| Tango01 | 29 Aug 2015 10:33 p.m. PST |
As $400 USDB Military Modernization Continues. "The Russian military has begun reviving its old Soviet-era armored trains, a Czech Republic newspaper reported Friday. The revelation, which was hinted at earlier this month when the Russian minister of defense said that four of the armored trains could be recommissioned, is part of Russia's $400 USD billion project to modernize and expand its military. "Russian intentions indicate that in addition to introducing a number of revolutionary new technologies, now comes something of a ‘Renaissance' of some (supposedly) obsolete categories of military equipment," the Czech website Echo24.cz wrote. The four trains -- the Baikal, Terek, Amur and Don -- were used in troop-support missions in the North Caucasus from 2002 to 2009 as part of a specially formed division of the Russian Railway Troops. After the end of the war in Chechnya, the Ministry of Defense, under the previous leadership of Anatoly Serdyukov, decided that the trains could be decommissioned. On the orders of Serdyukov, the arms on the train were dismantled and the cars were sent off to depots…"
Full article here
link Amicalement
Armand |
| cwlinsj | 29 Aug 2015 10:58 p.m. PST |
The key word in that entire article is "could" – meaning not likely. I see only application is in running supplies to Crimea along the land bridge that Russia is working on grabbing in Ukraine. Hope Oddzial Osmy comes out with this in 1/600! |
| Mako11 | 29 Aug 2015 11:24 p.m. PST |
Seems like an awful lot of money to waste on vehicles restricted to rail lines, which are very long, and vulnerable to partisans/guerrillas/aircraft/helos. A train to carry mobile SRBMs, or ICBMs I get, but not this. Seems like someone in a high place is an amateur rail buff, and wants to play with 1:1 scale toys. |
| 14Bore | 30 Aug 2015 3:46 a.m. PST |
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| GarrisonMiniatures | 30 Aug 2015 4:09 a.m. PST |
For me, the key is 'still useful in very specific military environments.' If ' prepares to introduce the T-14 Armata tank, which it will transport into conflict zones. ' is one specific use, then could be of benefit to carry equipment before a conflict starts, or if opposition is not able to cut the tracks, though personally not sure how much better it would be than using the normal train system. |
| Cold Steel | 30 Aug 2015 5:32 a.m. PST |
A tacit admission that the Russians don't think they can secure their interior lines of communication in a war. The more Russia spends on dinosaurs like this, the less money they have for something that might actually threaten their neighbors. |
| skippy0001 | 30 Aug 2015 9:43 p.m. PST |
YouTube link Trains can't dodge. "If he's good, I mean the pilot's really sharp, he can get that baby on the the deck, it's a sight to see! Warthogs, fryin' chickens in a barnyard! Hell, CAN HE MAKE IT!!!!"-with apologies. |
| GeoffQRF | 31 Aug 2015 2:07 a.m. PST |
I see only application is in running supplies to Crimea along the land bridge that Russia is working on grabbing in Ukraine. Too susceptible to partisan attacks on the rails
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| Cyrus the Great | 31 Aug 2015 4:03 p.m. PST |
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| cwlinsj | 31 Aug 2015 5:28 p.m. PST |
They were originally reintroduced for use in Chechnya. If they can be used with fanatical Chechens around, they can be used to travel a land bridge thru Ukraine to Crimea. Now I'm not saying that they sound at all practical, but it shows some Russian thought on how to maintain their occupation of the Crimea. |
paints up some Israeli mortar vehicles.
