Category Archives: Defense News

Still no procurement info. And figures on transportation are missing this week. Only so much fits on a page one supposes.

But the MOD has given a glimpse of its BDA from the skies over Syria. It reports 1,417 flights delivered 2,687 strikes “destroying” more than 1,200 terrorists, 80 armored vehicles, and 200 other armed vehicles.

In driver training, 1,234 exercises (45% at night) occurred on 106 ranges. The airborne jumped 7,707 times. The air force flew 314 patrols from 48 airfields.

This week 1,472 individuals were accepted for contract service and 3,313 were in the selection process.

No new procurement was reported on last week’s graphic.

The VKS conducted 350 combat flights against 900 “international terrorist” targets in Syria. More than 130 drones flew more than 400 sorties.

Driver training included 1,657 exercises (46% at night) on 114 ranges. The VDV conducted 7,600 parachute jumps. The air forces flew more than 290 patrols from 61 airfields.

Military transportation activity featured more than 1,000 trains, more than 2,000 vehicles, more than 170 aircraft, and more than 10 ships.

Individuals taken on contract service added up to 1,034 and those in processing were 1,097.

Last week’s graphic . . . .

For the second week, the MOD reports no new procurement. Training slowed and shifted to airborne and flight training, at least according to what’s shown in the graphic.

The VKS conducted 360 combat flights to destroy 1,000 “international terrorist” targets in Syria. Meanwhile, 140 UAVs flew against 190 targets.

The MOD put Kosmos-2520, a comms relay satellite, into orbit.

It reported 1,740 driver training events (43 percent at night) on 107 ranges. Airborne units conducted 10,300 parachute jumps. The air forces flew 300 missions from 64 airfields.

More than 130 aircraft, 2,500 vehicles, more than 1,000 trains, and “about 10” ships delivered an unspecified amount of cargo.

Some 770 individuals became contractees and 3,379 were undergoing the selection process.

Two recent Russian MOD activity graphics . . . .

The MOD has digested the complaint that its weekly graphics say nothing about missions in Syria or training inside Russia. This has been remedied.

The graphic above claims the Russian VKS conducted 290 combat flights to destroy 730 facilities of “international terrorist groups” in Syria, and 120 UAV flights against 160 facilities.

The MOD reported 87,000 personnel with 8,000 weapons and other pieces of equipment from 260 formations and units conducted more than 12,000 combat training evolutions, 45 percent of which occurred at night, on 114 ranges.

It noted that 175 aircraft, 3,000 vehicles, 850 trains, and 10 ships carried 285 pieces of equipment, 50,000 personnel, and 102,000 tons of cargo during the week.

On the contract service front, 1,819 personnel were accepted for contract service and 2,857 were in the selection process.

The MOD reported no new military procurement for the week.

For the week depicted above, a whopping 334,000 personnel with more than 30,000 weapons and equipment items from 220 formations and units conducted 13,000 combat training measures, including 42 percent at night, on 109 ranges.

For contract service, 895 candidates were accepted and 3,228 were being processed.

The MOD acquired four 152-mm Msta-SM self-propelled howitzers and two Su-30SM fighters.

Six tent-mobile shelters were erected in vehicle storage areas in the Republic of Buryatia and Leningrad Oblast.

The MOD reported no military transportation information for the week.

This week, the Russian MOD reported 1,793 individuals accepted on contract service and 1,379 going through the selection process.

For military transportation, 185 aircraft, 3,000 vehicles, 900 trains, and 10 ships delivered 95,000 tons of cargo, 390 pieces of equipment, and 60,000 personnel. The large number of personnel transported reflects the end of the conscription campaign and the final deliveries of new soldiers to their duty stations.

The VDV received eight BMDs (presumably BMD-4Ms) and the MOD also got 19 unspecified BMPs.

The week prior, the MOD reported receiving two Nebo-UM radars, 17 Orlan-10 UAVs, 18 2S12A Sani-A mortars, and proyekt 20380 frigate Sovershennyy from the Amur Shipbuilding Plant.

It announced that 190 aircraft, 3,000 vehicles, 1,000 trains, and 10 ships delivered 68,000 tons of cargo, 460 pieces of equipment, and 27,000 personnel.

For contract service, 1,061 individuals were accepted and 3,047 were undergoing the selection process.

The MOD also reported nine buildings or facilities at the PLK in Naro-Fominsk were accepted for use.

Here’s a link to a spreadsheet with some data from the RF MOD’s new weekly infographics. It doesn’t have everything, just the data that seems like it can be followed over time.

This week’s Russian MOD graphic shows 195 aircraft, 3,000 trucks, 800 trains, and ten ships delivered military cargo amounting to 65,000 tons of freight, 450 pieces of equipment, and more than 25,000 troops.

Regarding contract service, 2,037 individuals were accepted and 1,638 applied.

Twenty T-72B3 tanks and six BTR-82AM armored vehicles were delivered to units.

Mil.ru has three graphics posted but yet to be summarized here. They provide the following data:

• 35,000 tons of cargo, 500 pieces of equipment, and more than 8,000 troops delivered;
• 1,129 individuals accepted into contract service;
• More than 20 T-72B3 tanks and 200 armored and other vehicles delivered to units;
• 7 BMD combat vehicles, 7 radars, and 272 vehicles delivered;
• 25,000 tons of cargo, 400 pieces of equipment, and more than 10,000 troops;
• 1,612 individuals accepted into contract service;
• More than 180 aircraft, more than 2,000 trucks, 700 trains, and ten ships delivered military cargo;
• 35,000 tons of cargo, 400 pieces of equipment, more than 20,000 troops delivered;
• 1,474 individuals accepted into contract service and 1,460 applied;
• 30 R-149MA-1 command-staff vehicles and 1 Mi-26 heavy transport helo delivered to units.

The MOD graphics contain other items of interest which aren’t quite as easily digested. They’re also coming rapidly — six so far in the first month rather than one per week as their name suggests.

The MOD’s graphic shows four BMD-4M and six multipurpose vehicles reached the troops this week.

On the contract service front, 1,013 new soldiers were accepted and 861 applied.

More than 150 aircraft, 2,000 vehicles, 800 trains, and 10 ships delivered men and materiel to units.  The large number of trains reflects the delivery of new conscripts to their posts.

The construction and infrastructure portion is a tad busy, but two things are worth noting.  Some 102 permanent apartments were commissioned in the Moscow suburb of Nakhabino.  “Tent-mobile shelters” (ТМУ or TMUs) were erected somewhere in Moscow and Nizhegorod Oblasts.

TMUs are associated with the recent or pending deployment of high-value vehicle-mounted weapons (e.g. Iskander-M and S-400).