In recent years, the combat effectiveness and power of the armed forces of the Russian Federation have grown significantly. This is noted by both domestic and foreign experts. What has changed during this time in the Russian army?
Needed a push
Based on the words of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, said at one of the meetings of the military department, the Russian armed forces are today ahead of the rest in terms of the pace of modernization. With the current performance of the defense complex, by the end of 2020, the level of equipping the RF Armed Forces with samples of modern weapons can reach 100%.
Over the past 10 years, our army has changed beyond recognition. The impetus for a large-scale reorganization of the armed forces was given by the so-called "five-day war" in 2008 with Georgia, which exposed a number of problems, primarily in the state of military equipment.
Military correspondent of the Zvezda TV channel Viktor Sokirko, who covered the actions of the 58th Army and the 76th Airborne Assault Division in Tskhinvali and its environs, noted that the BMP and BMD, which still remembered the Afghan war, often stalled in the passes, our troops also lacked modern tanks and artillery.
According to the head of the analytical department of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis Alexander Khramchikhin, although the start of military reforms was recognized as epoch-making, it had significant miscalculations. The reform was not based on any serious scientific basis, it was mostly by trial and error.
Fast growth
During the first years of the reforms, the command system was radically changed and the structure of the army was reorganized. The new defense strategy assumed that large-scale conflicts were not expected in the future, and the emphasis was placed on the likelihood of local wars. In this regard, the number of units and formations in the Ground Forces was reduced (11 times), as well as the number of armed forces, primarily officers: from 300,000 to 150,000 people.
According to the head of the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center, Valery Fedorov, gigantic armies in which “tanks, guns, mortars grind each other” naturally gave way to the armed forces, where the emphasis is on remote combat operations using aircraft and missiles.
However, later the strength of the Russian armed forces was again increased by changing the ratio of the number of conscripts and contractors. If in 2012 the number of military conscripts was 280 thousand people, and under the contract 160 thousand, then by 2018 these figures were 245 thousand and 380 thousand, respectively. As a result, 185 thousand more.
As military reforms deepened, so did Russia's defense budget. So, if in 2007 it was $37 billion, by 2012 it had grown to $54 billion. Subsequently, the rate of increase in financing of military spending slowed down slightly, reaching a maximum level in 2016 - $69.2 billion.
Provide the necessary
During the period of reforms, serious attention was paid to the material situation in the Russian army. Already in 2008, the term of military service was reduced to one year, the quality of food for military personnel was improved, and measures were taken to protect recruits from violence and harassment. Serving in the army becomes truly prestigious.
Since January 1, 2012, the government has increased the monetary allowance of the military by an average of 2.5-3 times, also providing for a number of benefits and allowances. Housing issues have moved from the dead point. For example, if in 2009 120,000 military remained without housing, in 2014 this figure dropped to 55,000.
For some time, the housing problem continued to be solved by allocating apartments at the expense of the state, but the financial burden turned out to be unbearable for the country's budget, a serious drawback of such a system was the long years of waiting for an apartment. In this regard, the emphasis was placed on the program of preferential mortgage lending, which allowed contractors to get their own housing in a short time.
Rearmament is a priority
Our country entered the active phase of military reforms in 2012. The main attention was directed to the modernization of weapons, since the bulk of armored vehicles, artillery and aviation was produced back in the 1980s. Over 6 years, more than 15 trillion rubles were allocated for these purposes. rubles.
The most successful experts call the appearance of the modernized T-72B3 tank (its prototype is more than 40 years old), the Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft (versions of the Su-27 fighter), as well as completely new models: the Armata universal combat platform and the fifth generation fighter Su-57.
According to Putin's March address to the Federal Assembly, from 2012 to 2018, the equipment of the Russian armed forces with modern types of weapons increased by 3.7 times. This includes 80 new intercontinental ballistic missiles; 102 new ballistic missiles for submarines; 3 Borey strategic missile submarines; strategic missile system "Yars", which was equipped with 12 missile regiments.
technological breakthrough
Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, noted that all the latest weapons systems actually nullify the Pentagon's efforts in the field of missile defense, which will be in vain not only at NATO bases in Eastern Europe, but also on the territory of the United States.
Among the most formidable Russian weapons, experts name the Sarmat missile system, which will be equipped with the widest range of huge nuclear warheads, including hypersonic ones. Colonel-General Viktor Esin, Chief of the Main Staff of the Strategic Missile Forces, notes that the Sarmat will have time to hit the target, even if enemy missiles are fired first.
Experts also single out an underwater drone capable of hitting aircraft carriers and coastal fortifications; high-precision hypersonic aviation missile system (10 times the speed of sound); a cruise missile with a small-sized heavy-duty nuclear power plant.
Among the new challenges for the Russian military-industrial complex are types of weapons operating on new physical principles, in particular, laser weapons. According to Vladimir Putin, we are one step ahead of our competitors in this area.
Total superiority
Alexander Golts, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the online publication Ezhednevny Zhurnal, believes that as a result of military reforms, the Russian armed forces have gained absolute superiority in the post-Soviet space, with the exception of the border with China. However, the unprecedented scale of militarization has turned into a new round of confrontation with the West, which, according to Golts, will force the Kremlin to return to the concept of mass mobilization.
Political scientist Sergey Karaganov expresses the opinion that one of the main tasks - to stop the advance of NATO to the borders of Russia - has been fulfilled by the military reform. Thus, according to the expert, the danger of a major war in Europe was averted, but at the same time there was a threat of war in other regions where the interests of Russia and NATO could clash.
Representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance are very concerned about the success of the Russian military-industrial complex. The commander of NATO's European forces, General Curtis Scaparotti, notes that if the United States does not continue to modernize its armed forces, then by 2025 Russia will be able to challenge them in all areas.
No matter how pathetic it may sound, but the constantly accelerating technological progress is reshaping the “face” of our common reality faster and faster: where growth used to take decades, now changes happen in just six months. It looks like a growing snowball - now technologies give birth and improve new technologies, and humanity can only reap the fruits of progress. How has our life changed at the household and everyday level over the past ten years?
You can't go to the doctor's office
The situation with domestic healthcare has never been a simple topic - and in ten years, unfortunately, little has changed, but for those who do not want to sit for hours in the emergency room or in line in the corridor, there are still changes. Now you can make an appointment with a specialist on the public services website or use an online consultation - the doctor will listen to complaints in any of the messengers, advise what to do next, or, if the situation has become critical in his opinion, he will accept an order for a private visit. There was an opportunity to use a private ambulance, and to assemble a whole council if you are not sure of the opinion of one of the doctors.
Taxi can be called through the application
Surely everyone remembers the need - and sometimes the impossibility - to get through to the dispatcher, long explanations of where exactly to park the car, or feverish waving of hands on the side of the road. Now everything is much simpler - just open the application on your smartphone, select a car from among those that are nearby, find out its rating and see where exactly it is going now and how soon it will get to you.
Cash becomes unnecessary
And it’s not necessary to pay for using the same taxi in cash - more and more often for many situations we use cards or smart gadgets like watches: when buying bread in a bakery, in a restaurant, in a car wash. More than 80% of all payments are now made without the participation of paper money - and this, of course, is far from the limit.
You can buy groceries or order pizza online
You can no longer waste time running around the supermarket and endlessly standing in line with a cart, and you don’t need to run in search of pizza or sushi in the middle of the night at minus twenty: the same applications in your smartphone allow you to quickly and easily place an order and wait for the courier. Apparently, the next step in this direction will be the creation of some unmanned modules, which can also overcome traffic jams faster than current couriers, for example, fly around in the air; I think it will happen very soon.
You can fly cheap and work from anywhere
“And a ticket for a plane with a silver wing” has finally ceased to cost like this very wing - if you’re lucky, you can fly somewhere to Europe for the weekend very, very budget, and flights between Russian cities have become much cheaper, thanks to promotions and low-cost airlines. The most profitable and delicious offers can be tracked on websites and booked to travel anywhere at very fabulous prices - it remains only to understand when to work in order to earn enough for so many trips. Although even here the issue is being resolved by leaps and bounds - more and more people are switching to remote forms of work.
Telescopes are no longer needed
This, of course, is only about ordinary users who want to satisfy their curiosity. Scientists still need telescopes, and they will be used for a long time - and there, too, progress is not dormant. For those who want to watch a flying Tesla or find out which constellation is overhead at the moment, just open YouTube or an application on your smartphone. So now with the phrase “Darling, do you want me to show you a star?” it is hardly possible to charm anyone, although ...
Take amazing pictures from above
Ten years ago, it was already possible to take a selfie, but launching a smartphone into the air is not yet, but since then, fortunately, flying devices have appeared. And with them - the whole technology of photography and separate social networks for drone lovers. The air seems to be no longer such a deserted and safe place for bird walks - more and more human activity will move there, and very soon.
You do not need to go to the bank to transfer money
It seems that each of us at least once in our lives cursed in line at the bank and the imperfection of the world order when trying to make a money transfer anywhere. Money went for a long time, was lost, and you also had to walk behind them with your feet - now everything has changed. Most often, it is enough to fill out the profile once - and then transfer the necessary amounts in any direction with literally one click, and the recipient does exactly the same thing - after some minutes he receives an alert, smiles and makes “thumbs” on the smartphone.
Photoshop is no longer needed
Of course, professional photo retouching will not go anywhere for a very long time - but for an ordinary user, one of the thousands of applications for a smartphone is enough, which automatically bring even almost hopeless shots into a divine form. The moral side of the question hangs in the air - if everyone is so beautiful on social networks, then who then walks the streets? But this is already being solved - with magnetic eyelashes, new formulas for masking creams and instant whitening pastes. Surely one day it will be as easy to change your real appearance as a selfie picture in a smartphone - once, and you are already perfection.
Over the past 100 years, mankind has made more scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs than in the time before. It's just amazing how fast technology develops, it's just a snowball that rolls down the mountain and every meter gets bigger and bigger! And behind this ball are old things and memories associated with them ... because it was part of our life.
And in order to visually show you the speed of technology development, let's see how much life has changed over the past 10-15 years.
Mobile phone
Huge models of mobile phones were more like a walkie-talkie than a fashionable compact gadget. Not only could they not be put in a lady's handbag, but it was also problematic to simply hold them in fragile female hands!
Entertainment
Frankly, the choice was small ... The most popular game was, of course, "Snake". This is not Angry Birds with divine graphics. But still ... Let's not prevaricate and honestly admit that more than one hour was spent on this very "Snake", and spent with pleasure!
Technomania
Previously, in order to feel comfortable, we had to buy almost the entire hardware store! A camera, video camera, pager, game console, e-book, personal computer, player, calculator, pedometer, GPS navigator - all this is now placed on your miniature smartphone. Just a fantasy that became reality. And we live at this very time, guys 🙂
Internet access
Remember how we once went to computer clubs to find some information on the Internet. Now you can put an entire Internet cafe right in your pocket!
By the way, Russia today is one of the countries with the best and cheapest mobile Internet. For example, MegaFon was one of the first companies in the capital to build 4G networks. And once such a breakneck speed seemed to us something out of a series of fantasy...
Melodies and pictures
Not only was mobile Internet access considered a luxury, but its speed was simply deadly - slower than a snail! In order to upload a picture, not to mention music, one had to have nerves of steel and patience. No kidding! Photos were loaded for 5-10 minutes and, basically, everything stopped at the most interesting. Well, you understand… 😀
It becomes funny when teenagers get mad and throw a mobile phone if their picture is loaded for the whole (!!!) 5 seconds.
Coating
Remember how we went through whole quests in search of a net, a la "Find a sacred tree under which the net catches."
Today, mobile operators provide not only affordable tariffs and high-quality communication, but also excellent coverage!
Communication
Just think, even 10 years ago we got out in any way: some talked for 2 seconds with friends so that the operator, God forbid, would not withdraw money from the account, others, in order to hear a native voice or chat with a heart-to-heart, switched to night rates . We exchanged expensive MMS to see others and show ourselves off. Then Viber, Skype and WhatsApp were out of the question!
Yes, this is heaven and earth! It is called: there is something to remember, there is nothing to tell the children! And the next time you complain that you have a slow mobile Internet, remember all this. And tell the kids if you have any. They will be interested, we guarantee 🙂
Rumors about the death of Russian engineering and the death of the Russian technological space are greatly exaggerated - I will give a few examples. The company "" is engaged in the creation of tools in the field of nanotechnology - nanofabs, scanning microscopes that allow you to examine a substance down to atoms. They have created a lot of interesting devices, their pioneering technologies in this area are now presented in the expensive segment of the American market and leave behind 6-7 world-famous companies. This is truly an international company. It is curious that throughout the 20th century, scientists dreamed of seeing the atom. And now the NT-MTD company is producing a nanoeducator - a device with which even a schoolboy can see an atom in a lesson.
Also in the world is highly valued "", which manufactures antiviruses. More than a thousand people work around the clock - they receive calls from the US, Australia and other parts of the world, every day they track hundreds of thousands of computer viruses and look for an antidote.
In addition, in Russia they learned how to create parts for machines and mechanisms using 3D printers. Now, having a computer image of some detail, it can be grown from plastic, and if necessary, from titanium. While it is long and expensive, but it is already possible to solve significant problems. Imagine that one part of some very important unit failed, and the manufacturer does not want to sell it - now you can get around it.
An interesting nanotechnology - a nanocone - was developed by Kazan physicists. An active substance, for example, a drug, is placed in it, closed with a nanocap, and when the nanocone reaches the organ that it should act on, you can open the nanocap and transport the drug. And this is not done somewhere, but here, in Kazan!
The technology that is already working in Krasnodar is also impressive. In 2012, the scientist Shinya Yamanaka received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the fact that he learned to turn an ordinary cell into a stem cell, and any tissue can be made from a stem cell. So, in Krasnodar they learned how to grow a human trachea.
There are also technologies that came from fairy tales. Remember the story about Cinderella, when her stepmother did not let her go to the ball, mixed two types of grain and ordered her to sort it out before morning? So scientists from Voronezh solve the “Cinderella problem” very easily. There is a lot of infection that can get into the grain, so it is important to sort it out very accurately - at the micro level, to separate good grain from bad. To achieve this goal, a grain separator was created, in which the quality of the grain is determined using a laser: the good is skipped, the bad is instantly blown away. The device was created on the initiative of production workers - workers "". And this, I think, is very valuable.
Technologies are developing rapidly. In 2018, it is impossible to imagine your life without gadgets, although just 10 years ago, in 2008, almost no one had a smartphone with Internet access. Lifehacker recalls how we lived 10 years ago and talks about how our everyday life has changed since then.
1. No need to go to a doctor's appointment, you can consult online
Russian health care is not the most pleasant topic for conversation. In 2008, going to the doctor's office was difficult. Queues, booking a month ahead and a feeling of melancholy and hopelessness. Let's be honest, after 10 years the situation has not changed much.
But now you can make an appointment with a doctor through the State Services website, or you can even contact a specialist online. He will consult even in Skype, even in WhatsApp or Telegram and will tell you what to do next. In 2018, you can invite a doctor to your home through a mobile application or call a private ambulance. In general, over the past 10 years, it has become easier to get sick, and easier to be treated.
2. No need to catch a taxi on the road, you can order in the application
Remember how we called a taxi 10 years ago? They voted by the roadside or called the taxi service. The call was accompanied by waiting for the operator's response, an unobtrusive melody and messages: "You are the seventh in the queue", "You are the fifth in the queue." This could go on for several minutes. If you did not know the address, you had to frantically look for a sign on the house and explain to the operator where you were.
Now, to call a taxi, just open the application on your smartphone. You can select a car, see the driver's rating and track where the car is driving on the map. Progress has reached the point where we now just get out of the taxi and do not pay: the money will be debited from the card automatically. At first, this was somehow embarrassing, now paying in a taxi with a card is in the order of things.
3. No need for cash, just a smartphone
Bank cards themselves are cool. They make shopping more convenient and keeping money safer. Already in 2008, cashless payments accounted for two-thirds of all payments, and now - more than 80%.
But in 2018, you don’t need any money or cards to pay for a purchase in a store or a restaurant bill. It is enough to have a smartphone or smart watch at hand. There are suitable terminals almost everywhere: in a bakery, coffee shop and transport.
A year ago, people who pay with a watch or a smartphone were viewed as sorcerers and deceivers. Now technology has taken root and has become a part of our lives.
4. It doesn't take a fortune to fly a plane.
For 10 years, air tickets have fallen in price so much that flying by plane has ceased to be a luxury. Now you can buy a ticket to St. Petersburg for 999 rubles, to Paris - for 4 thousand rubles, and to New York - for 9 thousand. It's all about promotions and low-cost airlines.
With the development of the Internet, it became possible to easily monitor prices and find out about promotions of carriers. And low-cost airlines that offer reduced passenger service create competition for conventional airlines. All this is so cool that you don’t know what to do with it: there are cheap tickets, but there is no time to travel. Although here we have made significant progress by starting to work remotely.
5. You don't need to look through a telescope to see a Tesla flying through space.
Over the past 10 years, scientists have learned an incredible amount about the universe. Now astronauts are growing fresh greens in space and posting photos on Instagram, and colonizing Mars doesn't seem like such a crazy idea anymore.
Anyone can take a virtual walk around the ISS, and Elon Musk is having fun to the fullest by sending Tesla into space with a dummy in a spacesuit and books by Isaac Asimov.
You can admire the chic electric car in the spirit of the times: no telescope, only YouTube. In addition, get two bonuses: David Bowie songs and space landscapes.
6. No need to go to the bank to transfer money abroad
Transferring money abroad in 2018 is as easy as calling a taxi, ordering pizza or admiring the Earth from space. To do this, you do not need to go to a bank branch, a smartphone or computer is enough. For example, the Western Union company, in cooperation with which we wrote this material, has an online transfer service.
It's simple and fast: go to the site, enter data and transfer money. You can transfer from the card to cash, or you can directly to the recipient's account. In the first case, the money will be available within a few minutes, in the second - within one or two days, but the commission is less. In some countries, money can be transferred to a bank account on the day of transfer.
You can transfer from a card to an account to 51 countries of the world (you can see the list of countries and the terms of crediting), and from a card to cash - to more than 200 countries.
To send money, you only need a passport. Register on the site and transfer up to 100 thousand rubles. You can follow the status of the transaction in your profile, and you can calculate how much the transfer will cost.
