Experts expose the strengths and weaknesses of the Russian military.

A Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet of the Russian Air Force. Photo: Getty/AFP

The United States, Russia, and China are considered the most powerful nations in the world when it comes to military strength, with the US undeniably holding the number one spot. Even so, Russia still has many weapons up its sleeve, most notably its massive nuclear arsenal of approximately 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads.

However, according to Russian military analyst Aleksandr Golts, not to mention nuclear weapons, the US has an overwhelming advantage in conventional forces, including a more powerful air force and navy.

According to Golts, China also has a numerical advantage when comparing conventional forces with Russia. However, in other areas, things are not so clear.

"The Russian air force is now much stronger than China's," he told DW. "As for the navy, it's a question mark, because China is undertaking a very ambitious shipbuilding program and they are more successful in building a global 'blue navy' than Russia."

Golts added that although Russian warships are old, they are often equipped with state-of-the-art cruise missiles.

However, this military expert warned that ranking countries according to military strength is "more or less useless" because the effectiveness of armed forces depends on the goals set by the country's leadership.

Nuclear submarines are an integral part of the Russian navy's power. Photo: Getty/AFP

"It's not always easy to know where the goal is."

This view is reflected by Russian journalist and military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer. He warns that real-life conflicts depend on many different variables, including the geography and ethnicity involved.

He told DW: “It’s like predicting the outcome of a soccer match: It’s true that Brazil would basically beat the US when playing soccer, but I’ve seen the Americans beat Brazil in South Africa, at the Confederations Cup. You never know the result until the game is over.”

Felgenhauer noted that Russia is lacking in areas of modern military technology, including the design and production of drones, electronic components, and radar and satellite reconnaissance. For example, Russia is currently producing surveillance drones under license from Israel, and it completely lacks the capability for attack drones.

Russia is also working to modernize its command and control centers, which process information from the battlefield and provide it to the military.

Felgenhauer said: “That’s what the Russian military is talking about: Yes, we have weapons, including long-range weapons, but our reconnaissance capabilities are inferior to our offensive capabilities. So we have long-range weapons, sometimes even accurately guided, but we don’t always know where the target is.”

No more German and French satellites.

According to the analyst, these problems were exacerbated by the 2014 Crimea crisis. In the years leading up to the conflict with the West, Moscow spent at least $500 million in the US on so-called "dual-use" items, which could be used for both military and civilian purposes.

Felgenhauer said, "These are electronic components for Russian weapons and satellites, various types of special steel and glass."

Similarly, "Germany and France were also producing dual-purpose satellites at the time, primarily military satellites and spy satellites for Russia. And all of that kind of work has now stopped."

A Russian tank on duty in Aleppo, Syria. Photo: pa/dpa

Good weapons during the Soviet era

According to experts, facing Western sanctions, Russia is also seeking to develop its own unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and narrow the technological gap in other areas. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union has left Moscow weaker not only in terms of territory and military numbers, but also in terms of military suppliers.

Aleksandr Golts said: “The Soviet Union had a rather unwise economy, but at least it was very logical. It had nothing to do with a market economy, but the main goal for any enterprise on Soviet territory, whether geared towards the military or civilian sector, was to be ready to produce goods and equipment for the military in case of war. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, these systems also disappeared.”

However, the legacy of the Soviet Union is still very much present in the modern Russian military, as many of their advanced systems are "developments of old but good Soviet-era systems and modernization of that kind of technology," Golts said.

One such weapon is the decades-old Su-25 fighter jet, designed to support troops in the field. Russia recently announced that the latest version of this aircraft has entered production.

Golts told DW: “This aircraft is very well-known to those who participated in the Afghan war in the 1980s, like myself. But the designers insisted that it only resembled the old Su-25 in appearance, while all the electronics were completely modern… and it proved effective in the Syrian war.”

20,000 tanks

Besides its nuclear arsenal, there's another area where Russia clearly holds the top spot. Recently, the Kremlin announced that Russia possesses more tanks than any other country in the world.

Felgenhauer noted: "I've seen figures as high as 20,000, meaning Russia possesses more tanks than all NATO member countries combined."

Most European powers reduced their tank capabilities after the end of the Cold War, instead focusing on conflicts with terrorist and guerrilla groups. This, according to Felgenhauer, puts them at a significant disadvantage should a war break out on the ground in Europe.

He said: "Germany now only has 300 tanks. As for Britain, I think only 250, and France roughly the same."

If a full-scale war were to break out across Europe, according to Felgenhauer, Russia would also hold a logistical advantage over the West. While NATO would need months to mobilize its entire force, Russia would be able to increase troop reinforcements within a much shorter timeframe.