We’ve been watching the downsizing of the Russian military and culling the officer corps proceeds apace. But the issue with downsizing has to do with the terms of separation: if you resign your commission voluntarily, you’re in line for an apartment and a cash payment as provided by Russian law. If you’re fired, you get nothing.
Needless to say, the Russian purse is pretty empty, so the military is resorting to the latter rather than the former. But what’s eye-popping is the overall level of Russian military readiness. From Alexander Golts in the the Moscow Times:
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has announced that officers have undergone comprehensive testing to determine whether they are qualified to serve in the military. The only results that have been made public so far concern top- ranking commanders. Of 250 generals and colonels in generals’ positions, 50 have been declared unfit for their jobs and will be fired. In all likelihood, no less than 20 percent of lower ranking officers will also be deemed unfit to defend the nation.
These numbers are actually low. They don’t reflect the much higher percentage of personnel who are not fit to serve. Because of a lack of funds in the 1990s, combat training was brought to a halt (unless you count the first Chechen war). Ships didn’t leave their bases, individual aircraft flew as few as 20 hours per year instead of the necessary 160 hours, and no training maneuvers were conducted at all. Officers advanced in rank only as a result of how long they had served, not based on their level of qualifications. That is one of the main reasons why there are so many unfit personnel in the armed forces.
Head of the General Staff Nikolai Markarov did not mince words when he spoke at the Academy of Military Science on Dec. 16. “Our pilots’ preparedness level has dropped to dangerous levels,” he said. “During the Georgian conflict, we could literally count on our fingers the number of pilots who were capable of carrying out military tasks under simple, straightforward conditions.”
The situation with the ground forces is even worse. “We had to search through the entire armed forces for individual lieutenant colonels, colonels and generals who were capable of participating in combat operations because staff commanders of “paper divisions” [shell divisions made up only of officers with no soldiers] and regiments were simply in no condition to resolve military challenges. When those commanders were given people and equipment, they simply became disoriented, and some even refused to carry out orders,” Makarov said.
Without a realistic training budget, this is what happens to readiness. Is anyone at the Pentagon or the White House taking note?
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