Russia Holds Massive Military Drill: 155,000 Troops, 4,000 Tanks, 632 Aircraft, 84 Ships

[Purveyor]

September 23rd, 2014

Tyler Durden: At what point is a drill more than just a drill?

Maybe when it is so massive it could be confused for an invasion force, involving a mind-blowing 155,000 troops, more than the armies of most sovereign nations, 4,000 armored vehicles, 632 planes and helicopters and 84 vessels.

Those are the staggering numbers taking part in the Vostok-2014 strategic exercises, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, and whose main priority is ti “demonstrate that the degree of combat preparedness in Russian troops has risen.” One almost wonders why…

http://etfdailynews.com/2014/09/23/russia-holds-massive-military-drill-155000-troops-4000-tanks-632-aircraft-84-ships/

[HR][HR]

Vostok-2014: Russia Puts 100,000 Troops Through Their Paces In Biggest Post-Soviet Drills

Russia has staged its biggest post-Soviet military drills in the Far East, involving 100,000 servicemen and a vast array of materiel.

During five days of exercises, troops were trained in repulsing a massive airstrike, combating an aircraft carrier, repelling a seaborne landing and many other military activities on a vast scale.

The drills, dubbed “Vostok-2014,” are the largest since the Soviet era. About 100,000 servicemen, up to 1,500 tanks, 120 aircraft, 5,000 pieces of weaponry, military and special hardware, and up to 70 ships took part in the exercises.

Military observers from up to 30 countries were closely monitoring the exercises. Military attachés from Angola, China, Malaysia, North Korea, Peru, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and various other countries attended the ultimate stage of the drills at Skalisty Cape in Kamchatka, with Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu joining them. The supply units were to move 10,000 tons of munitions, fuel, food supplies and other materials over long distances, sometimes as far as thousands of kilometers.

MORE...

http://rt.com/news/189900-kamchatka-military-drills-shoigu/

[MrNJ]

1. something's up on the China border

[moondust]

2. Paranoia?

Macho face saving/bravado? Vodka? Drugs?

[Purveyor]

4. I don't know, is this?

Air Force Tests Unarmed Minuteman 3 Missile With Launch From California Base

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014901647

[moondust]

9. One unarmed ICBM is probably just a friendly greeting

to those 155,000 servicemen, 4,000 armoured vehicles, 632 planes and helicopters and 84 vessels.

[Purveyor]

13. Yep. "Paranoia"...indeed.

[hack89]

3. China is Russia's long range strategic threat

so an exercise in the Far East makes sense.

40-50 years from now a resource hungry China will look at Russia's sparsely populated resource rich eastern lands and start wondering what they can get away with.

[Calista241]

5. China was invited to observe the exercises.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. And...

Russia and Germany had a non-aggression pact in 1939.

[hack89]

8. If you wanted to deter the Chinese, wouldn't you do the same?

sending messages to potential enemies is pretty common - why do you think we invite the Chinese to all of our exercises?

[Calista241]

11. I'm not disagreeing with the idea

That China is a strategic rival for Russia.

But I will say that China has a long border with Russia (Mongolia), and would have no need for an amphibious landing to get ground forces into Russia. China also doesn't have a Navy to challenge Russia.

The U.S. on the other hand is capable of and would have to resort to those tactics if we were to invade Russia in the future. And we weren't invited to observe the exercises.

[hack89]

12. The Chinese navy is much better than Russia's

We would never invade Russia - our army is way too small. And it is hard to imagine a reason to.

[dipsydoodle]

14. Just a preposition then.

Last edited Tue Sep 23, 2014, 06:16 PM - Edit history (1)

Don't sound that vital.

[lpbk2713]

7. An exercise in saber rattling.

I wouldn't have thought they could afford it with all their other expenditures.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. Thanks Obama. nt