Military Modernization and the Russian Ground Forces

by Rod Thorton

Russia's political leaders are currently pushing a state- and society-wide process of modernization. The Russian military, a deeply conservative institution, is being asked to accept fundamental changes that threaten the very livelihoods of those being asked to implement them. New structures can be created and new equipment and technologies procured, but the crucial element is the degree to which such changes are accepted by the human element. This is often the most difficult aspect in any process of organizational change. It is no wonder that the military modernization process is progressing slowly in Russia. The Russian ground forces will not be very different in the next few years than they are now. Time and future investment will eventually produce the more refined army that a host of Russian politicians have wished to see. But it will take time and investment.

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[ADD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent narrative on the challenges and complexities of modernizing Russian ground forces. Pre-2008 perceptions and biases shaped the lethargic, obstacle-ridden reform. Post-2008, those obstructionists saw that their delaying tactics were folly; however, much more work is to be done. I didn't agree with a few of the author's conclusions, but the clarity of the process and possibilities was well written.