New Russian military doctrine says NATO top threat

[webfact]

New Russian military doctrine says NATO top threat
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia identified NATO as the nation's No. 1 military threat and raised the possibility of a broader use of precision conventional weapons to deter foreign aggression under a new military doctrine signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

NATO flatly denied it is a threat to Russia, and accused Moscow of undermining European security.

The new doctrine, which comes amid tensions over Ukraine, reflected the Kremlin's readiness to take a stronger posture in response to what it sees as U.S.-led efforts to isolate and weaken Russia.

The paper maintains the provisions of the previous, 2010 edition of the military doctrine regarding the use of nuclear weapons.

It says Russia could employ nuclear weapons in retaliation for the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against the country or its allies, and also in the case of aggression involving conventional weapons that "threatens the very existence" of the Russian state.

But for the first time, the new doctrine says Russia could use precision weapons "as part of strategic deterrent measures." The document does not spell out when and how Moscow could resort to such weapons.

Examples of precision conventional weapons include ground-to-ground missiles, air- and submarine-launched cruise missiles, guided bombs and artillery shells.

Among other things, the paper mentions the need to protect Russia's interests in the Arctic, where the global competition for its vast oil and other resources has been heating up as the Arctic ice melts.

Russia has relied heavily on its nuclear deterrent and lagged far behind the U.S. and its NATO allies in the development of precision conventional weapons. However, it has recently sped up its military modernization, buying large numbers of new weapons and boosting military drills. It has also sharply increased air patrols over the Baltics.

Earlier this month, Russia flexed its muscle by airlifting state-of-the art Iskander missiles to its westernmost Kaliningrad exclave bordering NATO members Poland and Lithuania. The missiles were pulled back to their home base after the drills, but the deployment clearly served as a demonstration of the military's readiness to quickly raise the ante in a crisis.

Russia has threatened to permanently station the Iskander missiles, which can hit targets up to 480 kilometers (about 300 miles) away with high precision, in retaliation for U.S.-led NATO's missile defense plans. The Iskander can be fitted with a nuclear or conventional warhead.

On Friday, Moscow successfully test-fired the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk launchpad in northwestern Russia.

The 29-page doctrine outlines top threats to Russia's security and possible responses. It is the document's third edition since Putin was first elected in 2000.

The doctrine places "a buildup of NATO military potential and its empowerment with global functions implemented in violation of international law, the expansion of NATO's military infrastructure to the Russian borders" atop the list of military threats to Russia.

It stresses that the deployment of foreign military forces on the territory of Russia's neighbors could be used for "political and military pressure."

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu responded by saying in a statement that the alliance "poses no threat to Russia or to any nation."

"Any steps taken by NATO to ensure the security of its members are clearly defensive in nature, proportionate and in compliance with international law," she said. "In fact, it is Russia's actions, including currently in Ukraine, which are breaking international law and undermining European security."

Russia's relations with the West have plummeted to their lowest level since Cold War times, and NATO cut off ties to Moscow after it annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March. Ukraine and the West have also accused Moscow of fueling the pro-Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine with troops and weapons, accusations the Kremlin has denied.

In 2010, NATO adopted its current so-called Strategic Concept. Without specifying which countries might be on the receiving end, the document states that "deterrence, based on an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional capabilities, remains a core element" of NATO's overall strategy.

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who had been critical of Putin in the past but has strongly backed the Kremlin in its dispute with the West, said Friday that Russia's actions were a response to U.S. and NATO moves.

"I think the president is right to a large extent when he draws attention to a particular responsibility of the United States," he said in Moscow.

The U.S. and the European Union have slapped sanctions against Moscow, which have deepened Russia's economic woes and contributed to a sharp devaluation of the ruble, which lost about half its value this year.

The economic crisis could challenge Russia's ambitious weapons modernization program, but so far the Kremlin has shown no intention of scaling back.

The program envisages the deployment of new nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, the construction of nuclear submarines and a sweeping modernization of Russia's conventional arsenals.

Russia has been particularly concerned about the so-called Prompt Global Strike program under development in the U.S., which would be capable of striking targets anywhere in the world in as little as an hour with deadly precision.

The new doctrine mentioned the U.S. program as a major destabilizing factor along with NATO missile defense plans.

Russian officials have said that Moscow is working on a response to the new U.S. weapons, but have released no details.

Alexander Konovalov, a Moscow-based independent military expert, said the doctrine's mention of using precision conventional weapons as a "strategic deterrent" sounds vague, but could be a reference to new weapons.

"It may mean the development of weapons systems, which would make it impossible for NATO to plan a surprise first strike, because it would draw a powerful retaliation," he said. "It would allow (Russia) to enforce its will on the enemy without using nuclear warheads."
___

John-Thor Dahlburg in Brussels contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2014-12-30

[Baghdad]

NATO only attack third world country because they dont have the balls to attack first world countries such as Russia or Iran and of course China

Edited December 30, 2014 by Baghdad

[Asiantravel]

U.S. War Against Russia Is Now Against Hungary Too

According to German Economic News (GEN), on December 25th, “Hungary Will Not Take Part in the Cold War Against Russia.” They report that, “Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban takes his distance from the EU, and accuses the US government of trying to instigate a new Cold War against Russia.

GEN also links to an earlier, October 19th, GEN article, which had reported that, “After Russia, Hungary is now apparently also being targeted by Americans: the United States is hitting senior Hungarian government officials and businessmen with entry bans. The Americans throw corruption-charges against the Hungarians.”

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40564.htm

Edited December 30, 2014 by Asiantravel

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

NATO only attack third world country because they dont have the balls to attack first world countries such as Russia or Iran and of course China

I did not realize Iran was considered a 1st world country.

[gchurch259]

When the hell is the USA and Russia going to stop all this BS ?? I made a career in the USAF maintaining bombers to go bomb Russia and at the same time they were doing the same thing. Trillion of dollars and lives. They are both well educated countries and Russia has been through way too much hell with WW1 & !!.

Both countries are like two Bullies looking around the corner at each other preparing to and hoping not to have to fight.

Enough already, maybe the next Presidents will have more common sense, one can only hope.

As for all the other barbarians/terrorist, they should quit all this manslaughter, if not go out and seen all them to judgement that their faith believes in !!

[lostmebike]

NATO only attack third world country because they dont have the balls to attack first world countries such as Russia or Iran and of course China

` .. or Iran` ???

New Year started early ol` boy?

Since when has Iran been first world? Iran .. `developed`? Hilarious!

Maybe this is a new `doctrine` but the rhetoric has been there for years now. Putin is a master of deflecting attention away from his own deficiencies.

[Suffinator]

NATO only attack third world country because they dont have the balls to attack first world countries such as Russia or Iran and of course China

Russia and China certainly have the capabilities to defend themselves and if every such a conflict came about it's likely the would combine forces. Iran I doubt has the capability but again Russia and China would probably come to its aid. Interesting to note that regardless that all that is said about Iran it hasn't attacked another country since 1718.

[oneday]

New NATO doctrine says "Russia" bigger threat...with unstable leader.

[rethaier]

Why would anybody feel threatened by NATO it is a toothless tiger.

[Somtamnication]

NATO has always been a threat and vs. Nothing new here. Just louder because of the Crimean fiasco.

[lil fluffy clouds]

U.S. War Against Russia Is Now Against Hungary Too

According to German Economic News (GEN), on December 25th, Hungary Will Not Take Part in the Cold War Against Russia. They report that, Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban takes his distance from the EU, and accuses the US government of trying to instigate a new Cold War against Russia.

GEN also links to an earlier, October 19th, GEN article, which had reported that, After Russia, Hungary is now apparently also being targeted by Americans: the United States is hitting senior Hungarian government officials and businessmen with entry bans. The Americans throw corruption-charges against the Hungarians.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40564.htm

Sounds about right.

The US has such a large debt to china it probably figures the only way to pay it off is to continue bullying other countries.

War has always been a big money spinner for the states and now it's desperate to come up with the goods.

They are bugdeting bigger on their war machine now in the hope that their "investments" will pay off...

[Emster23]

If I have a shotgun next to my bed in case some murderous nut case comes into my house to do me harm, does that make me a threat? Only if nut case comes in to rob and kill me. Russia was forced to go in and take over Crimea? Forced to have invasion by proxy of Ukraine? How about that treaty Russia signed guaranteeing integrity of Ukraine's borders when Ukraine unilaterally disarmed self of nukes (foolish in hindsight to trust Russians)? Then to somehow accuse NATO of only taking on weaker countries (some posters silly view): what the heck do you think Russia is doing? Then there is there occupation and base in Moldova. Putin's lame excuses for invasion are of same sort Herr Hitler used.

[khunken]

The problem is that the US has pushed the EU into allowing another economic basket case to join the queue and obtain the desired NATO base there. Russia is right to be concerned.

Not long ago NATO was to instal a sophisticated tracking and rapid reaction base in the Czech Republic, supposedly to counter 'threats' from N Korea and Iran - neither of which had ever threatened the EU. When NATO - liars about their Libyan adventure - points its missiles at Russia it is not surprising that Russia will respond in kind.

[IMA_FARANG]

Back in the 1970's the Turkish Air Force (Turkey was and still is part of NATO) had an assigned role in in any NATO response to any Soviet aggression in the Balkans.

The Soviets accordingly, had a contingency plan to attack through Turkey to the Med if that became necessary to keep Russian sea routes open through the Black Sea and Turkey if required.

There were plans for the Soviet's to attack through Turkey to Greece (also a NATO member) if required.

Such plans are called "contingency plans" and are a routine part of ALL militaries .... so they can be prepared IF such a situation occurs.

That does NOT mean that an attack is planned, the plans are there for contingency planning..

I am sure such "contingency planning" is still done by both sides today

By both Russia and NATO.

You'd be a fool to believe otherwise.

In the early 1980's, before the collapse of the Soviet Union and while such coutries as Bulgaria and Rumania were still part of the Soviet Union; I know for a fact that The Turkish Air Force was assigned targets in both of those countries.

Again as a "contingency" in case of a Soviet attempt to hold on to these countries, if those countries tried to break away from Soviet control or influence by force. (a anti-Soviet popular uprising by those countries people)

But it didn't happen that way.

In the same way, the Russians plans to attack NATO forces today are "contingency plans" in the event hey are felt to be needed.

Nothing new about that.

Edited December 30, 2014 by IMA_FARANG

[slipperylobster]

They better smarten up then.

[slipperylobster]

The problem is that the US has pushed the EU into allowing another economic basket case to join the queue and obtain the desired NATO base there. Russia is right to be concerned.

Not long ago NATO was to instal a sophisticated tracking and rapid reaction base in the Czech Republic, supposedly to counter 'threats' from N Korea and Iran - neither of which had ever threatened the EU. When NATO - liars about their Libyan adventure - points its missiles at Russia it is not surprising that Russia will respond in kind.

The US "Pushed" the EU into being stupid?

These are the same weirdos that claim the US does stupid stuff.

Let them grovel

Edited December 30, 2014 by slipperylobster

[hawker9000]

A topic like this is just bound to bring the cranks & America haters crawling out of the woodwork. NATO is, HOPEFULLY, a threat, and an effective & ultimately successful one, to Putin's plans to reassemble the old Soviet Empire, but not to Russia per se. Reign in the Putin aggression, and NATO might eventually whither away to an empty shell (or at least reorient itself somehow to a certain other part of the world...).

[zydeco]

The words "precision" and "Russian" do not belong in the same sentence.

[Asiantravel]

A topic like this is just bound to bring the cranks & America haters crawling out of the woodwork. NATO is, HOPEFULLY, a threat, and an effective & ultimately successful one, to Putin's plans to reassemble the old Soviet Empire, but not to Russia per se. Reign in the Putin aggression, and NATO might eventually whither away to an empty shell (or at least reorient itself somehow to a certain other part of the world...).

" A topic like this is just bound to bring the cranks & America haters crawling out of the woodwork."

In the words of one of your fellow citizens and a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy Paul Craig Roberts it also brings out“ Government trolls and poorly informed “patriots” who defend the government but not the Constitution “

[F430murci]

When the hell is the USA and Russia going to stop all this BS ?? I made a career in the USAF maintaining bombers to go bomb Russia and at the same time they were doing the same thing. Trillion of dollars and lives. They are both well educated countries and Russia has been through way too much hell with WW1 & !!.

Both countries are like two Bullies looking around the corner at each other preparing to and hoping not to have to fight.

Enough already, maybe the next Presidents will have more common sense, one can only hope.

As for all the other barbarians/terrorist, they should quit all this manslaughter, if not go out and seen all them to judgement that their faith believes in !!

Great post. World leader egos can be a bad thing. Sad to see things come to this. This one is on Obama's watch. A weak leader driven by personalization, insecurity, emotion and an inability to see the big picture or past his own nose. Relations will not be repaired in our lifetimes (except maybe on the surface), but there will be no war or armed conflict between Russia and the US.

Lol, I see another fine contribution/link from Asiantraveler. He's got all the great websites book marked and obviously scans these daily. The US is not going to war with Hungary and Europe is not about to be leveled by WWIII as your website suggests.

[Asiantravel]

The DOUBLE HELIX: CHINA-RUSSIA

http://www.mediafire.com/view/08rzue8ffism94t/China-Russia_Double_Helix.docx

[Publicus]

If I have a shotgun next to my bed in case some murderous nut case comes into my house to do me harm, does that make me a threat? Only if nut case comes in to rob and kill me. Russia was forced to go in and take over Crimea? Forced to have invasion by proxy of Ukraine? How about that treaty Russia signed guaranteeing integrity of Ukraine's borders when Ukraine unilaterally disarmed self of nukes (foolish in hindsight to trust Russians)? Then to somehow accuse NATO of only taking on weaker countries (some posters silly view): what the heck do you think Russia is doing? Then there is there occupation and base in Moldova. Putin's lame excuses for invasion are of same sort Herr Hitler used.

Yes and as with the Germany between the wars, Putin's post-Soviet Russia is revanchist and irredentist, i.e.,determined to regain "losr" territories from the Cold War and to forcibly incorporate peoples it considers to have in common their Russian language, history, culture, civilization.

And as with the German people of the time, the Russian population is enthusiastic and entirely supportive of Putin and his bents. Putin cynically knows his maladies are in fact the perceived grievances of the masses of Russia and that the population in general will willingly sacrifice and accept their return to hardship and misery in their revanchist and irredentist compulsions.

Nato countries have spent the past 70 years moving decidedly away from these tendencies and at ever accelerating rates of progress. Nato is in fact resisting Russia's neo-imperialism.and empire rebuilding. Crimea for example became Russian largely because the tsars sent the Crimean population to Siberia. Then the Russian generals that lost the Crimean War got sent there too.

Ukraine however, despite losing the Crimea and suffering the militarization of the Donbass, will not accept the same fate, which makes Nato Russian Enemy Number One.

[NeverSure]

NATO only attack third world country because they dont have the balls to attack first world countries such as Russia or Iran and of course China

None of the countries you mentioned are first world countries.

[Publicus]

While the top chart provides a basis of comparison, it's the bottom chart that directly presents the current and ongoing realities that militarily Russia is no match against Nato.

Putin knows this.

Nor does the EU need to increase its defense spending because Europe without the United States could defeat a Russian invasion now. The great advantage to the Europeans of being a part of Nato includes US forces and resources, yes, but it is US command, communication, coordination, control expertise in managing a continental breadth battlefield against an enemy.

Europe itself far exceeds Russia in numbers and quality of troops, tanks, aircraft, missiles, special operations forces and much else. Russia's only major advantages over Europe are nuclear weapons and cyber warfare which the US checks and/or defeats. No one is the equal of the United States in integrating the battle space, meaning land, air, sea to include undersea, cyberwarfare, space, and satellites.

Putin's large scale military buildup of recent years has in fact gone slowly and is now a shambles as the ruble has become Russia's number one security threat. Russia is in fact looking more and more like Zimbabwe with missiles.

[cookee68]

Russia just bought new weapons, from who

[slipperylobster]

NATO only attack third world country because they dont have the balls to attack first world countries such as Russia or Iran and of course China

None of the countries you mentioned are first world countries.

When dealing with the misinformed...anything is possible.

[IAMSOBAD]

Putin is a mad man.

[Choctastic]

Putin's lame excuses for invasion are of same sort Herr Hitler used.

Pretty shameful to invoke Hitler after Russians suffered so much at the hands of the Nazis. Contrary to Hollywood spellbinding (the wood of the holly tree was traditionally used to make 'magic wands') Russia saved the west in WWII. Show a little gratitude.

If the still-growing 'Security State' is what is in store for us all, once the Empire rules the world, then you had better wish Russia and China succeed in neutralizing NATO.

[slipperylobster]

Putin is a mad man.

So were all the Emperors of the world....

Worst thing, he is crazy...not stupid. Unlike some other leaders...

Edited December 31, 2014 by slipperylobster

[cheeryble]

“Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban takes his distance from the EU, and accuses the US government of trying to instigate a new Cold War against Russia.[/size][/font]

.”

I agree with Viktor Orban.
It does feel like the US is unnecessarily provocative, not to mention the missiles they wanted as a "deterrent to Iran".......but mounted conveniently near to Russia's border.
If people don't understand Russia's absolute need for a buffer zone they don't understand Stalingrad.

ps just saw Choctastic's post. He's right.
Russia won WW II or certainly did the heavy lifting.