The Russian Navy is Adrift
in the Syrian Doldrums
Pavel K. Baev
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DOI:10.17265/2328-2134/2017.11.001
Modernization of the Russian navy started at the beginning of this decade has improved its posture but is incomplete and negatively affected by the demanding tasks related to supporting the intervention in Syria. The newly-approved naval policy sets ambitious guidelines for expanding the whole range of naval capabilities, but the yet to be approved 2027 State Armament program is set to leave these aspirations underfunded. It is possible to address the needs created by the operations in the Eastern Mediterranean, but such allocation of resources would clash with other priorities, particularly with upgrading the fleet of strategic submarines. The political demands for performing a wide range of tasks clash with the inability to set realistic targets for shipbuilding, and this bad leadership turns the Russian navy to the course of degradation. This high-risk prospect involves a range of implications for US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) security and naval policies.
Russia, Syria, navy, intervention, capabilities