RIA Novosti has its list of the main military events of 2012.
No surprise number 1 is the Oboronservis scandal, the fall of former Defense Minister Serdyukov, and appointment of successor Sergey Shoygu.
The rest:
- 16 accidents in munition destruction leaving 12 dead and 23 injured.
- Retirement of the CO of the Strizhi flight demonstration group who allegedly demanded money from subordinates for the freedom to show up for duty or not. Remember Senior Lieutenant Sulim at Lipetsk?
- Vityazi flight group doesn’t participate in Farnborough.
- Ex-Gorshkov carrier still not delivered to India due to power plant problems.
- Rearmament of RVSN with Yars and Topol-M ICBMs. See Karakayev’s remarks the other day.
- Acceptance of Dolgorukiy, Nevskiy, Bulava, and Severodvinsk all put off until 2013.
- Delayed space vehicle launches, but fewer failures than in 2011.
- The death of Ruslan Ayderkhanov. A surprise pick. Remember the army and medical examiners say he killed himself even though he was beaten and abused before he died.
- The contract for five Borey SSBNs, and Prime Minister / President Putin’s role in getting the Defense Ministry and industry to agree on a price.
- The collapse of Moscow’s $4.2 billion arms deal with Iraq amid talk of corruption.
- Losing another Indian helicopter tender to the U.S.
- Russia’s conference on EuroMD.
Russian Defense Policy 