Thoughts on Russian Command and Military Infrastructure
My Two Cents of Advice for the Russian Aerospace Forces and What It Says about NATO
You have to take any wartime report with an eye to skepticism. However, it is safe to say Russia has had a fair share of its aircraft destroyed on the ground as a result of Ukrainian drone strikes. For example, just last week, one, maybe two, Tupolev Tu-22M’s were destroyed at Soltsy-2 airbase, south of St Petersburg. The Tu-22 is not just some random jet either. These are Cold War era supersonic bombers designed to deliver nuclear weapons. My question is why are strategic bombers getting destroyed by small drones a year and a half into this conflict when it is easy to prevent? Heads should be rolling in the Russian military over this…and they just might well be after this latest wake-up call. This is hard to see as anything other than utter incompetence. Now step back and consider what this says about NATO. I’ll explain…
What the hell is going on? Seriously, who thought that leaving jets exposed on a flight line in the midst of a major war was a good plan? How are we to view this as anything other than utter incompetence? I have carried a lot of water for the Russian military where credit is due, but this defies all logic. A simple clamshell tent or metal hangar could have provided sufficient protection for these aircraft from small drone attacks. Heck, even a cage and some chicken wire would have been better than leaving a jet sitting on the flightline. If this was a one off, Russia might be able to claim it was hit while fueling or something, but this isn’t a novel situation. I can’t confirm every single attack, but it was at least reported a number of SU-30s were also destroyed in the last week in the same way on the flightline by small drones. My point isn’t to verify every alleged attack, but rather, to point out the lingering inability of the Russian military to adapt and take even the most basic force protection actions. Russia should have long ago hardened its airbases, but there is simply no excuse now. Even the Iraqi military had enough sense to park its jets in concrete bunkers off the flight line that required dedicated bunker busting munitions to destroy. These would be impervious to the drone attacks currently being launched.
So, my recommendation to the Russian Aerospace Forces is simple. Protect your aircraft or lose them all on the ground like fools. This isn’t hard. Erect and put them in temporary hangars until permanent hardened facilities can be built. However, despite all this and what at times appears to be incredible incompetence or at least institutional ineptitude, the Russians are still pummeling NATO and Ukraine. Think about it. As much as we can say with good certainty this is illustrative of some serious institutional problems within Russia and its military, this is also the same military that’s destroying everything NATO can throw at it. Considering this, one would have to conclude that our level of institutional incompetence somehow eclipses even Russia’s stupidity when it comes to not protecting its fleet of strategic bombers. This is honestly terrifying when you internalize the degree to which all parties have devolved.
Looking at this, I think the only conclusion I can draw is that it is time for all of these institutions to be dismantled. They are geriatric, ailing, and no longer capable of performing the missions for which they were created. NATO is an anachronism that has served well beyond its useful life. In fact, now, rather than serving to protect the US and Western Europe, NATO is endangering it. When NATO cannot decisively defeat a military that’s clearly too stupid to protect its own jets, it’s time to bring this all to an end. There is simply no justification for anyone dying for this dumpster fire of insanity.
Till next time…
D.t.Y.