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Asia Pacific

Russia Rearms for a New Era

By CATRIN EINHORN, HANNAH FAIRFIELD and TIM WALLACE DEC. 24, 2015
Russia has bolstered its military and asserted itself on
the world stage with a forcefulness not seen since the
Cold War, ratcheting up tensions with the West. Here
is what Russia has been doing to reclaim its influence.

Russia Is Building and

Expanding Bases in the Arctic
Russia is reinvesting in its bases in the Arctic: building new ones,
expanding old ones and deploying personnel to operate them.
Analysts say Russias efforts in the Arctic are driven in part by
climate change, as the country seeks to exploit and defend maritime
trade routes and oil and natural gas resources in areas made more
accessible by melting ice.
Northern military activity since early 2014:

New or updated military bases

Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Its Military Budget Has

Been Growing Steadily
Russia has made big increases to its military budget, including a
jump of nearly $11 billion from 2014 to 2015. According to
Moscow, it is making up for years of disinvestment after the collapse
of the Soviet Union. But sanctions from the Ukrainian conflict,
dropping oil prices and other financial problems have weakened the
Russian economy, and analysts expect military spending to slow.

2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

The New York Times | Source: IHS Janes

Large-Scale Military Exercises

Russia has scheduled mobilizations of more than 100,000 troops, as
well as unannounced exercises that move thousands of troops with
almost no notice. These efforts serve as combat training for the
troops and as a show of military strength to the world. They often
involve units that control Russias nuclear arsenal, calling attention
to the countrys nuclear abilities. NATO has responded by expanding

12/25/2015 2:56 PM

Russia Rearms for a New Era - The New York Times

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http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/24/world/asia/russia-arming...

its own exercises.

The image that Russian official sources convey is that theyre
preparing for large-scale interstate war, said Johan Norberg of the
Swedish Defense Research Agency. This is not about peacekeeping
or counterinsurgency.

One military exercise, March 16 to 21: 80,000 troops

Military
deployment

In the first phase, units in the Northern Fleet were

deployed to the Barents and Norwegian Seas. Troops
in the Arctic mobilized. Naval helicopters began
antisubmarine drills, and antiaircraft missile battalions
defended the skies.

In the second phase, units from central, eastern and

western Russia joined the exercise. Ships, aircraft and
troops rehearsed exercises and combat, including
shooting down enemy drones.

The third phase was a scenario simulating a war with

the United States and/or NATO, according to the
European Leadership Network. It brought the total
exercise to 12,000 pieces of heavy equipment, 65
warships, 15 submarines and 220 aircraft.

Source: European Leadership Network

Confrontation in Other
Countries Airspace
Russia has repeatedly entered or skirted the airspace of other
countries, including the United States. Since it annexed Crimea in
March 2014, the incidents have grown in number and seriousness. In
November, Turkey shot down a Russian plane it said entered its
airspace. The pilot was killed, as was a marine on a subsequent
rescue mission.
Other incursions have been dangerous, like a near collision in March
2014 between a commercial plane carrying 132 passengers and a
Russian reconnaissance plane that did not transmit its position.
Putin is trying to provoke the United States and NATO into military
action and create the appearance that they are posing a threat to
Russia, in order to bolster his own popularity, said Kimberly
Marten, a professor at Barnard College and director of the United
States-Russia Relations program at Columbia Universitys Harriman
Institute.
Air incidents, March 2014 to March 2015:

High-risk or serious incidents

Low-risk incidents

RUSSIA
Russian plane
shot down
on Nov. 24

Source: European Leadership Network

Deploying Its Military in Foreign Conflicts

In several regions, Russia has exerted its military authority, rattled
its rivals, and seeded instability to preserve its influence.
Russias role in the Syrian war escalated in September 2015 when it
started airstrikes to support the Syrian government of President
Bashar al-Assad. Most of Russias airstrikes have been in rebel-held
territory, rather than areas controlled by the Islamic State. Amnesty
International has accused Russia of using cluster munitions and
unguided bombs that it says have killed hundreds of Syrian civilians.
In early 2014, Russia sent special forces troops into Crimea, when
Ukraines pro-Moscow president was ousted. Crimea then joined
Russia in a referendum that Ukraine and Western leaders consider
illegal. Later that year, Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine fought
Russia-backed separatists. A cease-fire agreement in February 2015
slowed the fighting, but clashes continue.
Russia won a war with Georgia in 2008, driving Georgian forces
away from the separatist region of South Ossetia. The Kremlin
asserts that it is protecting the interests of ethnic Russians in those
areas.

Modernizing Its Military Equipment

The country is buying, updating and developing its military
equipment, with the intent to modernize 70 percent of its military by
2020.
This is Russia catching up on where the West has gotten itself
technologically, said Nick de Larrinaga at IHS Janes.

Illustrations by Guilbert Gates/The New York Times | Source: IHS Janes

Sources: European Leadership Network

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