Russian military enhancements have been deemed “alarming” by the United States Air Force. On Monday, General Frank Gorenc said that the armed forces controlled by Vladimir Putin have been beefed up significantly since the 2008 invasion of Georgia.
General Gorenc is the commander of U.S. Air Force in Europe. The American armed forces official told the media that the increase in both the quantity and quality of the Russian military is cause for concern. Putin’s army now boasted new aircraft and unmanned field aircraft, according to MSN News .
“The advantage that we had from the air, I can honestly say, is shrinking,” General Gorenc said during the annual Air Force Association conference. “This is not just a Pacific problem; it is as significant in Europe as it is anywhere else on the planet. I don’t think it’s controversial to say they’ve closed the gap in capability.”
Putin’s investment in surface-to-air missile defense systems and a complete overhaul and modernization of the Russian air force were two of the examples the general cited during his speech.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , Vladimir Putin vowed to possess the strongest military in the world by 2020. The Russian leader is also gearing up for a “new arms race.” The former Soviet Union has added more than 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles to its arsenal already this year. A Putin defense official claimed that NATO is provoking Russia to bolster its military and creating an atmosphere of hostility.
Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s top military general, said that Putin’s army will receive more than 50 new nuclear missiles with intercontinental capabilities in 2015. A military modernization plan is also reportedly underway in Moscow, the New York Times notes.
General Gorenc noted that while United States officials often voice concerns about the development of defense systems designed to thwart American stealth bombers and fighters by China, equal attention should be paid to the ongoing military advancements in Russia.
“We just need to be cognizant of it,” the general added said. “We just need to continue to work really hard to make sure that we can provide that.”
Unmanned MQ-1 Predator drones are being sent to Latvia from the U.S. for the first time. Never before has such a drone deployment in European airspace occurred, according to the Air Force official. Russia has been developing a series of modern tanks and fighters as a part of Putin’s plan to achieve military superiority over the course of the next five years.
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