ARmy Rumour SErvice

Originally Posted by Biscuits_Brown

It really doesn't matter a flying fig who pissed off about what, or how people rate the current state of their armed forces. They've still sufficient global power projection capability to effectively make their word law.

Unless they rumble into one of the NATO States in the manner we expected back in the Soviet years, they can do pretty much what they want.

At least to more or less the same extent as our transatlantic chums.

No they don't. If the Turks told them to piss off and stormed into northern Syria there's nothing Russia could do that could actually stop it short of going nuclear which funnily enough I can't see them committing mass suicide to try and save Assad. Even if the Russian Air Force and Navy did have the ability, and more importantly the munitions to bomb Turkey into submission, could they do it before the Turks reached Damascus and sent Assad packing defeating the entire point of the Russians starting a shooting war with a NATO member?

When Syrian government forces exchanged fire with armed rebels rounds landed in Turkish territory, Turkey's response was to give a firm warning that they would not tolerate the abuse of their borders. As Turkey threatened action and a land grab of Syrian territory to build a buffer zone so then I guess Syria is defending theirs too.


Sent via Tapatalk HD

Originally Posted by DrunkenIrish

No they don't. If the Turks told them to piss off and stormed into northern Syria there's nothing Russia could do that could actually stop it short of going nuclear which funnily enough I can't see them committing mass suicide to try and save Assad. Even if the Russian Air Force and Navy did have the ability, and more importantly the munitions to bomb Turkey into submission, could they do it before the Turks reached Damascus and sent Assad packing defeating the entire point of the Russians starting a shooting war with a NATO member?

Whilst Iran sits idly by?


Sent via Tapatalk HD

Originally Posted by Biscuits_Brown

It really doesn't matter a flying fig who pissed off about what, or how people rate the current state of their armed forces. They've still sufficient global power projection capability to effectively make their word law.

Unless they rumble into one of the NATO States in the manner we expected back in the Soviet years, they can do pretty much what they want.

At least to more or less the same extent as our transatlantic chums.

Not really. They are prolly good at rolling across western Europe, but in terms of power projection (in conventional terms) elsewhere they're pretty weak at it. Their Navy - the surface fleet - has been one of their biggest weakness for a long time. They're not really that great at amphibious warfare, which is kind of the key to true power projection. Sure, they can prolly bomb the hell out of an area and land a few airborne divs, but can they hold it long term? I doubt it. Especially with the state of their current surface fleet. Short of going nuclear, I doubt they can hold Turkey back in Syria.

My uninformed $.02 anyways.

Originally Posted by redshift

My uninformed $.02 anyways.

Far from it. The Russians lack the power projection capacity to invade and secure Turkey, but actually, why would they want to? What they can do is make Turkish adventurism prohibitively expensive and to do that they have plenty of IRBMs and ALCMS, the latter being fired by their strategic bomber fleet. I doubt that Turkey going it alone (which is what it would do because none of the EU/NATO states seem to wish to help it) has the military capacity to both defeat Syria and keep the Russians of its back.

Originally Posted by Nobby Sapper

I think that Mos-cow has too much to lose.
Just look at the possible line up-

In the Red corner-
Russia
Iran
Syria


In the Blue corner-
NATO
Israel
Saudi
Kuwait
Iraq
Jordan (possibly)

If Jordan take sides (and given their location I would imagine it highly likely) with a King who is a Colonel in the British Army (Light Dragoons) there is only one side he'll choose.