Future of Russian Military

[T.C.P]

Medvedev is going hard on over priced Russian weaponry-

Medvedev tells Defense Ministry to shop abroad for cheaper weapons | Defense | RIA Novosti

 

[Feanor]

Yes. But the other side of the story is that many industries in Russia are struggling as is, and need the money. While the weapon systems are often over priced, this is because the plants are in bad shape, and need the money for things like maintenance, and equipment upgrades, as well as to cover previous losses. The result is that while the price of the equipment is over-stated, the factories can't do it for less.

 

[T.C.P]

Yes. But the other side of the story is that many industries in Russia are struggling as is, and need the money. While the weapon systems are often over priced, this is because the plants are in bad shape, and need the money for things like maintenance, and equipment upgrades, as well as to cover previous losses. The result is that while the price of the equipment is over-stated, the factories can't do it for less.

according to the report the ministry was okay with profit % of up to 25, shouldn't that recover all the money lost to the bad state of equipment.

 

[Feanor]

Mmm. I've heard that the MoD price requirements tend to be capricious and often arbitrary, without real consideration of the expenses. They generally don't do what they claim they do, which is looking at what makes up the price, instead when they feel something is too expensive or they don't like what they're getting they basically throw tantrums to get the manufacturers to lower prices. Don't quote me on this, but from what I've come across that seems to be the situation.

 

[T.C.P]

More on overpriced weaponry, the military blames subcontractors-

Too many subcontractors cause overpriced weapons - Russian military | Defense | RIA Novosti

 

[Feanor]

This is an more or less up to date force org for West MD (in war time Operational-Strategic Command West). I will post info for the other MDs over the next couple of days. The MD contains the 6th and 20th Armies, but the exact makeup of each is unclear. This list omits various support units such as training ground management units, railroad troops, training centers, and pure storage units (those that are not intended to mobilize into full size units during war time). This list is fairly complete when it comes to the major combat units, but may be missing some storage bases meant to mobilize, and some support units.

4th Tank Brigade, Guards
6th Tank Bde
5th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
9th Motor-Rifles Bde
25th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
27th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
138th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
200th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards

2nd SpetNaz Bde
16th SpetzNaz Bde

76th VDV Para-Assault Division, Guards
98th VDV Airborne Division, Guards
106th VDv Airborne Division, Guards

26th Missile Bde
112th Missile Bde, Guards
448th Missile Bde
9th Arty Bde, Guards
79th Arty Bde, Guards
288th Arty Bde

18th Mortar Btln (2S4 Tyulpan)
19th Self-Propelled Arty Btln (2S7 Pion)

5th AA Missile Bde
49th AA Missile Bde
53rd AA Missile Bde
202nd AA Missile Bde

7th Engineers Rgt, Guards
140th Combat Engineers Rgt

27th NBC Forces Bde
10th NBC Forces Btln
465th NBC Forces Btln

1st Command and Control Bde
9th Command and Control Bde
95th Command and Control Bde
132nd Comms Bde

51st Maintenance Bde
69th Maintenance Bde

262nd Storage Base - wartime 1st Tank Bde.
99th Storage Base - wartime 13th Motor-Rifles Bde
216th Storage Base - wartime 4th Motor-Rifles Bde

 

[Feanor]

South MD (OSC South), same comments apply. 49th and 58th Armies, exact makeup unclear.

8th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
17th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
18th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
19th Motor-Rifles Bde
20th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
33rd Motor-Rifles Bde, Mountain, Reconnassance
34th Motor-Rifles Bde, Mountain
136th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards
205th Motor-Rifles Bde, Guards

4th Military Base, Guards
7th Military Base
102nd Military Base

100th Reconnaissance Bde

10th SpetzNaz Bde
22nd SpetzNaz Bde, Guards

7th VDV Para-Assault Division, Guards
56th Para-Assault Bde, Guards

1st Missile Bde, Guards

291st Arty Bde
439th Arty Bde, Guards
943rd Arty Regiment
573rd Arty Recon Btln

67th AA Missile Bde

131st Electronic Warfare Bde

11th Combat Engineers Regiment
57th Combat Engineers Btln

860th Flamethrower Btln (NBC forces)
118th NBC Forces Btln

66th Command and Control Bde
175th Command and Control Bde
234th Command and Control Bde

99th Maintenance Bde
78th Maintenance Bde

 

[Feanor]

A few comments: the NBC forces (РХБЗ in Russian) refers to NBC clean-up troops, that do things like decontamination of areas hit by NBC weapons. They also include a number of additional units such as the flamethrower units (typically using RPO-Shmel flamethrowers).

The Command and Control Brigades are usually the command element of an Army, or of a Military District. This might be why there are 3 in each (1 for each Army, one for the MD).

The Military Bases each contain the equivalent of a single Motor-Rifles Brigade, plus additional units including SAMs, Aircraft, etc.

The AA Missile Brigades refer to the anti-air units of the Land Forces. They operate mainly the Buk and Buk-M systems, along with some S-300V. The regular S-300P, S-300PM, and S-400 are currently employed by the air force, which has its own units of SAMs. They aren't listed here.

The Artillery Brigades seem to lack any standard make up some of them containing as many as 50+ Howitzers, others as few 18, in addition to varying numbers of medium range MLRS (BM-27 Uragan) and anti tank systems (self-propelled ATGM units Shturm-S, and towed anti-tank guns MT-12 Rapira). Some consist entirely of 12 long range MLRS systems (BM-30 Smerch).

The Missile Brigades typically consist of 12 Tochka or Tochka-U units. One of the ones in West MD has Iskander-M instead of Tochka.

 

[surpreme]

A few comments: the NBC forces (РХБЗ in Russian) refers to NBC clean-up troops, that do things like decontamination of areas hit by NBC weapons. They also include a number of additional units such as the flamethrower units (typically using RPO-Shmel flamethrowers).

The Command and Control Brigades are usually the command element of an Army, or of a Military District. This might be why there are 3 in each (1 for each Army, one for the MD).

The Military Bases each contain the equivalent of a single Motor-Rifles Brigade, plus additional units including SAMs, Aircraft, etc.

The AA Missile Brigades refer to the anti-air units of the Land Forces. They operate mainly the Buk and Buk-M systems, along with some S-300V. The regular S-300P, S-300PM, and S-400 are currently employed by the air force, which has its own units of SAMs. They aren't listed here.

The Artillery Brigades seem to lack any standard make up some of them containing as many as 50+ Howitzers, others as few 18, in addition to varying numbers of medium range MLRS (BM-27 Uragan) and anti tank systems (self-propelled ATGM units Shturm-S, and towed anti-tank guns MT-12 Rapira). Some consist entirely of 12 long range MLRS systems (BM-30 Smerch).

The Missile Brigades typically consist of 12 Tochka or Tochka-U units. One of the ones in West MD has Iskander-M instead of Tochka.

Are these units fully equiped? What type of order of battle the russian forces use now. Do Russian military uses helicopter like the US military. During the Georgia conflict I seen some good and bad with the Russian military.