Russia’s Economic Crisis and U.S.-Russia Relations: Troubled Times Ahead

Posted by Matt in November 2nd, 2009 | no comment

Published in Russia, Defense Spending, Dissatisfaction, Economic Crisis, kremlin, Poverty Line, Protests, Public Displays, putin, Reported Event, Riot Police, Russia Relations, Russian Leadership, Safety Net, Social Safety, Social Tensions, Social Unrest, Swat Teams, Troubled Times, Vladivostok, Willingness

Rising Unemployment and Growing Social Unrest
The crisis has also exacerbated social tensions in Russia. So far, no serious threat to the regime has materialized, despite a wave of spontaneous strikes and the use of SWAT teams to put down a demonstration in Vladivostok. Notably, the Russian leadership showed the limits to its tolerance of public [...]

Russia’s Naval Tremors | Defense Spending

Posted by Matt in October 13th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Russia, Acknowledgment, Acquisition, Capability, Defense Spending, Gap, Indictment, Military Technologies, Military Technology, Russia, Russian Government, Shortfall, Tremors

First, it is an acknowledgment by the Russian government and military that it suffers from a shortfall in maritime expeditionary capability. Perhaps more importantly, however, it is an indictment by the defense brass of Russia’s own warship-building sector and recognition of the burgeoning gap in military technologies between Russia and the West. This acquisition, therefore, [...]

What Japan’s Recent Political Shake-Up Will Mean for its Defense Policy–and US-Japanese Relations | Defense Spending

Posted by Matt in September 2nd, 2009 | no comment

Published in Japan, Asian Century, Break, Defense Spending, Equal Footing, Japan, Japanese Relations, Military Presence, Relationship, Stasis, Turning Point

The DPJs stated intent to place the Japan-U.S. relationship on more equal footing may mark a turning point for a country determined to break from its present stasis. Determined to play a central part in what the newly-empowered party terms the Asian Century, Japan seeks to emerge from the U.S. shadow. But in order to [...]

World’s still spinning with danger

Posted by Matt in June 17th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Conflict, U.S., Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda, Challenges, Countries, Dangerous Place, Defense Spending, Forefront, iraq, Korean Peninsula, North-Korea, Peace And Stability, Risk, Rogue States, Spinning

America’s complacent at own risk
The world remains a dangerous place, populated with countries that could hold U.S. interests at risk. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and against al-Qaeda must be at the forefront in defense spending and planning, but we also need a balanced force that can address emerging conventional and strategic challenges from [...]

1913 Intel Brief 2-11-2009

Posted by Matt in February 11th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Brief, 1913 Intel, Bailout, Civic Society, Civil Defense, Defense Spending, Economic Stimulus Package, Federal Deficit, Future Years, Military Leaders, Mr Chavez, Mullahs, Nuclear Weapon, Oil Exports, Risk Report, Sans Serif, Style Definitions, Style Name, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Washington Times

Analysis: U.S. can’t afford its military
Washington (UPI) Feb 11, 2009
With the combined cost of the economic stimulus package and the Wall Street bailout now projected by some estimates to top $2 trillion, and the federal deficit spiraling, U.S. officials are fretting that current levels of defense [...]

The German Question

Posted by Matt in October 6th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Europe, Russia, Alternative Sources Of Energy, American Politician, Angela Merkel, Central Question, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Defense Spending, Dmitri Medvedev, East German, Energy Dependence, George Friedman, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, German Interest, German Question, Germany, Member Nation, Nato Expansion, Nato Membership, Natural Gas Exports, Personal Inclinations, Russian Natural Gas, Sources Of Energy

By George Friedman

German Chancellor Angela Merkel went to St. Petersburg last week for meetings with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. The central question on the table was Germany’s position on NATO expansion, particularly with regard to Ukraine and Georgia. Merkel made it clear at a joint press conference that Germany would oppose NATO membership for both [...]

Russian defense budget may rise 25 percent in 2009

Posted by Matt in September 19th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Military, Russia, Battlefield, Cold-War, Council On Foreign Relations, Defence Spending, Defense Budget, Defense Spending, European Union, Latin-America, Military Exercises, Navy, Posture, Profile, Russia, Russian Defense, Russian Lawmakers, Sharp, Telegraph, United States

Russian lawmakers gave preliminary approval Friday to a 25 percent hike in defense spending — a sharp increase for Russia’s military that comes only a month after it crushed Georgia on the battlefield.
The boost in defense spending for 2009 fits in with Russia’s recent defiant posture toward the West, a stance that has seen relations [...]

Global pressures outpace military funding

Posted by Matt in April 28th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Military, U.S., 1940s, 1980s, Active Duty, Air Force, Air Wings, Cold-War, Combat Divisions, Defense Budget, Defense Spending, Duty Army, Gdp, Global Pressures, Global War On Terror, Korean War, Military Forces, Modernization, Pentagon, Procurement, Recapitalization, Seven Years, Spending, War On Terror

As the leader of the free world, the United States has a responsibility to lead. This has been our reality as a nation since the 1940s. As such, we need a well-funded military. Today, however, our military forces are desperately in need of recapitalization and modernization. We have been on a “procurement holiday” since the [...]