Military modernization and the Russian ground forces /
Thornton, Rod
Military modernization and the Russian ground forces / Rod Thornton - Carlisle, PA : Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 2011 - vii, 56 p. ; 23 cm.
"June 2011."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-56).
Introduction -- History of post-Soviet military reform -- Putin advances reforms -- The war with Georgia -- New command structures -- The failure of professionalization -- Education and training -- Equipment -- The modernization process -- conclusion.
This monograph examines the recent process of organizational change in the Russian ground forces. It begins by charting the whole post-Soviet military reform debate. This debate was dominated, on the one hand, by those seeking to make the armed forces more professional, flexible, and adroit -- and thus better suited to the security demands of a major 21st-century power -- and, on the other hand, by senior military figures wedded to the concepts of mass and a conscript based military. It was actually only after the war with Georgia in 2008, and when military opposition was weakened, that change within the ground forces could begin in earnest. New command tiers were established, divisions became brigades, and the idea of absorbing professional soldiers into the ground forces was refined. The problems of generating a suitable corps of non-commissioned officers, of training suitable officers, and of marrying equipment to strategic need are all issues covered here. This work concludes with the thought that even though the changes being introduced in the ground forces look dramatic, they cannot be implemented overnight. The road towards fundamental change where Russia's ground forces are concerned will be quite a long one.
9781584874928 1584874929
Russia--armed forces--army--restructuring--modernization--force structure--military reforms
Military modernization and the Russian ground forces / Rod Thornton - Carlisle, PA : Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 2011 - vii, 56 p. ; 23 cm.
"June 2011."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-56).
Introduction -- History of post-Soviet military reform -- Putin advances reforms -- The war with Georgia -- New command structures -- The failure of professionalization -- Education and training -- Equipment -- The modernization process -- conclusion.
This monograph examines the recent process of organizational change in the Russian ground forces. It begins by charting the whole post-Soviet military reform debate. This debate was dominated, on the one hand, by those seeking to make the armed forces more professional, flexible, and adroit -- and thus better suited to the security demands of a major 21st-century power -- and, on the other hand, by senior military figures wedded to the concepts of mass and a conscript based military. It was actually only after the war with Georgia in 2008, and when military opposition was weakened, that change within the ground forces could begin in earnest. New command tiers were established, divisions became brigades, and the idea of absorbing professional soldiers into the ground forces was refined. The problems of generating a suitable corps of non-commissioned officers, of training suitable officers, and of marrying equipment to strategic need are all issues covered here. This work concludes with the thought that even though the changes being introduced in the ground forces look dramatic, they cannot be implemented overnight. The road towards fundamental change where Russia's ground forces are concerned will be quite a long one.
9781584874928 1584874929
Russia--armed forces--army--restructuring--modernization--force structure--military reforms