The world returns to the rhetoric of the "Cold War". They are increasingly talking about the possibility of armed conflict between Russia and the United States of America. Of course, War between the US and Russia is unlikely due to the presence of both nuclear weapons states, but all the same, and such a scenario can not be ruled events.
Americans are concerned about Russia's growing military potential
The beginning of the military operations of the Russian army in Syria was evidence for Americans, that Russia is not only regains its defense resources, but also to re-claim a special place in world politics. For the first time after the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, Moscow has sent its military outside the former Soviet Union - not as UN peacekeepers, as well as an independent military force.
Furthermore, getting involved in the Syrian civil war, Russia has openly sided with the legitimate Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad. This is completely in opposition to the United States itself. In fact, Syria has repeated the history of Vietnam and Afghanistan - US and Russian military support opposing sides of the conflict, without entering into an open struggle with each other.
However, if Afghanistan had a border with the Soviet Union, Vietnam and bordered with Communist China, Syria is literally surrounded by enemies. From the north - Turkey, NATO Article, not hiding the negative attitude towards the Assad regime. From the south - Israel, also sharply negative relating to Assad. The US and NATO are much easier to transfer to Syria and military equipment, than Russia. AND, despite the initially unfavorable conditions for Russia, Vladimir Putin, Nevertheless, I decided to designate the Russian position in Middle East politics and brought Russian troops on Syrian territory.
Needless Russian military presence in the Middle East shocked Americans. Furthermore, We can confidently say, that if not for Russian military aid, Bashar al-Assad would have long ago overthrown, and in the worst case it would have suffered the fate of Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein. But Russia has prevented such a scenario, sending their pilots to Syria, Special Forces, military police. As a result, the government forces of Bashar al-Assad received the help of this level, that allowed them to improve the situation. Eight years have passed since the outbreak of civil war in Syria, Bashar al-Assad and the Americans did not manage to overthrow.
However, the Russian military presence in Syria is still not a typical. In contrast to the US, Russia does not want to participate in all the world's conflicts, It does not send its troops to the most different parts of the world. If the United States retained the old colonial hegemonic line, Russia is focused on defense. And it is the country's defense needs today is guided by the Russian political and military leadership, improving the military capabilities of the country.
Russia is strong in defense, America - in the offensive
You can compare US and Russian capabilities in different spheres of arms. for example, the potential of the US and Russian navies incomparable. The Americans have some carriers 10 units, and in Russia only 1 aircraft carrier. But if American warships we see in the Persian Gulf, and in the Pacific, and in the Atlantic, and in the Mediterranean Sea, Russia is a ubiquitous presence does not seek. Because we do not make a large number of aircraft carriers, that do not plan to carry out military operations in South America and Oceania.
Unlike the US or the UK, Russia, despite the glorious traditions and martial past and present of the Navy, Yet always been the land, instead of sea power. All the earth, which grows our country, located in Eurasia. Therefore, the offensive power of the fleet has never played for our country such a role, both the US and the UK. Our country has a different military strategy, based on different principles.
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The US has a very strong air force. In many respects they win at Russian aerospace forces, but here it is worth remembering, that a strong Russian side - air defense. The latest missile systems Russia has no equal, and why they want to purchase a variety of countries around the world, including longtime US NATO allies Turkey.
Although Americans are superior to Russia in quantity and quality of aircraft - "invisible", Our country has all opportunities for their prompt detection and destruction. Protection of Russian airspace - the primary task of our country in the field of defense. If the Americans are developing mainly reconnaissance and offensive part of aviation, preparing to attack and bomb other countries, Russia is traditionally develops air defense system, electronic warfare. In these areas, our country has no equal, therefore, to compare the potential of Russia and the United States in terms of development of the Air Force, even more correctly.
Now for the Army. During the first 15-20 post-Soviet years, the West, and only heard, that of losing the combat capability of the Russian land forces, hazing, uklonistah, low quality preparation recruits. And what was the shock of Americans and Europeans, when they saw the real potential of Russian ground troops - to Georgia, in Syria. For ten years our country has been able to reorganize and re-equip the Army, making them part of the impact in a powerful, modern army, capable of very quickly to solve the challenges.
Today, more combat units of the Russian army are trying to recruit soldiers, of contractual. It - professional soldiers, for which feat of arms has become a profession, for which they learn, improve their physical fitness, prepared morally and psychologically. These soldiers - contractors - worthy rivals to American soldiers. It is not green recruits nineties, a well-trained and motivated soldiers.
It is worth noting another important difference from the United States Russia. In Russia there is a very serious mobilization reserve. Millions of men have Russian military service experience. All great country covers a network of military commissioners, that as soon as possible are able to organize and mobilize recruits for military service of citizens for military service.
Given the early retirement of professional soldiers, as well as the, that many officers, and warrant officers, contractors to pensions not dosluzhivayut, We have a huge reserve of well-trained people, which in the case can mobilize very quickly to revitalize their skills and get into operation. Hundreds of thousands of Russians are in different power structures and are also well-trained reserve, able to perform tasks.
And the civilians for the most part have the appropriate level of motivation and ready to defend their country with arms. As history has shown many wars our country, Volunteers go and fight, go to the partisans and underground fighters and served before, far from the army men. In the US, this mobilization tradition does not exist.
History shows, that the war with Russia on Russian territory has not won more than one opponent. No matter how strong was not world powers, with which our country was at war, they were losing the war, once invaded the territory of Russia and faced with the need to carry on fighting not only against the army, but also against the people, which inevitably raised against the enemy.
Russia has learned to carry a hybrid war
In recent years, Russia has adopted a strategy of western hybrid wars. If the above advantages of hybrid warfare strategy used by the US, actively resorting to the information pressure, "Orange Revolution", coup, now, as practice shows, and Moscow can defend their geostrategic interests, using non-state forces. Those private military companies, which prefer not to, They perform a variety of functions and the Middle East, and in Africa.
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Themselves recognized the US military, now in the low-intensity wars, for example in the Donbas, they fight about with an equal opponent of preparation. Although it is not the Russian army, and ideologically motivated local residents and volunteers from Russia, even with experience of military service.
With the development of information and communication technologies, Russia had the opportunity to be active and in a "global spider web". Although, of course, the level and coverage of US Internet propaganda still seriously ahead of our country. But Russia has never sought to impose their ideological values in other regions of the world, unlike Americans, but the Russian-speaking world of modern Russian propaganda completely covers.
This - a great advantage as compared with the same 1990s, when almost all Russian media are under total control of the liberals - Westerners, while the Patriots were only a few publications, produced in small numbers and with interruptions.
Now we see a large number of information resources patriotic, groups in social networks, visible, that their audience is growing and includes not only the older and middle-aged, but also young people, born and raised already in the post-Soviet period of Russian history.
Do American allies?
In addition to strengthening Russia, a headache for the United States is an unreliable ally and. The whole world witnessed demonstrative spit Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington's side, when Turkey has acquired the Russian S-400 and did not give them up, even under the threat of US sanctions. Washington realized, that the country, The former is almost seventy years the most important military and political partner of the US in the Middle East, It is no longer a reliable ally.
But not all so smoothly and with European countries. European Council on Foreign Relations held a special survey in 14 European Union countries. On the question of, some of the parties in the case, they will support the US-Russian armed conflict, the majority of respondents, it is better to maintain absolute neutrality.
Americans fight for are not practically nobody wants. So, in Germany, which is one of the most advanced and militarily strong countries of Western Europe, more 70% We were in favor of neutrality, 12% supported by the US and 7% - Russia. In Greece neutrality supports 81%, 7% ready to fight for Russia, and only 5% - for the United States. In Slovakia adheres to neutrality 65% respondents, 20% ready to come to the aid of Russia and only 6% unequivocally support the United States.
The survey data indicate that, that the European Union as a whole is no longer sees itself as a clear ally. Although understandable, Europeans generally navoyevat the previous century for several centuries to come.
In the Asia-Pacific allies, the United States is also no. Pakistan could easily flop on the side of China, South Korea and Japan to fight for American interests are unlikely to be. In the Arab world hates the United States the vast majority of the population, even in the same Saudi Arabia, is considered an important ally of the US in the Arab oil monarchies.
Ilya Polonsky
