 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour.

“One BMPT actually substitutes [for] one motor rifle platoon: six infantry fighting vehicles and 40-strong personnel. It is actually impossible to survive under the Russian vehicle’s fierce precision fire,” UralVagonZavod claimed in a statement.

The vehicle is reportedly designed to protect its five-member crew from radiation following a nuclear blast and operate in diverse climatic and geographical conditions, including urban warfare. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle was developed to shield tanks from anti-tank systems, particularly in urban conflicts.

However, it has acquired more diverse characteristics over time, including that of a “fire support combat vehicle rather than a tank support fighting vehicle,” which can be utilized with “armored, motorized infantry formations and on its own.”

30mm guns should be very effective on infantry

 

[jward]

Deborah Haynes
@haynesdeborah
2h

UK has today scrambled @RoyalAirForce fast jets from RAF Lossiemouth & Coningsby (+ all important refuelling Voyager) to intercept & escort 2 x Russian long-range strategic bomber aircraft (Tu160 Blackjack) “approaching the UK area of interest”
It is relatively rare for the @RoyalAirForce Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon jets to be scrambled from both RAF Lossiemouth (Scotland) & RAF Coningsby (Lincolnshire). They tracked the Russian nuclear-capable bombers along the North Sea. Response took place from 10am to about 2:30pm

 

[jward]

ndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
4h

Moscow said that their radars spotted and tracked six NATO reconnaissance planes over the Black Sea in the past 24 hours. The radars picked up five U.S. planes and one French.

 

[OldArcher]

Russian ‘Terminator’ Combat Vehicle Ready for Service

The Russian Army will receive its first batch of nine ‘Terminator’ tank support combat vehicles on December 1.

www.thedefensepost.com

Russian ‘Terminator’ Combat Vehicle Ready for Service
INDER SINGH BISHT NOVEMBER 11, 2021

A Terminator-2 tank support fighting vehicle, right, drives during the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercise Zapad 2017. The platform was shown off at Russia's annual Victory Day military parade on May 9, 2018. Photo: Vasily Maximov/AFP via Getty Images

The Russian Army will receive its first batch of nine “Terminator” tank support combat vehicles on December 1, TASS revealed, citing the commander of the central military district.

The batch will join the military district’s 90th Guards Tank Division in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions following the completion of June trials, the outlet added, citing division commander Colonel-General Alexander Lapin.

Development
Lapin said the vehicle’s performance was very “effective” during trials, claiming its firepower is “unrivaled” in its class. He revealed that a more extensive “operational evaluation exercise” will take place next June “to explore the potential of employing a battalion of tank support combat vehicles,” adding that a company of vehicles for a motor rifle regiment is also possible.

The “Terminator,” full name Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov-72 (BMPT-72), is an upgraded version of the BMPT tank support combat vehicle developed by UralVagonZavod Corporation, Russia. The BMPT, built on the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank, was launched more than 20 years ago but didn’t find many takers in the military, National Interest wrote.

The BMPT-72 was unveiled at the Russian Arms Expo exhibition 2013 and later displayed at Russia’s annual Victory Day military parade in May 2018. The army began testing the first batch of the vehicles in December 2020 in the Chelyabinsk region.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1333698035579281408

Features
Deputy commander of the 90th Tank Division, Col. Andrey Sigarev, was quoted by Defense News on Channel One television as saying that the vehicle’s “uniqueness” is its ability to engage three types of targets simultaneously.

Its weaponry comprises the Ataka supersonic anti-tank missile system — capable of striking targets at up to 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) — two 30mm guns for infantry forces and helicopters, two grenade launchers, and a Kalashnikov submachine gun. It has a top speed of 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour.

“One BMPT actually substitutes [for] one motor rifle platoon: six infantry fighting vehicles and 40-strong personnel. It is actually impossible to survive under the Russian vehicle’s fierce precision fire,” UralVagonZavod claimed in a statement.

The vehicle is reportedly designed to protect its five-member crew from radiation following a nuclear blast and operate in diverse climatic and geographical conditions, including urban warfare. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle was developed to shield tanks from anti-tank systems, particularly in urban conflicts.

However, it has acquired more diverse characteristics over time, including that of a “fire support combat vehicle rather than a tank support fighting vehicle,” which can be utilized with “armored, motorized infantry formations and on its own.”

Send ‘em to where the jihadi’s are on the rampage, see how long they last. Bet not long…

OA

 

[jward]

Putin is ready to gamble on war with the West
The Russian president will do everything in his power to seek revenge for Russia’s humiliation

Bob Seely 16 November 2021 • 2:22pm

Bosnia may be about to collapse into civil war. Belarus is throwing Middle Eastern refugees at the Polish border. Russia is building up forces on Ukraine’s eastern border.

These events, in a series of flashpoints in eastern Europe, have developed at a frightening rate. Individually, they have complex roots, but we should not be under any illusion: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is behind them all.
General Sir Nick Carter, the outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff, is right to say we need to be prepared for conflict. This sounds shocking, but we have sadly ignored the true nature of Russia’s regime for years, unwilling to face the painful consequences of what that means.

Germany’s decision to suspend, temporarily, approval of Russia’s highly controversial pipeline, NordStream 2, is a start, but unless this decision is permanent, it will be much too little, much too late.
The “weaponisation” of refugees in Belarus is not new. It is just happening on a scale that Western governments are finally noticing. It was used extensively by the Assad regime in the Syrian civil war, by Russia on the Norwegian border in 2016 and by Belarus this summer. It is one of the many tools of hybrid conflict practised by Russia and its allies.

Confusion remains about this form of conflict. Hybrid war is not “non-military” conflict. It is the combining of military and non-military tools of state power into a single whole, an idea clearly stated in Russian Military Doctrine. That doctrine argues that the first characteristic of contemporary conflict is the “integrated use of military force, political, economic, informational and other measures of a non-military character, implemented with… special operations forces.” Modern hybrid warfare weaponises and unifies all state tools in the service of conflict.
Putin’s Kremlin has been preparing for conflict ever since he declared the new age of hostility in a 2007 speech in Munich. His words were largely ignored by nervous Western nations, who made the usual excuses about Putin speaking to an internal audience.

In his final decade in power, Putin wants to do three things: first, destroy an independent Ukrainian state; second, shatter Nato and third, cement Russia’s role as an illiberal rival to the West. He will risk war, calculating that Germany’s strategically disastrous energy policy – shutting nuclear power whilst becoming more dependent on Russian coal and gas – will mean that the EU blinks first. The Prime Minster is right to say the EU must choose between gas or Ukraine. Despite Germany’s decision today, the EU will probably chose the latter, a consequences of the long-term weakness of European leadership.
Turning to the first of Putin’s three aims, he does not accept a Ukraine separate from Russia. After Ukraine’s pro-Western Orange Revolution in 2004, the Kremlin waged a conflict against Ukraine using non-military tools. These include the use of the Russian Orthodoxy (culture), oligarch influence (economics), corruption and blackmail (the old tools of the KGB), propaganda via Russian TV and media (information operations), control of political parties (politics), all mixed with the occasional assassination and other espionage tools.

He failed, narrowly, to pull Ukraine back into Russia’s strategic orbit. When the corrupt, pro-Russian government collapsed in 2014, Putin ordered the annexation of the Crimea and began the eastern Ukraine war, setting up and arming paramilitary groups, in reality often Russian contract soldiers and security agency personnel.
This summer, in an essay, On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians, and follow-up interview, Putin implied he does not recognise Ukraine within its current borders. He is signalling his intention. He wants to seize territory along the Black Sea coast to Odessa and into Moldova. Needless to say, in Ukraine there is virtually no support for Putin’s ambitions. Putin’s wars have helped form a modern Ukrainian state, in opposition to Russian authoritarianism.

Thanks to rearmament, paid for by EU fossil fuel addicts, Putin may try this time for a more conventional invasion, but the integrated mix of tactics and tools will still include provocations, cyber-attacks, deception and the array of military and non-military tools. The instigation of ethnic violence – effectively a controlled conflict – in Bosnia and an intensification of the refugee crisis in Belarus may well serve as strategic diversionary operations. But Putin’s main aim is, and will be, Ukraine.
Putin also wants to destroy Nato. Like many KGB conspiracy theorists, he believes that the West destroyed the USSR. He believes that democratic revolutions are Western plots to undermine pro-Russian regimes and Russia itself. He wants revenge; for the USSR, for the loss of the Baltic republics, for the loss of Russia’s eastern Europe empire. Exposing a sclerotic EU and nervous Nato as paper tigers (although he will not attack those Baltic republics which are Nato members) will give him the victory he yearns. He wants revenge for Russia’s humiliation, which he blames entirely on the West.

Third, Putin’s conflict, and the constant war propaganda in Russia, helps to control his own population and to give him the space to reshape Russian state identity in opposition to what he sees as corrupt Western values. External war, real in Ukraine, virtual so far against the West, enables that internal control and the remaking of Russian identity. He must stop democracy working in Kiev to ensure it cannot take root in Moscow.
The images of conflict, of Russian air force jets buzzing US and UK vessels in the Black Sea, of paratroopers landing in Belarus and the repeated threats of nuclear weapon use, are designed to show a rearmed Russia ready to fight the decadent West – as if the USSR had never ended. Russia’s population has had near 20 years of increasingly intense propaganda.

Polls show many Russians not only expect war with the West, but nuclear conflict too. Putin has prepared his people for years. He is now deciding whether, what and how much to gamble to achieve his three ambitions.
Bob Seely is the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight
Related Topics

• Vladimir Putin,
• Russia

• Putin is ready to gamble on war with the West

 

[OldArcher]

Putin is ready to gamble on war with the West
The Russian president will do everything in his power to seek revenge for Russia’s humiliation

Bob Seely 16 November 2021 • 2:22pm

Bosnia may be about to collapse into civil war. Belarus is throwing Middle Eastern refugees at the Polish border. Russia is building up forces on Ukraine’s eastern border.

These events, in a series of flashpoints in eastern Europe, have developed at a frightening rate. Individually, they have complex roots, but we should not be under any illusion: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is behind them all.
General Sir Nick Carter, the outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff, is right to say we need to be prepared for conflict. This sounds shocking, but we have sadly ignored the true nature of Russia’s regime for years, unwilling to face the painful consequences of what that means.

Germany’s decision to suspend, temporarily, approval of Russia’s highly controversial pipeline, NordStream 2, is a start, but unless this decision is permanent, it will be much too little, much too late.
The “weaponisation” of refugees in Belarus is not new. It is just happening on a scale that Western governments are finally noticing. It was used extensively by the Assad regime in the Syrian civil war, by Russia on the Norwegian border in 2016 and by Belarus this summer. It is one of the many tools of hybrid conflict practised by Russia and its allies.

Confusion remains about this form of conflict. Hybrid war is not “non-military” conflict. It is the combining of military and non-military tools of state power into a single whole, an idea clearly stated in Russian Military Doctrine. That doctrine argues that the first characteristic of contemporary conflict is the “integrated use of military force, political, economic, informational and other measures of a non-military character, implemented with… special operations forces.” Modern hybrid warfare weaponises and unifies all state tools in the service of conflict.
Putin’s Kremlin has been preparing for conflict ever since he declared the new age of hostility in a 2007 speech in Munich. His words were largely ignored by nervous Western nations, who made the usual excuses about Putin speaking to an internal audience.

In his final decade in power, Putin wants to do three things: first, destroy an independent Ukrainian state; second, shatter Nato and third, cement Russia’s role as an illiberal rival to the West. He will risk war, calculating that Germany’s strategically disastrous energy policy – shutting nuclear power whilst becoming more dependent on Russian coal and gas – will mean that the EU blinks first. The Prime Minster is right to say the EU must choose between gas or Ukraine. Despite Germany’s decision today, the EU will probably chose the latter, a consequences of the long-term weakness of European leadership.
Turning to the first of Putin’s three aims, he does not accept a Ukraine separate from Russia. After Ukraine’s pro-Western Orange Revolution in 2004, the Kremlin waged a conflict against Ukraine using non-military tools. These include the use of the Russian Orthodoxy (culture), oligarch influence (economics), corruption and blackmail (the old tools of the KGB), propaganda via Russian TV and media (information operations), control of political parties (politics), all mixed with the occasional assassination and other espionage tools.

He failed, narrowly, to pull Ukraine back into Russia’s strategic orbit. When the corrupt, pro-Russian government collapsed in 2014, Putin ordered the annexation of the Crimea and began the eastern Ukraine war, setting up and arming paramilitary groups, in reality often Russian contract soldiers and security agency personnel.
This summer, in an essay, On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians, and follow-up interview, Putin implied he does not recognise Ukraine within its current borders. He is signalling his intention. He wants to seize territory along the Black Sea coast to Odessa and into Moldova. Needless to say, in Ukraine there is virtually no support for Putin’s ambitions. Putin’s wars have helped form a modern Ukrainian state, in opposition to Russian authoritarianism.

Thanks to rearmament, paid for by EU fossil fuel addicts, Putin may try this time for a more conventional invasion, but the integrated mix of tactics and tools will still include provocations, cyber-attacks, deception and the array of military and non-military tools. The instigation of ethnic violence – effectively a controlled conflict – in Bosnia and an intensification of the refugee crisis in Belarus may well serve as strategic diversionary operations. But Putin’s main aim is, and will be, Ukraine.
Putin also wants to destroy Nato. Like many KGB conspiracy theorists, he believes that the West destroyed the USSR. He believes that democratic revolutions are Western plots to undermine pro-Russian regimes and Russia itself. He wants revenge; for the USSR, for the loss of the Baltic republics, for the loss of Russia’s eastern Europe empire. Exposing a sclerotic EU and nervous Nato as paper tigers (although he will not attack those Baltic republics which are Nato members) will give him the victory he yearns. He wants revenge for Russia’s humiliation, which he blames entirely on the West.

Third, Putin’s conflict, and the constant war propaganda in Russia, helps to control his own population and to give him the space to reshape Russian state identity in opposition to what he sees as corrupt Western values. External war, real in Ukraine, virtual so far against the West, enables that internal control and the remaking of Russian identity. He must stop democracy working in Kiev to ensure it cannot take root in Moscow.
The images of conflict, of Russian air force jets buzzing US and UK vessels in the Black Sea, of paratroopers landing in Belarus and the repeated threats of nuclear weapon use, are designed to show a rearmed Russia ready to fight the decadent West – as if the USSR had never ended. Russia’s population has had near 20 years of increasingly intense propaganda.

Polls show many Russians not only expect war with the West, but nuclear conflict too. Putin has prepared his people for years. He is now deciding whether, what and how much to gamble to achieve his three ambitions.
Bob Seely is the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight
Related Topics

• Vladimir Putin,
• Russia

• Putin is ready to gamble on war with the West

What has had war planers afraid for several decades, is a war with both China and Russia. Think wishbone or divide and conquer. China to the West, Russia to the East. Add to that, a sympathetic President and Treason Party, and few allies of any strength and projection capabilities. Between a rock and a hard place? Oh, yeah…. Big Time.

 

[jward]

Russia begins serial production of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles for Navy - source
The Tsirkon multi-purpose hypersonic missile is designated to strike sea and ground targets


MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. Russia’s Military-Industrial Corporation Research and Industrial Association of Machine Building (MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia) in the Moscow Region town of Reutovo started a serial production of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles for the country’s Navy, a source close to the situation told TASS.
"A serial production of Tsirkon missiles is underway at the NPO Mashinostroyenia, although state trials of this product’s surface launches will continue," the source stated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on November 3 that the trials of the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile were nearing completion and they would start arriving for the Russian Navy from next year. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin on November 18 on the successful test-launch of a Tsirkon hypersonic missile in the White Sea.
A source in the domestic defense industry told TASS earlier this week that flight development tests of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile from an underwater carrier after two successful test-launches would resume from the Project 885M (Yasen-M) modified nuclear-powered submarine Perm in 2024.

On October 4, the nuclear-powered submarine Severodvinsk test-fired Tsirkon hypersonic missiles from its surface and submerged position in the White Sea for the first time.
A source earlier told TASS that the state trials of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile would begin in November and continue in December. Overall, five test-launches against sea and coastal targets are planned. On August 24, 2021, a contract was signed at the Army 2021 international arms show on the delivery of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles to the Russian troops.
The Tsirkon multi-purpose hypersonic missile is designated to strike sea and ground targets.
President Putin earlier said that Tsirkon hypersonic missiles capable of flying at Mach 9 (nine times the speed of sound) and striking targets at over 1,000 km would go on combat alert soon.
Russia intends to outfit its submarines and surface ships with Tsirkon hypersonic missile systems.
As TASS reported earlier, the modified submarine Perm, which is the Project 885M fifth nuclear-powered sub, will be the first regular underwater carrier of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles. The submarine is set to enter service with the Russian Navy in 2025.

The Sevmash Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) is currently building six Project 885M submarines. The Project 885 and Project 885M lead submarines Severodvinsk and Kazan are in operational service with the Russian Navy while the Project 885M first serial-built sub Novosibirsk is undergoing trials and is set to enter service with the Navy by the end of this year.

Russia begins serial production of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles for Navy - source

The Tsirkon multi-purpose hypersonic missile is designated to strike sea and ground targets

tass.com

 

[Zagdid]

Russia to Develop Air-Droppable Tornado-G Rocket Launcher

Russia’s Splav Research and Production Association will develop an air-droppable version of the Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system.

www.thedefensepost.com

Russia to Develop Air-Droppable Tornado-G Rocket Launcher
JOE SABALLA NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Russia’s Splav Research and Production Association will develop an air-droppable version of the 122mm Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system for use by Russian paratroopers.

According to the Rostec-associated defense manufacturer, the rocket system will be modified and mounted on a new chassis before being supplied to Russian airborne troops.

Chief executive Alexander Smirnov stated that his team is ready to begin designing and manufacturing the air-droppable system. However, the defense ministry will make the final decision.

About the Tornado-G
Derived from the Grad launch rocket system, the Tornado-G can deliver automatic fire from unprepared positions, allowing operators to quickly open fire against enemy positions and switch the artillery system to travel mode.

The weapon system has reportedly been upgraded to make it more powerful and efficient than previous Russian rocket launchers. The operating crew has also been reduced from six to three.

The Tornado-G can fire various rockets, including the 9M538, the 9M539, and the 9M541. These rockets can carry high-explosive and anti-personnel warheads for more effective strikes.

“Currently, the Tornado family consists of 122mm Tornado-G and 300mm Tornado-S multiple rocket launchers,” Smirnov told the state-owned TASS. “The Tornado-G and Tornado-S systems adopted for service have proven their worth as highly effective and reliable weapons that meet the highest requirements today.”

Russian Smart Rockets
The Splav Research and Production Association has recently launched the serial production of its latest smart rockets for the 300mm Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system. Capable of firing both single and multiple rockets from 12 launch tubes, the weapon can engage targets at a range of 120 kilometers (74 miles).

Smirnov said a long-term contract has already been signed with the Russian Defense Ministry, confirming production and delivery of the rockets to the Russian military.

The company is also developing new projectiles for the Smerch multiple launch rocket system to undergo preliminary trials.

 

[OldArcher]

Russia to Develop Air-Droppable Tornado-G Rocket Launcher

Russia’s Splav Research and Production Association will develop an air-droppable version of the Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system.

www.thedefensepost.com

Russia to Develop Air-Droppable Tornado-G Rocket Launcher
JOE SABALLA NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Russia’s Splav Research and Production Association will develop an air-droppable version of the 122mm Tornado-G multiple launch rocket system for use by Russian paratroopers.

According to the Rostec-associated defense manufacturer, the rocket system will be modified and mounted on a new chassis before being supplied to Russian airborne troops.

Chief executive Alexander Smirnov stated that his team is ready to begin designing and manufacturing the air-droppable system. However, the defense ministry will make the final decision.

About the Tornado-G
Derived from the Grad launch rocket system, the Tornado-G can deliver automatic fire from unprepared positions, allowing operators to quickly open fire against enemy positions and switch the artillery system to travel mode.

The weapon system has reportedly been upgraded to make it more powerful and efficient than previous Russian rocket launchers. The operating crew has also been reduced from six to three.

The Tornado-G can fire various rockets, including the 9M538, the 9M539, and the 9M541. These rockets can carry high-explosive and anti-personnel warheads for more effective strikes.

“Currently, the Tornado family consists of 122mm Tornado-G and 300mm Tornado-S multiple rocket launchers,” Smirnov told the state-owned TASS. “The Tornado-G and Tornado-S systems adopted for service have proven their worth as highly effective and reliable weapons that meet the highest requirements today.”

Russian Smart Rockets
The Splav Research and Production Association has recently launched the serial production of its latest smart rockets for the 300mm Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system. Capable of firing both single and multiple rockets from 12 launch tubes, the weapon can engage targets at a range of 120 kilometers (74 miles).

Smirnov said a long-term contract has already been signed with the Russian Defense Ministry, confirming production and delivery of the rockets to the Russian military.

The company is also developing new projectiles for the Smerch multiple launch rocket system to undergo preliminary trials.

As the late Lawrence Welk would say, “Wannaful, wannaful, wannaful…”

OA

 

[Marie]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1464536084310892545

View: https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1464536084310892545?s=20

 

[danielboon]

Russia begins serial production of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles for Navy - source
The Tsirkon multi-purpose hypersonic missile is designated to strike sea and ground targets

MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. Russia’s Military-Industrial Corporation Research and Industrial Association of Machine Building (MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia) in the Moscow Region town of Reutovo started a serial production of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles for the country’s Navy, a source close to the situation told TASS.
"A serial production of Tsirkon missiles is underway at the NPO Mashinostroyenia, although state trials of this product’s surface launches will continue," the source stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on November 3 that the trials of the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile were nearing completion and they would start arriving for the Russian Navy from next year. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin on November 18 on the successful test-launch of a Tsirkon hypersonic missile in the White Sea.
A source in the domestic defense industry told TASS earlier this week that flight development tests of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile from an underwater carrier after two successful test-launches would resume from the Project 885M (Yasen-M) modified nuclear-powered submarine Perm in 2024.


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On October 4, the nuclear-powered submarine Severodvinsk test-fired Tsirkon hypersonic missiles from its surface and submerged position in the White Sea for the first time.
A source earlier told TASS that the state trials of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile would begin in November and continue in December. Overall, five test-launches against sea and coastal targets are planned. On August 24, 2021, a contract was signed at the Army 2021 international arms show on the delivery of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles to the Russian troops.
The Tsirkon multi-purpose hypersonic missile is designated to strike sea and ground targets.
President Putin earlier said that Tsirkon hypersonic missiles capable of flying at Mach 9 (nine times the speed of sound) and striking targets at over 1,000 km would go on combat alert soon.
Russia intends to outfit its submarines and surface ships with Tsirkon hypersonic missile systems.
As TASS reported earlier, the modified submarine Perm, which is the Project 885M fifth nuclear-powered sub, will be the first regular underwater carrier of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles. The submarine is set to enter service with the Russian Navy in 2025.
The Sevmash Shipyard (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) is currently building six Project 885M submarines. The Project 885 and Project 885M lead submarines Severodvinsk and Kazan are in operational service with the Russian Navy while the Project 885M first serial-built sub Novosibirsk is undergoing trials and is set to enter service with the Navy by the end of this year.

Russia begins serial production of Tsirkon hypersonic missiles for Navy - source

The Tsirkon multi-purpose hypersonic missile is designated to strike sea and ground targets

tass.com

 

[jward]

US rejects all Russian proposals to restore inter-parliamentary ties - ambassador
Antonov added that the United States suffers from "moral egoism" and egotism, exclusively supporting its own initiatives and overestimating its capabilities


MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. The United States rejects all Russian proposals to restore inter-parliamentary ties and turns down requests for meetings at the Congress, Russia’s Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said on the YouTube channel Soloviev.Live on Saturday.
"All our requests for meetings at the Congress are rejected. They do not even want to listen to Russian arguments. They turn a deaf ear to our proposals to restore inter-parliamentary ties," he said.
Antonov added that the United States suffers from "moral egoism" and egotism, exclusively supporting its own initiatives and overestimating its capabilities,
"The world is actually developing, the world is becoming more and more complex. And we cannot address alone the challenges that the United States and the Russian Federation are facing nowadays," the Russian ambassador said.

US rejects all Russian proposals to restore inter-parliamentary ties — ambassador

Antonov added that the United States suffers from "moral egoism" and egotism, exclusively supporting its own initiatives and overestimating its capabilities

tass.com

 

[jward]

US dangerously misguided in believing Russia won’t respond to NATO threat — ambassador
Antonov pointed out that Washington is increasingly expanding the range of weapons delivered to Ukraine

Russian Ambassador to US Anatoly Antonov
© Valery Sharifulin/TASS
MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. The assumptions heard in the United States that Russia is likely to be frightened with NATO capabilities in Ukraine and the Black Sea are dangerous delusions, Russia’s Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said on the YouTube channel Soloviev Live on Saturday.
"NATO states are taking over the Black Sea, Ukrainian territory. There are assumptions, which are voiced here, that certain daredevils or a group of combatants may turn up in Ukraine, who will try to test the strength of Russian defenses, expecting that we will not respond fearing the NATO potential. I would like to say and emphasize unequivocally that it is a very dangerous delusion," the diplomat said.
Antonov pointed out that Washington is increasingly expanding the range of weapons delivered to Ukraine.
"Militarily speaking, this range of weapons funneled to Ukraine [from the United States] is expanding more and more. The Stinger [man-portable air-defense systems], Javelin [anti-tank weapons] and even our Mi-17 [helicopters] got there," he said.

"They keep saying that these are defensive weapons. But we know what 'defensive weapons' mean, what the US Mk-41 systems are like, which, on the one hand, are certainly defensive, as they are anti-missile systems, but it has already been proven, and the Americans are not concealing now that they can be used for launching intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles," the diplomat stressed.

Whitewashing Zelensky's failures
Hysteria related to an imaginary Russian threat to Ukraine, which is being stirred up in the United States, is aimed at justifying the failures of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Russia’s Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said.
"In my opinion, this current hysteria sparked by an alleged Russian threat is a desire to whitewash the failures of the current Ukrainian president," the diplomat said.
Antonov compared the information pressure stirred up around Ukraine with the situation when US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who died of COVID-19 in October, showed a vial which he said, addressing the UN, contained "anthrax" as evidence of Iraq’s biological weapons.

"It seems to me that this atmosphere of lies and slander around the true state of affairs in this part of the world suggests that someone is nudging either Ukraine or eastern Europeans towards the late Colin Powell’s notorious vial with white powder to surface somewhere so that everyone will lash out even more at Russia and install iron barriers in the way of a potential attack by the Russian Armed Forces," the ambassador explained.
The diplomat pointed out that Russian diplomats in the US are open for dialogue on Ukraine.

"We reiterate for the media, political analysts, and the Administration that Russia won’t be attacking anyone," the Russian ambassador stressed. "If you say that the Minsk agreements are the cornerstone of the solution in Donbass, convey this message directly to the Ukrainian leaders, who have been frequenting here to get support and additional shipments of weapons. I have a feeling that the Ukrainians here, on the contrary, are being coaxed with words: take action as your cause is right, and if anything happens, we will protect you. However, no one will fight for the Ukrainians."

Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was aware of the information campaign unleashed by Western countries to portray Moscow as a threat to the settlement process in Ukraine. He did not rule out that the campaign was a disguise to cover up "aggressive intentions that may take place in Kiev.".

US dangerously misguided in believing Russia won’t respond to NATO threat — ambassador

Antonov pointed out that Washington is increasingly expanding the range of weapons delivered to Ukraine

tass.com

 

[Zagdid]

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-11-29/russian-navy-test-fires-hypersonic-missile

Russian Navy Test-Fires Hypersonic Missile in the White Sea
Russia's navy has successfully test-fired a prospective hypersonic missile.

By Associated Press Nov. 29, 2021, at 9:50 a.m.

In this photo taken from video released on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021 by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, The Admiral Gorshkov frigate of the Russian navy launches a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile in the White Sea. The launch was the latest in a series of tests of Zircon, which is set to enter service next year. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's navy has successfully test-fired a prospective hypersonic missile, the military said Monday.
The Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the White Sea launched the Zircon cruise missile, hitting a practice target 400 kilometers (215 nautical miles) away. The launch was the latest in a series of tests of Zircon, which is set to enter service next year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Zircon would be capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Putin has emphasized that its deployment will significantly boost the capability of Russia's military.

Zircon is intended to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines. It is one of several hypersonic missiles under development in Russia.

The Kremlin has made modernizing the country’s arsenals a top priority amid the tensions with the West that followed Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.

 

[OldArcher]

China and Russia are spending the BIG BUCKS to develop, and deploy, advanced technology nuclear weapons and delivery systems. THEY are at war with US. We still believe in unicorns farting rainbows and Skittles. They prepare for a global war, while we watch TV and ignore the world. For what it’s worth, they have “strong” leaders. We have Joe ”Bidet” Bidenpence, the corrupt, perv, poster boy for dementia, in Chief. W.T. Sherman and Samuel L. Clemons agreed- “We deserve the governments we elect.” WE have aided, abetted, allowed, and empowered those who threaten to murder and/or enslave us.

Good luck to all who are young, prepared, determined, and willing to die for their beliefs. The rest, who denigrate those who love freedom? F’em.

OA

 

[jward]

27 More Russian Diplomats Expelled From US - Kremlin Vows Retaliation
by Tyler Durden

3-4 minutes


The United States is preparing to expel over two dozen more Russian diplomats by January, as part of ongoing tit-for-tat punitive efforts which previously saw the Russian government forbit its citizens from serving as local staff for the US Embassy in Russia, greatly reducing its ability to process visas and other actions in a timely manner.
The Russian ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov revealed over the weekend in an interview that "our diplomats are being expelled" and detailed that 27 diplomats and their families are due to be expelled from American soil.
"A large group of my comrades, 27 people with families, will leave us on January 30," Antonov described according to Reuters. He said the embassy and consulates are now "facing a serious staff shortage."
Russian consulate in Seattle, via Newsweek
This follows two dozen Russian diplomats being told to leave in September, with the US refusing to renew their visas as is the normative practice. When that prior event happened, Amb. Antonov complained, "It has gotten to the point where the U.S. authorities cancel valid visas of spouses and children of our staff with no reasons provided. The widespread delays in renewing expired visas are also aimed at squeezing Russian diplomatic workers out of the country."
The State Department at the same time has downplayed that the moves have been retaliatory, instead framing it as but the result of an expired, unrenewed visa issue.
On Monday Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov lashed out at Washington. He was cited in Russian media sources as demanding the US "must stop"...

"We will definitely respond. We have already warned the US side that in order to prevent a further decline of personnel numbers here we cannot help but to respond. They must stop," Ryabkov said.

And he described further, according to Sputnik that "the matter of issuing visas for Russian diplomats travelling to the US remains acute. He slammed Washington for perpetuating the practice of intentionally separating the families of diplomats by denying some of them visas."

The United States will expel at least 54 more Russian diplomats next year, Russia’s ambassador to Washington said U.S. to Expel More Russian Diplomats, Moscow Says - The Moscow Times
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) November 29, 2021

In October Congressional hawks actually proposed an even bigger wave of expulsions, which would damage relations to the point of potentially breaking US-Russia communications altogether.
Citing the refusal of Moscow to in a timely manner issue more visas for American employees of the Moscow embassy, leading Senators had called for the US banning as many as 300 Russian diplomatic staff from the US. Given what's looking to be multiple waves of expulsions, it's possible that high number could eventually be reached at this rate.

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

 

[Zagdid]

United Aircraft seeks shareholder approval of merger with Sukhoi and MiG

United Aircraft's board has approved the merger of the company with Sukhoi and RSK MiG as part of the continuing restructuring of the Russian aerospace industry. Shareholders of United Aircraft will vote on the merger proposal in January next year. The restructuring follows the centralisation of...

www.flightglobal.com

United Aircraft seeks shareholder approval of merger with Sukhoi and MiG
By David Kaminski-Morrow2 December 2021

United Aircraft’s board has approved the merger of the company with Sukhoi and RSK MiG as part of the continuing restructuring of the Russian aerospace industry.

Shareholders of United Aircraft will vote on the merger proposal in January next year.

The restructuring follows the centralisation of management of Sukhoi and MiG, with MiG’s executive functions transferred to Sukhoi, and those of Sukhoi moved to United Aircraft.

United Aircraft, whose board met on 30 November to approve the merger, says it will transform from a three-tier to a two-tier structure, describes the combination as an “important event” for the Russian aviation sector.

But it stresses that the Sukhoi and MiG brands will be retained.

“Preparations have been made and details have been worked out in order to start forming a unified entity, a structure capable of giving a powerful impetus to the development of the Rostec aviation complex and the entire industry,” says United Aircraft general director Yuri Slyusar.

“Best corporate governance practices, advanced engineering competencies, and a developed and efficient production base should be gathered in a single structure. We are laying the foundation for the future of Russian aircraft manufacture.”

With the merger United Aircraft will directly manage design bureaus and production sites, and implement aviation programmes.

Sukhoi and MiG respectively generated revenues of Rb140 billion and Rb70 billion over the course of 2020.

“Reduction of management levels and simplification of United Aircraft’s corporate structure will eliminate duplicate administrative functions and reduce [costs],” says the company, adding that the process will improve the effectiveness of aircraft manufacturing and increase its financial stability.

United Aircraft’s consolidation and centralisation efforts have also recently resulted in the integration of the Voronezh-based aircraft plant VASO, the Ulyanovsk-based airframer Aviastar, and the Myasishchev plant in Moscow with the Ilyushin division.

 

[jward]

.

 

[danielboon]

EndGameWW3

@EndGameWW3
·
53m

They need to fix those loose windows in Moscow, seems a lot of people fall out of them.
Quote Tweet

Tadeusz Giczan

@TadeuszGiczan
· 4h
One of Russia’s most prominent far-right personalities, editor-in-chief of Sputnik&Pogrom Yegor Prosvirnin, was found dead after falling out of a window in Moscow. Before falling out he first threw a knife and a pepper spray out the window, also his neighbours heard shouting.

 

[Cardinal]

Either that or they need to make softer sidewalks.

 

[jward]

Russian troops deploy to Timbuktu in Mali after French withdrawal
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read

BAMAKO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Russian soldiers have deployed to the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali to train Malian forces at a base vacated by French troops last month, Mali’s army spokesperson said on Thursday.

Mali’s government said last month that “Russian trainers” had arrived in the country, but Bamako and Moscow have so far provided few details on the deployment, including on how many soldiers are involved or the Russian troops’ precise mission.

The Russians’ arrival has generated sharp criticism from Western countries, led by former colonial power France. They say the forces include contractors from the mercenary Wagner Group, which they accuse of human rights abuses in other countries.

Mali’s government has denied this, saying the Russian troops are in the country as part of a bilateral agreement.

“We had new acquisitions of planes and equipment from them (the Russians),” the Mali army spokesperson told Reuters. “It costs a lot less to train us on site than for us to go over there ... What is the harm?”

He did not say how many Russians had been sent to Timbuktu.

Local residents told Reuters that uniformed Russian men were seen driving around town but could not say how many there were.

Russia’s defence ministry was not immediately available for comment.

The Russian forces’ arrival in Mali follows deployments to several other African hotspots, part of what analysts say is an attempt by Moscow to recover influence on the continent after a long absence following the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.

France helped to recapture Timbuktu from al Qaeda-linked militants in 2013. France’s withdrawal from the city is part of a significant drawdown of a previously 5,000-strong taskforce in West Africa’s Sahel region sent to battle jihadist groups. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Additional reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow; Writing by Aaron Ross Editing by Gareth Jones)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Russian troops deploy to Timbuktu in Mali after French withdrawal

Russian soldiers have deployed to the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali to train Malian forces at a base vacated by French troops last month, Mali's army spokesperson said on Thursday.

www.reuters.com

 

[Housecarl]

Russian troops deploy to Timbuktu in Mali after French withdrawal
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read

BAMAKO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Russian soldiers have deployed to the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali to train Malian forces at a base vacated by French troops last month, Mali’s army spokesperson said on Thursday.

Mali’s government said last month that “Russian trainers” had arrived in the country, but Bamako and Moscow have so far provided few details on the deployment, including on how many soldiers are involved or the Russian troops’ precise mission.

The Russians’ arrival has generated sharp criticism from Western countries, led by former colonial power France. They say the forces include contractors from the mercenary Wagner Group, which they accuse of human rights abuses in other countries.

Mali’s government has denied this, saying the Russian troops are in the country as part of a bilateral agreement.

“We had new acquisitions of planes and equipment from them (the Russians),” the Mali army spokesperson told Reuters. “It costs a lot less to train us on site than for us to go over there ... What is the harm?”

He did not say how many Russians had been sent to Timbuktu.

Local residents told Reuters that uniformed Russian men were seen driving around town but could not say how many there were.

Russia’s defence ministry was not immediately available for comment.

The Russian forces’ arrival in Mali follows deployments to several other African hotspots, part of what analysts say is an attempt by Moscow to recover influence on the continent after a long absence following the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.

France helped to recapture Timbuktu from al Qaeda-linked militants in 2013. France’s withdrawal from the city is part of a significant drawdown of a previously 5,000-strong taskforce in West Africa’s Sahel region sent to battle jihadist groups. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Additional reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow; Writing by Aaron Ross Editing by Gareth Jones)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Russian troops deploy to Timbuktu in Mali after French withdrawal

Russian soldiers have deployed to the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali to train Malian forces at a base vacated by French troops last month, Mali's army spokesperson said on Thursday.

www.reuters.com

The AQAMs are going to miss the old days real bad soon....

 

[Zagdid]

First Completely New Russian Tu-160M Bomber Makes First Flight

The brand new Tupolev Tu-160M ‘White Swan’ strategic missile-carrying bomber performed its debut flight. A completely new Tupolev Tu-160M bomber performed

theaviationist.com

First Completely New Russian Tu-160M Bomber Makes First Flight
January 12, 2022
DAVID CENCIOTTI

The first newly built Tu-160M during its maiden flight on Jan. 12, 2022. (Image credit: UAC)

The brand new Tupolev Tu-160M ‘White Swan’ strategic missile-carrying bomber performed its debut flight.

A completely new Tupolev Tu-160M bomber performed its debut flight on Jan. 12, 2022, the Press Office of the state tech corporation Rostec announced.

“On January 12, the first newly-built Tu-160M strategic missile-carrying bomber performed its debut flight from the aerodrome of the Kazan Aviation Enterprise, a subsidiary of the Tupolev Company [part of the United Aircraft Corporation within Rostec], on January 12,” the press office said.

The maiden flight of the “White Swan” (as the Tu-160 is nicknamed by the Russian pilots) lasted about 30 minutes and saw the bomber fly at 600 and conduct maneuvers used to inspect the aircraft’s stable and controlled operations in the air.

The Tupolev Tu-160 is a supersonic strategic missile-carrier with a variable sweep wing. The decision to resume the production of the upgraded version of the Tu-160, the Tu-160M, was made in 2015.

As a consequence, two existing Tu-160s were upgraded to the Tu-160M standard under a contract with the Ministry of Defense. Overall, 15 airframes should be upgraded. The aircraft that first flew on Jan. 12, 2022 is the first newly build airframe under a contract with the Ministry of Industry and Trade out of ten advanced Tu-160M2 aircraft which will be produced for the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The new Tu-160M2 version, includes a glass cockpit, weapons upgrades, new engines and the removal of obsolete equipment no longer relevant to the Tu-160’s mission. According to the CEO of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yury Slyusar, the new aircraft has 80% of its systems and equipment upgraded. The original Tupolev Tu-160 “Blackjack” first flew in 1981 and entered service in 1987.

The first flight of the first deeply modified Tu-160 (designated Tu-160M2), built from backlog airframe took place on Feb. 2, 2020 and lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes.

On Nov. 3, 2020, the first “fundamentally upgraded strategic bomber” flew from Kazan, Russia, powered by the new NK-32-02 engines . The United Aircraft Corporation said that during the flight the upgraded general systems and onboard radio-electronic equipment were tested and the performance of the new engine NK-32 of the 02 series assessed.

At the moment, we can’t but notice that the new Tu-160 is often referred to as Tu-160M and M2. If any, the difference between M and M2 variants is not clear.

 

[OldAndCrazy]

^^^Just in time. Nice looking B-1.......errrr.....TU.

 

[OldArcher]

Isn’t it fun to see our technology, which we can’t afford, used by our enemies?

OA

 

[jward]

Exclusive: Russians have visited Iran at least twice in last month to examine weapons-capable drones
Natasha Bertrand, CNN

3 minutes


(CNN)A Russian delegation has visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice in the last month to examine weapons-capable drones, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan and satellite imagery obtained exclusively by CNN.
Iran began showcasing the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones, also known as UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, to Russia at Kashan Airfield south of Tehran in June, US officials told CNN. Both types of drones are capable of carrying precision-guided missiles.
"We have information that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs," Sullivan told CNN in a statement.

"We assess an official Russian delegation recently received a showcase of Iranian attack-capable UAVs," Sullivan added. "We are releasing these images captured in June showing Iranian UAVs that the Russian government delegation saw that day. This suggests ongoing Russian interest in acquiring Iranian attack-capable UAVs."
Sullivan said that to the US' knowledge, the June visit "was the first time a Russian delegation has visited this airfield for such a showcase." A Russian delegation visited the airfield for a similar showcase again on July 5, the officials said.
The news comes as Biden is wrapping up his trip to the Middle East, where Iran was a key point of discussion among the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. A US official told CNN that the growing partnership between Iran and Russia exemplifies why the US needs to maintain its presence and influence in the Middle East.
Biden remains under increasing pressure from Middle Eastern allies to come up with a viable plan to constrain Iran, as hopes for reviving the 2015 nuclear deal have faded following stalled talks in Doha, Qatar, last month.
White House officials revealed earlier this week that newly declassified US intelligence indicates that Iran is expected to supply Russia with "hundreds" of drones for use in the war in Ukraine, with Iran preparing to begin training Russian forces on how to operate them as early as late July.

Russia, the US now believes, has apparently turned to Iran to help replenish its drone stockpiles. It is unclear how sophisticated or effective those drones will be, however.
Russia had previously turned to China for help in supporting its war in Ukraine, US officials disclosed in March. As of late May, the US had seen no evidence that China had provided any military or economic support to Russia for the invasion, Sullivan told reporters at the time.

Exclusive: Russians have visited Iran at least twice in last month to examine weapons-capable drones | CNN Politics

A Russian delegation has visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice in the last month to examine weapons-capable drones, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan and satellite imagery obtained exclusively by CNN.

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