The concern among Western observers is that Russia is now building up its naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean ahead of a possible major assault on rebel positions in Syria. Why US should worry about Putin’s aggression Its latest combat aircraft have seen action there, as have advanced anti-aircraft systems and newly-developed cruise missiles.Īccording to Russian state media, defense officials say the Syrian conflict has revealed “some design and production flaws in Russian combat hardware,” which are now being addressed. Syria has often been used as a proving ground for Russian weaponry. There have been missiles fired from Russian ships in the remote Caspian Sea and from the Mediterranean.īut these naval strikes have made up only a tiny fraction of the intense bombardment carried out by Russian forces in Syria, most of which have been conducted by land-based aircraft.Īnalysts say the deployment of such a large naval task force implies that Russia – a major arms exporter – wants to put its own sea power to the test.

So far, Russian naval power has played a limited role in the Syrian conflict. Why Russia has been ramping up hostile actionĪ naval tug boat routinely accompanies the 31-year-old ship, which has been dogged by mechanical failures in recent years. This is the first time the Admiral Kuznetsov – which can carry up to 50 aircraft including strike planes and helicopter gunships – has been deployed on a combat mission. It remains one of the few nations able to project power globally in this way, albeit in a vastly diminished capacity compared to the old Soviet Union. Russia: The biggest issue for the next US president?Īssembling such a large Mediterranean armada sends a powerful message about Russia’s military capabilities.

Naval armada syria