“They do pretty good”: US admiral urged to follow Russia's example in matters of strengthening defense

U.S. Navy Commander in Europe Admiral James Foggo called on the Allies of the United States to follow Russia's lead in strengthening defense capabilities.

The Foggo conversation with reporters in December was brought to the attention of the American media. Then the admiral answered several questions regarding the defense policy of Russia, drawing attention to the success of the Russian fleet.

“I tell our allies and partners if you want to protect your shores, but are limited in resources, look at what Russia is doing in the area of ​​restricting and denying access and maneuver, and also opt for such systems: smart mines, anti-ship winged missiles, integrated coastal radar stations, ”said Foggo.

He also mentioned Russian submarines, noting that a number of offshore platforms at Moscow’s disposal have "extremely great potential."

“Severodvinsk comes to mind (project 855. - RT ). This is an excellent platform that poses a serious challenge. Six new Kilo-class submarines in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea with a hybrid diesel-electric powerplant - the last word in technology. They are very quiet when moving on batteries, ”said the US military commander.

He added that Russian submarines have great shock capabilities thanks to the Caliber missile system. Foggo noted that Russia continues to invest in the submarine fleet.

“This is an asymmetric way to challenge the West and NATO. And, in truth, they do it pretty well, ”concluded the admiral.

He also mentioned Russia's activity in deploying S-300 and S-400 air defense systems, while noting the growth of Crimea’s defense capability. According to Foggo, there is an increase in military power in the region that impedes access to the waters around the area.

“In particular, we are talking about the S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, coastal defense radar systems, anti-ship cruise missiles and similar weapons,” the admiral explained.

Note that earlier in the Pentagon they pointed out the threat of the United States lagging behind “potential adversaries in the person of China and Russia” in the development of several types of weapons.

The deputy head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General John Haiten, said in January that the United States armed forces should develop more actively in order to prevent Russia and China from circumventing themselves.

Haiten expressed confidence that the United States "is still leading in most military fields," but the possibility of a lag is quite real. According to the general, Moscow and Beijing are developing their armed forces at a faster pace than Washington.

“Our experience is in many ways unique.”

In an interview with RT, experts drew attention to the irony of the situation with a positive assessment of Russian success in strengthening defense by an American officer.

“It's amazing that a representative of a country that has repeatedly stated that the country's economy is“ torn to shreds and the army will not be reborn, ”suddenly begins to cite our military policy and our successes in the field of military construction and strengthening defense,” said the military expert and Editor-in-chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine Viktor Murakhovsky.

At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that Russia's successes in strengthening defense capabilities were recognized by the entire international community, including the leadership of the NATO bloc countries.

“At the same time, the resources that we spent on our defense are incomparably less than, for example, the USA. We have proved in practice that it is possible with efficient resources to solve the country's defense tasks, ”the expert emphasized.

However, the interlocutor of RT doubted that one of the US allies would be able to successfully repeat the Russian experience.

“Our experience is in many ways unique. And here it’s more likely to talk about a certain envy than about the opportunity to go our own way, ”he concluded.

According to the head of the Center for the Study of Public Applied Issues of National Security, Alexander Zhilin, considering praise from the United States, "you need to carefully look at what is behind this."

“If we believe that this admiral is sincere, then, indeed, in recent years, Russia has shown sanity. What is meant? We are talking about creating a release of weapons systems of a defense nature, ”said the expert.

He pointed out that Russia, unlike the United States, has a purely defense policy. As Zhilin emphasized, the political leadership of the Russian Federation proceeds from which weapon is most effective in terms of existing challenges.

“If you are threatened by US missiles, then, accordingly, you must strengthen the air defense and create a belt that no missile can overcome. What we are successfully doing, ”the expert concluded.