U.S. vs. Russia: What a war would look like between the world's most fearsome militaries

[Obambam]

I have seen countless of these so called "America vs Russia" and "America vs China" threads. How about an "America vs Russia and China" comparison? It is an unlikely scenario, but it is more likely than these 1 vs 1 comparisons. War between these nations will not go "toe to toe". It will be between factions and most likely proxy wars (as mentioned by some fellow members).

 

[Vassnti]

Unlike our Neoconservatives, Putin knows that force discredits itself if it is not used decisively. Like Napoleon, he knows that you can do anything with bayonets except sit on them. Russia’s expeditionary force in the Middle East, unlike America’s, is not there to drive around replenished minefields, getting legs blown off by IEDs. Their artillery will devastate ISIS’ strongholds as it did Chechnya. Their tank/plane combination will open the way for the murderous militias.

I would say unlike the neoconservatives Putin doesnt need to bargain with the tea party/convince the democrats or submit to questions on CNN. "The Chechen separatist sources in 2003 cited figures of some 250,000 civilians, and up to 50,000 Russian servicemen, killed during the 1994-2003 period." Dont expect a searching interview on Good Morning Russia if the wrong target is hit in Syria.
Unlike US presidents that have been nice and safe in the US, Putin lost a grandmother and a brother to the war and grew up in a family that lived through the siege of Leningrad. Churchil had it right, while Nato will do thier best, Russia will do what is necessary and if your are in the way of that its going to hurt.

The problem is, just because Russia involved in Assad side, and bomb the crap out of ISIS and FSA, it does not make the war stop. It will only escalate the war into putting a more complex perspective.
Set aside if Air strike can actually do anything, the problem is that can Russia supply weapon and directly involve in 2 war away from home? It would be nice PR to fly some jet and drop some bomb in the name of ISIS, but the ground reality is, can Russian support make any different?

How about what difference can Russian airsupport/intel make when it is backing 15000 Quds force. Russia provides the tech Iran provides the grunt, a hard combination for militia groups to face. It wont win back all of Syria but might stabalise the western third enough to give us a few more generations of Assad's.

 

[The Ultranationalist]

Nuke-free war Russia stands no chance. US is military juggernaut

Russia can't fight conventional war with USA. It will always be proxy war

There just isn't any contest conventionally. The US has massive power projection capability and will be able to take the war to their front door.

you all are ignoring russia's most powerful weapon, its resolve to fight. remember the war betwen russia and and germany?

 

[jhungary]

How about what difference can Russian airsupport/intel make when it is backing 15000 Quds force. Russia provides the tech Iran provides the grunt, a hard combination for militia groups to face. It wont win back all of Syria but might stabalise the western third enough to give us a few more generations of Assad's.

15,000 troop is actually not a big number (Quite small, actually), it's a bit less than a standard infantry division. It will be too thinly spread for border stabilisation, you will probably need around 70,000 to 100,000 troop to stabilise one side of the border or you may want to use it as a mobile strike corp. So you can either use them to defend or attack, you can't use them to do both.

In all, with traditional military wisdom suggest a Battalion (~500 men) can hold a 2 KM front, 15000 troop can hold about 600 km worth of front line. Given both Russian Air Support and Iranian Quds force have the standard of an Modern army. When you compare it to a similar situation in Afghanistan, where 130,000 ISAF force with 350,000 ANP/ANA contribute to only little to stabilise the region