A stumbling Russian economy does not signal any shift in Kremlin spending less on its military and internal security forces, or the beginning of widespread political upheaval, a leading Moscow economist said Monday. Read More
Tag Archives: Vladimir Putin
Document: Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community
The following is the Feb. 9, 2016 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Read More
National Intelligence Director Clapper: ISIS ‘Most Significant’ Non-State Threat to U.S., Allies
National Intelligence director James Clapper and Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart on Feb. 9, 2016 before the Senate Armed Services Committee. C-SPAN Image
The “most significant” threat to the United States and its allies from a non-state actor remains the Islamic State, the U.S. National Intelligence director told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, citing its continued successful recruitment of foreign fighters and establishment of affiliates in places such as Libya. Read More
Russian Mystery Submarine Likely Deployment Vehicle for New Nuclear Torpedo
A rendering of the Project 09851 nuclear submarine Khabarovsk used with permission. H I Sutton Image
Russia’s plan to create a giant nuclear torpedo capable of wiping out a costal city could be farther along than just graphics on a briefing slide and gives purpose to a mysterious nuclear submarine, currently under construction. Read More
Marine Harriers Strike ISIS Targets; French Carrier Leaves for Middle East
An AV-8B Harrier assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 (Reinforced), 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU), launches from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) on Nov. 19, 2015. US Navy Photo
Naval forces resumed air strikes against the Islamic State this week after a one-month pause in participation in Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the Navy announced today. Read More
CSIS Panel: Russia Still Dangerous in its Decline
The Russian Honor Guard stand-by as part of a ceremony in 2006. U.S. DoD Photo
Although “Russia is not a rising power . . . even in military terms,” Moscow can still “disturb and do harm,” one of the nation’s leading scholars on strategy told attendees at a Center for Strategic and International Studies forum Friday. Read More
Analyst: Doomsday Nuclear Torpedo Leak Gives Insight to Russian Strategic Mindset, Ballistic Missile Defense Anxiety
A briefing slide of the alleged Status-6 nuclear torpedo captured from Russian television via the BBC
A proposed Russian submarine launched doomsday weapon — the existence of which was almost certainly leaked by the Kremlin — gives clues to the Russian mindset for the development of new strategic weapons in the face of the West’s increasing ballistic missile defense capability and Russia’s shrinking national assets, a naval analyst told USNI News on Thursday. Read More
Opinion: Russia’s Desert Storm Moment in Syria
Russian fighters over Syria. Sputnik Photo
Russia is having its Desert Storm moment in Syria. The near-daily release of Russian fighter cockpit videos and missiles being launched from Russian ships in the Caspian Sea is making millions of Russians feel proud and strong. For instance, on Oct. 21, Russian media reported that 53 strike sorties struck 72 “terrorist targets.” Oddly those same reports are even convincing some in the United States that Russia is somehow more effective in Syria than the United States and its allies. Read More
Panel: Moves from Putin Administration Ending ‘Strategic Holiday ‘ for U.S., NATO
Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2013.
“Thanks to Vladimir Putin, it looks like the strategic holiday is over” for the United States and NATO when it comes to examining the role that non-strategic nuclear weapons in Europe will play in the alliance, a leading expert on Russia’s foreign and military policy said Friday. Read More
Panel: Putin Surprised By E.U., U.S. Unity on Ukraine Issue
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has been surprised by the continuing unity between the European Union and the United States in keeping economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia for its seizure of Crimea and continued meddling in Ukraine, three experts on Eastern Europe said Wednesday. Read More
