What's Next for the Russian Military?
USSR Military vs. Russian Military
Over the last ten years the Russian military has shrunk from a world superpower to a shadow of its former glory. Here are some figures that show the degree of the Russian military's decline.
Note that the USSR's population in 1989 was 288.7 million, compared to a 2001 Russian population of 145.4 million people. Also, the USSR's gross domestic product was US$1,100 billion in 1990, compared with Russia's US$241 billion in 2000, according to the World Bank Group.
USSR 1989 |
Russia 1999 |
|
General | ||
Total Troops | 4.7 million | 1.1 million |
Military Budget | US$271 billion | US$7 billion |
Ground Forces | ||
Personnel | 1,900,000 | 420,000 |
Tanks | 53,350 | 5,559 |
Air Forces | ||
Personnel | 448,000 | 210,000 |
Combat Aircraft | 5,130 | 1,855 |
Fighters | 1,885 | 415 |
Fighter Bombers | 2,475 | 725 |
Naval Forces | ||
Personnel | 437,000 | 180,000 |
Nuclear Submarines | 201 | 66 |
Nonnuclear Submarines | 147 | 31 |
Major Surface Warships | 264 | 44 |
Combat Aircraft | 1,039 | 329 |
Nuclear Offensive Forces | ||
Total Nuclear Warheads | 6,938 | 3,590 |
ICBM* | 1,451 | 756 |
SLBM** | 960 | 412 |
Long-Range Bombers | 195 | 66 |
Note: Figures derived from IISS The Military Balance for 1989-90 (USSR) and 1998-99 (Russia).
* Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
** Sub-Launched Ballistic Missile
© 2001 by The Stanley Foundation
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