Vladimir Putin is throwing billions at his rusting navy and Soviet-era air force to build up to a BIG INVASION, but expert says we ‘have nothing to fear’
A lot of Russian hardware is 'Soviet inheritance' from the 1970s and 1980s
RUSSIA'S armed forces are building up to launch a major military campaign, according to a former top British officer.
Ex-head of the navy Admiral Lord West fears the Kremlin's increased military spending - despite a struggling Russian economy - is leading up to more campaigns abroad.
He said: ";They have completely modernised their force. They are much more dangerous now.
"We have to wonder what's going on.
"Their military spending is unsustainable. There will either be an (economic) breakdown or foreign adventurism."
So what does Nato and the west need to do to counter Moscow's ambition?
"Putin understands power and the application of power," he said.
"We need to show we have powerful forces and to show we'd be ready to use them."
But another expert says Moscow's military might is made up of rusting Soviet hardware and the West have little to fear from them.
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Analyst Alex Kokcharov says that while Putin's military has been extensively upgraded since 2008 - when Russian forces suffered embarrassing losses in its war with Georgia - many elements remain outdated and are so-called 'Soviet inheritance' from the 1970s and 1980s.
"A lot of money was spent on military upgrades and exercises in certain sections, but these changes have not been across the board," said Mr Kokcharov, a country risk analyst at IHS.
"The Admiral Kuznetsov air carrier that was sent to Syria is a prime example. It is very old Soviet technology. Construction began in the early 1980s."
The problems with the creaking aircraft carrier hit the headlines earlier this month when a Russian jet crashed into the Mediterranean as it attempted to land - the second time in the past few weeks one of Putin’s planes deployed in Syria has crashed during a bungled landing.
Kokcharov adds that Russian air power has been upgraded but a lot of the technology still originates from the '70s and '80s.
"Russia will only become involved in small military operations like Georgia and Ukraine," he said.
"Putin and the Kremlin know large numbers of bodies will damage Putin's credibility. There will be no large-scale conflicts."
RUSSIAN MILITARY MIGHT
Frontline troops: More than 766,000 Tanks: 15, 398 Artillery and missile launchers: 9,765 Aircraft: 3, 547 (Including 751 fighters, 1,438 fixed-wing attack aircraft and 478 attack helicopters) Ships: 352 (Including one aircraft carrier, 4 frigates, 15 destroyers, 81 corvettes and 60 subs)
Source: Globalfirepower.com