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Originally Posted by civis
So where's that "dose of reality"? US with 10% defense spending is able to dominate whole world with its 600+ military bases and world wide presence. Russia is barely able to show its power in Syria, with similar spending percentage wise.
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Civis, number one - the US spends twice as much on the military budget than Russia, i.e. $778 billion VS $334 billion ( back in 2020.)
And number two - it's the US that is striving for the world domination ( hence 600+ military bases around the world,) not Russia, in spite of all these "Russian aggression" claims.
Russia didn't send troops to Syria to show its power, but it sent them there out of the necessity.
There are few strategically sensitive points in this world, that are essential for Russia's geopolitical well-being, and Syria happened to be one of them.
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Looks like there's massive corruption and inefficiency going on in Russia's military spending
- no surprise here really especially for native Russians living in Russia "enjoying" crumbling infrastructure and humiliating average pay.
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Actually, the more I am looking at the current situation in Afghanistan, the more I tend to think otherwise.
Namely - I am thinking about the massive corruption and inefficiency going on in Pentagon, rather than in the Russian military.
Biden is voicing some astronomic figures that were spent in Afghanistan, for training and preparing the Afghan army including.
The way it works as far as I understand, is that the majority of these funds go to some "contractors" ( American contractors that is,) that are signing up to fulfill this or that part of the operation ( preparing the Afghan troops in this case.)
And now, when I am reading
something like this -
"Still, the Taliban could break down aircraft for parts to be used elsewhere or sold. Billions of dollars' worth of U.S. aerial technology would be at the disposal of the group it spent two decades hunting.
Flight Global's annual report counts a total of 19 Super Tucano aircraft, produced by Brazilian Embraer company with a production line in the U.S. run by the Sierra Nevada Corporation to produce aircraft for export.
The Pentagon purchased these Super Tucanos in a $427 million deal with Sierra Nevada and Embraer, with the aircraft built at an Embraer facility at Jackson International Airport in Florida.
Since their arrival in Afghanistan in 2016, these aircraft have conducted thousands of sorties, using precision munitions including Paveway laser-guided bombs produced by the Texas Instruments firm.
The air force also fields four C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin, in a deal worth more than $100 million. The Hercules aircraft were taken from the existing U.S. stock.
The air force flies at least nine Sikorsky-made UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters—of the original 159 ordered at a cost of between $5.75 billion and $7 billion—and 68 McDonnell Douglas-made MD530F light helicopters, part of a deal for 150 aircraft at a cost of $1.4 billion.
Among the ANA's armored vehicles are hundreds of American-made platforms. Kabul signed a deal for 8,500 Humvees, at least hundreds of which are already believed to have been captured by the Taliban.
The ANA also agreed on deals to receive more than 200 Mine-Resistant Armored Vehicles (MRAPs) from the U.S., plus 634 M117 Strike Force Vehicles at a cost of $661.3 million,"
- I have quite a few questions to ask.
Like when you spend this kind of money on this kind of equipment, that is supposedly "matched up" with the "new and trained" Afghan army, and when you see this Afghan army NOW, leaving the battle field in droves, ( although according to Biden they outnumber the Taliban pithecanthropuses,) I'd like to put now all these "contractors" and "army trainers" together face to face, and ask "where is the result of your "joint operation", or rather why the result is such an utter crap?" (Particularly if someone else was "contracted" to train that aforementioned "new Afghan army.")
I feel livid watching how easily this Taliban vermin is taking over the territory, practically unhindered, once American troops are leaving the place.
So if I'd be planning to take my troops out of the country in a timely manner, counting on the newly prepared local army to do its job, (which it's now utterly failing) - yeah, I'd start questioning my military spending habits.
Which in this case would be Pentagon.
But you are pointing your finger at the "massive corruption and inefficiency going in Russia's military" instead.
Actually I think that under Shoigu they are doing just fine over there.
Because with the twice smaller budget they meet all their goals intended for building all kinds of the *protective gear* - don't know even the names of all their rockets-shmockets.
And with all these updated shmockets no one can touch them.
So tell me more about the "massive corruption and inefficiency," when it comes to the military complex.
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)...btw China are horrible vs the yuyughurs! "savetheyuyugurus" lol..
