US weapons systems that make Russia 'desire'

Despite its formidable strength, the Russian military still lacks some weapons to catch up with the US in terms of effective combat capabilities.

During the late Cold War period,The Soviet Union gradually lost ground to the United States in the war.race to possess the best weapons technology. The collapse of the Soviet Union caused the country's defense industry to collapse, leaving Moscow to covet Washington's cutting-edge weapons systems, according tomilitary expert Robert Farley ofNational Interest.

5th generation fighter

US F-35 5th generation fighter. Photo: USAF.

Five years ago, Russia hoped that the Sukhoi PAK FA or T-50 fighter would help it catch up with the US in the field of fighter jet development. However, this program is currently stalled due to economic and technological factors, causing the number of fighter jets produced on order to decrease sharply. Meanwhile, the US has deployed the 5th generation fighter F-22 Raptor to frontline units. The 5th generation stealth fighter F-35 is also about to be widely equipped in the US military.

While Russia continues to build and operate other capable fighters such as the Su-35, no Russian fighter can compare to the F-22. Until the PAK FA or other Russian next-generation aircraft enter service, the United States will have a decisive advantage in air superiority.

Precision Guided Munitions (PGM)

US Predator drone. Photo: AFP.

While Russia has begun using precision-guided munitions more extensively in Syria than in previous wars, it still lags behind the US in deploying the weapons.

Part of the reason is that Russian military doctrine tends to place less emphasis on damage mitigation than the U.S. military. The second reason is that Russia still lacks a large PGM stockpile like the one the U.S. has built up over the past several decades.

In addition, Russian aircraft are not equipped with sensor pods like most Western aircraft when carrying out air-to-ground attack missions, making Russia's air campaign fundamentally different from that of the West and sometimes less effective.

Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) complex

In the final years of the Cold War, Soviet military strategists recognized that combining long-range strikes with information technology would be the dominant factor in the future military era. But they also understood that the Soviet Union lacked the systems needed to compete with the United States in advanced communications and computer technology.

Currently, the Russian military still lacks the communications, intelligence, and coordination technology that the United States has in combat. While Russian forces have fought effectively in Georgia and Syria, the addition of drones, lightweight communications equipment, satellite navigation systems, and high-speed computers could make them much more effective.

Landing ship

The US amphibious assault ship USS America is considered as powerful as an aircraft carrier. Photo: US Navy.

In 2010, Russia signed a contract to buy four Mistral-class amphibious assault ships from France, two built by France and two with Russian participation, to fill a gap in its amphibious warfare capabilities that had been neglected since the end of the Cold War.

However, the contract fell through after Russia annexed Crimea, leaving the Russian Navy without any modern landing ships. During its military intervention in Syria, the Russian Navy had to use old Ropucha-class landing ships while the country's shipbuilding industry is still struggling to assemble large modern ships.

"Although the Russian military is very capable, it still struggles with the legacy of the Cold War. The economic downturn and low oil prices continue to affect the professionalization of the military. However, the Russians recognize the weaknesses in the military and are working hard to overcome them," Farley emphasized.

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According to VNE