The Mess

[Smitty-48]

This is the Chechens here;

Kadyrov's "Spetsnaz University" near Grozny

[Smitty-48]

Another interesting tidbit about the Soviet titanium hulls;

The train midgets to do the final welds, because only they can fit into the tight spaces.

Titanium is not steel, you can't just assemble these hulls like a NATO sub.

In effect the Soviet subs are hand made, that's what makes them so expensive.

[heydaralon]

Another interesting tidbit about the Soviet titanium hulls;

The train midgets to do the final welds, because only they can fit into the tight spaces.

Titanium is not steel, you can't just assemble these hulls like a NATO sub.

In effect the Soviet subs are hand made, that's what makes them so expensive.

Are you serious? They hire midget welders?

[Smitty-48]

Another interesting tidbit about the Soviet titanium hulls;

The train midgets to do the final welds, because only they can fit into the tight spaces.

Titanium is not steel, you can't just assemble these hulls like a NATO sub.

In effect the Soviet subs are hand made, that's what makes them so expensive.

Are you serious? They hire midget welders?

Not hire. Conscript. They were the Soviets. It's not clear that Russia has this capacity anymore.

They have the Soviet made subs, but the Russians have never made one.

[Smitty-48]

The Russians are dining out on the arsenal of the Soviet Supermen, but Russia is not the Soviets anymore.

[Smitty-48]

Bear in mind also, the Soviets were expending 50% of their GDP equivalent on the military.

Russia is only spending 5%

The reason is that Putin has to pay the pensions.

If he doesn't pay the pensions, then he will have trouble in the streets.

[heydaralon]

The Russians are dining out on the arsenal of the Soviet Supermen, but Russia is not the Soviets anymore.

So in a couple of decades, unless something changes in their economy, they are up shit's creek without a paddle? I believe their GDP is like 1.5 tril or something close to that. I'm not sure what percentage of their budget goes toward defense, but I know that they have been reeling economically the last few years. I think the US put sanctions on them as well.

[Smitty-48]

The Russians are dining out on the arsenal of the Soviet Supermen, but Russia is not the Soviets anymore.

So in a couple of decades, unless something changes in their economy, they are up shit's creek without a paddle? I believe their GDP is like 1.5 tril or something close to that. I'm not sure what percentage of their budget goes toward defense, but I know that they have been reeling economically the last few years. I think the US put sanctions on them as well.

No, they are transitioning to the NATO model, they are copying NATO now, so they will get smaller, but much more high tech, and they will make up the difference with nukes.

They can last a long time, if America doesn't put any pressure on them.

[Speaker to Animals]

Russia hits the demographic winter already in the next decade. They have no choice but to lean down their military. Putin really needs to outlaw abortion at this point, which is particularly out of control in Russia after decades of forced atheism, and possibly promote the Russian Orthodox church to get people back into traditional lives. But that's a difficult tact to take with the current crop of Russians, who are mostly degenerate after such a long time of communism.

[Smitty-48]

They can lean way down, and still be a thermonuclear superpower, nukes are cheap.