Is the Russian navy rising?
For the first time in 24 years, the U.S. Navy’s intelligence branch has published an unclassified report warning against a rapidly rearming and increasingly aggressive Russian fleet.
And while the report—which the Navy intends for public consumption—has been years in the making, recent events have underscored just how serious its findings are. It’s becoming clearer by the day that, with the strong backing of President Vladimir Putin, the Russian navy is making a serious effort to challenge the world’s preeminent maritime power—the United States.
Russia is a land power that has insufficient power to defend its border. And we don't want them to have more land (and supporting air) power to push around weaker neighbors on their western border.
We should hope that Russia builds up their navy at the expense of land and air power.
It will give European NATO navies something to do, meaning our allies will soak up a lot of that growing naval power.
And their feeble armies will face fewer Russian brigades.
But notwithstanding the warning about a rapidly rearming and aggressive Russian fleet, it's still a Red Storm writhing:
Despite lots of effort (fiscal and otherwise) the Russian Navy is not being rebuilt and that means it is fading away. No amount of media razzle dazzle will replace the actual presence of your warships in distant waters. In the last few years the only such appearances have been mainly for show and the few that occurred were heavily covered by the Russian media.
When I say my bedtime prayers, I beg God to inspire Putin to build aircraft carriers.
