The US Commerce Department added a Military End User list yesterday that will restrict access to U.S. goods and technologies, which includes 45 Russian organizations. commerce.gov/news/press-rel…
The only shipbuilding factory included is Admiralty Shipyards, which builds diesel-electric Project 636 and 677 submarines, but not the United Shipbuilding Corporation. 2/
It includes Rosoboronexport and Rostec, Russia's arms export intermediary and the industrial conglomerate that controls much of the Russian defense industry. Other notable names: United Engine Corporation, Tactical Missiles Corporation, High Precision Systems, NPO Splav. 3/
It seems the Russian aviation industry was an emphasis. United Aircraft Corporation, which is now part of Rostec, also Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, Sukhoi Company, Tupolev, MiG, Beriev, Irkut, KnAAZ, Russian Helicopters, and Kazan Helicopters. Not sure why others were left off. 4/
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Footage from Zvezda of two Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers and four Chinese Xian H-6K strategic bombers conducting a joint flight over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea today. Looks like they had a Russian Su-35S fighter escort as well. tvzvezda.ru/news/forces/co…
Russia and China conducted their first joint strategic bomber flight in July 2019. Both South Korea and Japan accused them of violating their airspace then. They also had an A-50 AEW&C during that flight, presumably to locate air defenses. 2/
Thread: Vladimir Putin visited the Russian MoD's National Defense Control Center today where he took part in the annual expanded defense ministry board meeting. Plenty of defense and procurement details, as it is the end of GPV-2020's planned period. en.kremlin.ru/events/preside…
"the share of modern equipment in the Soviet Army’s general-purpose forces was 54%, and in the strategic/ nuclear forces 65-70%... In 2000, the share of modern equipment in the general-purpose forces dropped to a critically low 12%, and in the nuclear deterrence forces to 35%. 2/
"He told me: 'What can I do? We do not even have enough money to maintain the nuclear forces.' What about now? As of mid-December 2020, the share of modern weapons and equipment in the Russian military is over 70% for the general-purpose forces and 86% for the nuclear forces." 3/
A look at the modular block-town (BMG) set up to house up to 250 Russian peacekeepers in Stepanakert that includes a Christmas tree. This is leaps and bounds better than the barracks Russian soldiers lived in 10 years ago. 2816/ tvzvezda.ru/news/forces/co…
Russian Ground Forces commander Oleg Salyukov said they received more than 2.5k pieces of equipment this year, including Buk-M3, Verba, Tornado-S/G, Msta-SM, Khrizantema-SP, Strelets, Typhoon-K, T-72B3M, T-80BVM tanks, BMP-3, BMP-2 + Berezhok, and BTR-82A. redstar.ru/moshhnaya-post…
Salyukov said that state tests of the T-90M tank and BMP-2M with a Berezhok turret have been completed. He said tests of the Atlet armored vehicle family and Nabrosok artillery systems are planned to be completed next year. 2/
He specified that the Nabrosok program will enhance the mobility and capabilities of battalion-level fires. He also said the Koalitsiya-SV's fire method where it can strike a target with multiple rounds simultaneously is in its final stage. 3/
Interesting interview with Marat Gabidullin, a former Wagner contractor who fought in Syria and was wounded in Palmyra in 2016. Before joining Wagner, he graduated from RGVVDKU, served in the VDV, and was imprisoned in 1997 as a gang member. 53/ meduza.io/en/feature/202…
Gabidullin wrote a memoir of his time in Wagner that is supposedly non-fiction though it changes the names of the people involved. However, Prigozhin didn't approve of this publication and today he has apparently withdrawn the book from publication. 2/ snob.ru/news/napisavsh…
Gabidullin says he showed Prigozhin the book but was told to delay its publication. After the constitution was changed, allowing Putin to serve for longer, he says he was told that the book's publication would have to be delayed even longer. 3/ meduza.io/feature/2020/1…
This is a pretty good article, but we should emphasize that all 3 of Turkey's TB2-led conflicts in 2020 involved supporting an ally/proxy with UCAVs. The decision to use force is very different if there aren't any ground forces or you're by yourself. bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…
He is right that the offense-defense balance favors UCAVs right now in the UCAV vs air defense fight, but that doesn't consider the role of other military assets. Other capabilities can offset this disadvantage (e.g. hitting an opponent's high value targets with standoff PGMs).2/
I don't think I would say Armenia bet on these systems as they had little choice. I think Russia learned this lesson before most countries, and its new SHORAD like the Pantsir-SM are designed with small UAVs in mind. The Russian military is arguably the best equipped for C-UAS.3/