GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad744611<div class="images-v2-count-1"><div class="content-picture image-v2-number-1" id="image-46811"> <div class="social_icons social-buttons-on-image">
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<a href="mailto:?subject=Check this out on RallyPoint!&body=Hi, I thought you would find this interesting:%0D%0ARussia steps up military modernization ... but at what cost?%0D%0A %0D%0AHere is the link: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/russia-steps-up-military-modernization-but-at-what-cost"
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<a class="fancybox" rel="27d14436a3e4e759cdfc23028ac6acfe" href="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/046/811/for_gallery_v2/t-14-armata-tank_3305069b.jpg"><img src="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/046/811/large_v3/t-14-armata-tank_3305069b.jpg" alt="T 14 armata tank 3305069b" /></a></div></div>It has a remote-controlled turret, it bristles with state-of-the-art defense systems and its computerized controls make driving it feel "like playing a video game." Russia's Armata tank, which its creator says can be turned into a fully robotic combat vehicle, is the crowning glory of a sweeping military modernization drive that is rumbling forward amid a perilous confrontation with the West over Ukraine.<br /><br />But President Vladimir Putin's expensive arms build-up faces major hurdles as Russia's economy sinks under the weight of Western sanctions and falling oil prices. The 22-trillion ruble (about $400-billion) program, which envisages the acquisition of 2,300 new tanks, hundreds of aircraft and missiles and dozens of navy ships, was conceived back at the time when Russia's coffers were brimming with petrodollars.<br /><br />Putin vowed that the military upgrade would go ahead as planned, and this year's military budget rose by 33 percent to about 3.3 trillion rubles (nearly $60 billion). Some observers predict that the Kremlin will inevitably have to scale down the plans amid a grinding recession.<br /><br />In one of the first harbingers of the possible curtailment of new arms procurement, a deputy defense minister said earlier this year that the air force will likely reduce its order for the T-50, a costly state-of-the art fighter jet developed for two decades to counter the U.S. Raptor.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/12/russia-steps-up-military-modernization--but-at-what-cost/71120146/">http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/12/russia-steps-up-military-modernization--but-at-what-cost/71120146/</a> <div class="pta-link-card answers-template-image type-default">
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<a target="blank" href="http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/12/russia-steps-up-military-modernization--but-at-what-cost/71120146/">Russia steps up military modernization – but at what cost?</a>
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<p class="pta-link-card-description">NIZHNY TAGIL, Russia — It has a remote-controlled turret, it bristles with state-of-the-art defense systems and its computerized controls make</p>
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Russia steps up military modernization ... but at what cost?2015-06-12T17:49:26-04:00GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad744611<div class="images-v2-count-1"><div class="content-picture image-v2-number-1" id="image-46811"> <div class="social_icons social-buttons-on-image">
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<a href="mailto:?subject=Check this out on RallyPoint!&body=Hi, I thought you would find this interesting:%0D%0ARussia steps up military modernization ... but at what cost?%0D%0A %0D%0AHere is the link: https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/russia-steps-up-military-modernization-but-at-what-cost"
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<a class="fancybox" rel="599e45fa2f921713500fdaa7a6ac1169" href="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/046/811/for_gallery_v2/t-14-armata-tank_3305069b.jpg"><img src="https://d1ndsj6b8hkqu9.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/046/811/large_v3/t-14-armata-tank_3305069b.jpg" alt="T 14 armata tank 3305069b" /></a></div></div>It has a remote-controlled turret, it bristles with state-of-the-art defense systems and its computerized controls make driving it feel "like playing a video game." Russia's Armata tank, which its creator says can be turned into a fully robotic combat vehicle, is the crowning glory of a sweeping military modernization drive that is rumbling forward amid a perilous confrontation with the West over Ukraine.<br /><br />But President Vladimir Putin's expensive arms build-up faces major hurdles as Russia's economy sinks under the weight of Western sanctions and falling oil prices. The 22-trillion ruble (about $400-billion) program, which envisages the acquisition of 2,300 new tanks, hundreds of aircraft and missiles and dozens of navy ships, was conceived back at the time when Russia's coffers were brimming with petrodollars.<br /><br />Putin vowed that the military upgrade would go ahead as planned, and this year's military budget rose by 33 percent to about 3.3 trillion rubles (nearly $60 billion). Some observers predict that the Kremlin will inevitably have to scale down the plans amid a grinding recession.<br /><br />In one of the first harbingers of the possible curtailment of new arms procurement, a deputy defense minister said earlier this year that the air force will likely reduce its order for the T-50, a costly state-of-the art fighter jet developed for two decades to counter the U.S. Raptor.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/12/russia-steps-up-military-modernization--but-at-what-cost/71120146/">http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/12/russia-steps-up-military-modernization--but-at-what-cost/71120146/</a> <div class="pta-link-card answers-template-image type-default">
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<a target="blank" href="http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/06/12/russia-steps-up-military-modernization--but-at-what-cost/71120146/">Russia steps up military modernization – but at what cost?</a>
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<p class="pta-link-card-description">NIZHNY TAGIL, Russia — It has a remote-controlled turret, it bristles with state-of-the-art defense systems and its computerized controls make</p>
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Russia steps up military modernization ... but at what cost?2015-06-12T17:49:26-04:002015-06-12T17:49:26-04:00SFC Mark Merino744767<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Meanwhile, in America, we slash and burn our defense to fund..............Response by SFC Mark Merino made Jun 12 at 2015 7:16 PM2015-06-12T19:16:29-04:002015-06-12T19:16:29-04:00SFC Private RallyPoint Member744855<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Isn't that the same tank that broke down during their big parade? <br /><br />Remote controlled turrets and state of the art computers....yeah ok. I'm sure we're a little ahead of them as far as that stuff goes, and we have quirks in our stuff that were still working out.<br /><br />They are back to the Cold War mentality of mass vehicle and throw personnel at ya to overwhelm just by sheer numbersResponse by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 12 at 2015 8:11 PM2015-06-12T20:11:01-04:002015-06-12T20:11:01-04:00SSG Roger Ayscue746522<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>While we slept....Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Jun 13 at 2015 8:52 PM2015-06-13T20:52:22-04:002015-06-13T20:52:22-04:00SPC Private RallyPoint Member746531<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>YesResponse by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 13 at 2015 8:58 PM2015-06-13T20:58:55-04:002015-06-13T20:58:55-04:00SSG Edward Tilton7194942<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Perhaps they will invade Afghanistan again, it's their turnResponse by SSG Edward Tilton made Aug 18 at 2021 4:34 PM2021-08-18T16:34:28-04:002021-08-18T16:34:28-04:002015-06-12T17:49:26-04:00