Russia's recent sabre-rattling has been accompanied by a spate of crashes.

Today, a Mi-28 crashed at an air show in Ryazan. The pilot was killed, the co-pilot got out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s8Ahcxg84g

http://www.rt.com/news/311373-helicopte ... aviadarts/

According to the co-pilot, the crash followed an alert indicating a "failure of the hydraulic boost system".

Russia's Mi-28 fleet has been grounded ...


This is Russia's 8th military crash in just two months.

The previous ones are:

June 4: two separate crashes

A Mig-29 crashed mid-flight in southern Russia. Both pilots ejected and survived.

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=176629
http://tass.ru/en/russia/798829
http://lifenews.ru/video/13168


A Su-34 crashed in the Voronezh region, reportedly due to the failure of the parachute to deploy upon landing. Both crew members survived.

http://rbth.co.uk/news/2015/06/04/su... ... 46646.html
http://su-27flanker.com/2015/06/11/s... ... -airbase/#
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=176632


June 8: a Tu-95 overran the runway after an engine fire. Five crew members were injured. The Tu-95 fleet was grounded after the incident.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/art... ... dents.html
http://www.janes.com/article/52100/r... ... t-and-fire


July 3: a Mig-29 crashed in the Krasnodar region. The pilot ejected and survived. The Mig-29 fleet was grounded after the crash.

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=177551
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/busine... ... 24992.html
http://www.interfax.ru/russia/451488


July 6: a Su-24 crashed upon take-off in Russia's far east. Both crew members were killed. The Su-24 fleet was grounded after the crash.

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=177602
http://www.defensenews.com/story/def... ... /29780629/
http://www.interfax.ru/russia/451488
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/... ... ots-killed


July 14: a Tu-95MS crashed near Khabarovsk after a reported engine failure. The crew of seven parachuted out, but 2 perished. The Tu-95 fleet was grounded after the crash.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art... ... ts-414611/
http://www.defensenews.com/story/def... ... /30130517/
http://theaviationist.com/2015/07/14/ye ... s-crashed/


July 19: an An-12 crashed (overran the runway) in Chelyabinsk during an emergency landing following a double engine failure. All 10 occupants survived.

http://info-news.eu/an-12-crashes-in... ... in-russia/




Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered an investigation into the string of crashes:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/busine... ... 26156.html

It's notable indeed how the increased optemp of the last 18 months has taken a toll. And though the loss of lives is sad, the benefit of putting a bit of a crimp on Putin's resources outweighs that greatly - he must be having doubts how well the air force would stand up to even greater stress.

Quoting Scipio (Thread starter): June 8: a Tu-95 overran the runway after an engine fire. Five crew members were injured. The Tu-95 fleet was grounded after the incident.

Quoting Scipio (Thread starter): July 14: a Tu-95MS crashed near Khabarovsk after a reported engine failure. The crew of seven parachuted out, but 2 perished. The Tu-95 fleet was grounded after the crash.

That must be the reason why we haven't had any reports this summer about those antique scrapheaps flying blindly around western Baltic Sea and North Sea endangering airliners.

Nothing is so bad that it isn't good for something.

Quoting prebennorholm (Reply 2): That must be the reason why we haven't had any reports this summer about those antique scrapheaps flying blindly around western Baltic Sea and North Sea endangering airliners. Nothing is so bad that it isn't good for something.

Must not have been a long grounding after the June 8th incident, wasn't there a report of some Tu-95s flying close to the USA around July 4th and gave a special holiday greeting?

I disagree wholeheartedly. If you read our USAF AIB reports you will see tons of crashes/accidents/incidents that don't make the news, and that's just the Air Force, never mind the Navy, Army and Marines or Coast Guard. Those accidents don't mean squat without context.

You're fundamentally correct, but have you read the linked article for that context you demand:

"According to news agency TASS, Russia from 2010 to 2014 lost on average one aircraft every two months. But the past seven weeks have seen seven crashes across a spectrum of designs and classes, pointing to problems larger than flaws in a single aircraft design."

Quoting csturdiv (Reply 3): Must not have been a long grounding after the June 8th incident, wasn't there a report of some Tu-95s flying close to the USA around July 4th and gave a special holiday greeting?

Read the links provided by the thread starter. Tu-95 grounded Jun 8, flew again Jul 4, grounded again ten days later.

Every day with those scrapheaps grounded is a better day than otherwise.

Quoting prebennorholm (Reply 6): Every day with those scrapheaps grounded is a better day than otherwise.

LOL, yes they're old but they are as much scrapheaps as the B-52 is. The sabre rattling from Russia really means nothing, they can fly their patrols but if anything it gives NATO pilots good QRA practice and helps them polish up their interceptions. Not to mention these patrol flights have been going on for decades, since the USSR days. Russia's armed forces are now a bleak remnant of what they were 25 years ago. The patrols can try to scare Europe all they want but they have little to back them up with (besides nukes of course). Besides, don't forget that NATO has surrounded Russia with bases and fly their own patrols with RC-135s and such. You can't corner a bear and be surprised that it becomes aggressive. Regardless, losing two Tu-95s is quite substantial. Some of the crashes may be due to pilot error but others seem like mechanical failures. Maybe the increased ops tempo has let some mistakes happen in maintenance. The equipment isn't even that old. The Tu-95s and MiG-29s are late 80s build, the Su-34 and Mi-28 are brand new. Hardly scrapheaps considering how old a lot of aircraft in the USAF are...

Quoting prebennorholm (Reply 6): Every day with those scrapheaps grounded is a better day than otherwise

All current Bears are 80's and 90's production models, the B52 stopped production in 62, you do the math.

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 8): All current Bears are 80's and 90's production models, the B52 stopped production in 62, you do the math.

USAF aircraft are considerably better maintained and cared for, with longer design service lives unlike Russian aircraft.

Quoting HaveBlue (Reply 4): I disagree wholeheartedly. If you read our USAF AIB reports you will see tons of crashes/accidents/incidents that don't make the news, and that's just the Air Force, never mind the Navy, Army and Marines or Coast Guard. Those accidents don't mean squat without context.

I thought the same thing, but it does still seem like an awful lot of crashes. Military flying is inherently more dangerous, but as you know, ill maintaining and poor training can create a lot more needless accidents.

I'd throw bad luck into the mix but I don't think that's the full story here...

A RuAF Mig-31 crashed in Kamchakta early this morning (local time). The pilots survived and have been recovered.

http://tass.ru/en/society/833072

One more Mig-31 down. The pilots ejected safely.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016...e/ap-eu-russia-jet-crash.html?_r=0

The aircraft was MiG-31BM "11 red" RF-90905 from Kansk airbase


View Large View Medium

Photo © Kirill Mushak

Quoting Scipio (Reply 12): One more Mig-31 down. The pilots ejected safely.

Apparently they've grounded the fleet

http://www.janes.com/article/57464/r...ounds-mig-31-fleet-following-crash

Cheers
A

Though the following video from last year doesn't add much to the discussion, it's certainly illustrative:


Video Emerges Of Russian Tu-95 Bear Strategic Bomber Exploding (Video)
The Moscow Times Jan. 20 2016

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/a...bomber-exploding-video/556391.html

A Russian military Mi-8 is reported to have crashed in the Pskov region (near Estonia).
According to the search-and-rescue team, at least four people (3 crew members and a technician-instructor) perished.

http://sputniknews.com/russia/201602...34421497/mi8-helicopter-crash.html
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-helicopter-crash-idUKKCN0VH1T9

A RuAF Su-25 crashed today in the Stavropol region in southern Russia. The pilot perished.

http://news.yahoo.com/russian-warpla...ercise-pilot-killed-193433059.html
http://sputniknews.com/russia/201603...9/jet-crash-russia-pilot-dies.html

Another Su-25 crashed yesterday in Russia's far east. Fortunately, nobody got hurt.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...crashes-east-village-hurt-38024837

Quoting Scipio (Reply 18): Another Su-25 crashed yesterday in Russia's far east. Fortunately, nobody got hurt.

Scipio, you keep this thread going steadily.....with these monthly crashes!



No Tax On Rotax

This'll probably be a write-off.

AN-26 engine fire, burned off the engine mounts with severe damage to fuselage and wing.

https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20160329-1

A Mi-28 crashed in Syria yesterday. The two crew members were killed. According to the Russian MoD, the crash was due to technical reasons.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/c...copter-that-just-crashed-in-syria/

http://theaviationist.com/2016/04/12...shes-in-syria-killing-both-pilots/

Reports are coming in, along with satellite imagery, that four Russian attack helicopters were destroyed on the ground in Syria during an IS attack last week. About 20 trucks were also destroyed.

The Russian military denies having suffered any losses.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36368346

Leader of the "Russian Knights" died today when his Su-27 vent down today during an airshow outside Moscow. It is claimed that the Aircraft suffered a "technical malfunction" and that the pilot stayed in his plane to avoid crashing into a village.

Story from RT here:
http://www.rt.com/news/345945-fighter-jet-crash-moscow/

Scooter01

[Edited 2016-06-09 07:11:01]

Russia's Su-27 Fleet Grounded Over Deadly Crash
The Moscow Times Jun. 09 2016

Head of the Russian Air Force, Colonel-General Viktor Bondarev has ordered the grounding of the country’s entire Su-27 fleet, until the reasons behind the crash that led to a pilot’s death on Thursday are clear, the TASS news agency reported.

Meanwhile, investigators working at the crash site recovered the flight-data recorder and sent it to the Defense Ministry’s Research Institute. The black box was in good condition, according to TASS.
...
The Defense Ministry confirmed that the jet crashed while returning to the airbase after a planned flight.
...
The plane probably exploded upon impact, an unidentified crash witness told the journalists. “There was a loud explosion, and a column of smoke rising from the forest,” he added, TASS reported.

The jet was piloted by Major Sergei Yeremenko, according to TASS. The first-class military pilot graduated from the Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute in 2003. During his service, he flew the Yak-52, L-39, MiG-29 and Su-27 aircrafts, and spent more than 800 hours piloting the jets.
...

Source:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/a...nded-over-deadly-crash/571662.html

RIP.
Definitely a bad rash for demo teams...

Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Patrouille Suisse and now the Russian Knights, all within a couple of weeks.
Lest anybody forgets that flying fast military jets is a dangerous job.

Apparently the Russian Knights pilot suffered a stroke which caused the crash ultimately.

A Russian Mi-35 was shot down near Palmyra in Syria yesterday, purportedly by ISIS. The two crew members perished. Russian forces reportedly recovered their bodies.

A video was published on Youtube claiming to show the downing. It shows the helicopter being hit in the tail, after which it becomes uncontrollable and crashes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuzAXcPPzf0

http://www.topnews.ru/news_id_91190.html
http://lenta.ru/news/2016/07/09/mi35/


Last month, on June 16, a Tu-22M3 overran the runway at Ostrov Airbase in Pskov Oblast (west of Russia, bordering Latvia, Estonia, and Belarus). The Tupolev lost its undercarriage and broke a wing. According to the Russian press, the crew did not suffer serious injuries.

http://defence-blog.com/news/russian-tu ... unway.html
http://kaluga24.tv/bombardirovshhik-iz- ... a-posadku/

Russian media are reporting that a Russian Mi-8 was shot down in Syria today. The fate of the five occupants is being clarified, but pictures are circulating online of what is said to be the body, ID, and personal items of a dead pilot.

http://ria.ru/syria/20160801/1473306406.html

Update: All five people on board (3 crew members and two officers of the Russian Reconciliation Center) have perished, according to Kremlin spokesman Peskov.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36939137
http://www.rt.com/news/354128-russian-h ... yria-down/

Russia has lost another aircraft from the Admiral Kuznetsov's air group. A Su-33 was lost after a failed landing attempt, due to a broken arrestor cable. The pilot was able to eject and was picked from the sea by a rescue helicopter.

http://theaviationist.com/2016/12/05/ru ... t-carrier/
http://tass.ru/proisshestviya/3841785

This is the second aircraft loss during Kuznetsov's current mission. On November 14, it already lost a Mig-29K, which crashed into the sea in unclear circumstances.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/chec ... ian-coast/

How many crashes are normal in such case of operations? How many planes does the US regularly lose a year with their Navy ops?

TheSonntag wrote:

How many crashes are normal in such case of operations? How many planes does the US regularly lose a year with their Navy ops?

Two accidents where aircraft are lost in the period of one operation is considered very abnormal for the USN.

And from what I've read, the earlier MiG-29K loss was blamed on the arrestor wire breaking, leading to a halt in air ops that caused one MiG-29K that was still in the air to have a double 'flame out'. This time, we have a Su-33 go over the front after another broken arrestor wire...

ThePointblank wrote:

Two accidents where aircraft are lost in the period of one operation is considered very abnormal for the USN.

And from what I've read, the earlier MiG-29K loss was blamed on the arrestor wire breaking, leading to a halt in air ops that caused one MiG-29K that was still in the air to have a double 'flame out'. This time, we have a Su-33 go over the front after another broken arrestor wire...

Sounds like they have serious problems with the arresting system. I have to wonder if they have some kind of single point failure with it. On USN carriers one wire goes OTS you still have three more. Or maybe it's an efficiency issue. I remember watching from vultures row on the Nimitz the ABE's change out a wire rather quickly. Didn't slow down operations that much.

Probably the best thing for the Russian Navy would be to decommission the Kuznetsov. The money saved could be used on systems that may be of actual use. Not that it would happen since it would a political decision. A decision that I doubt Putin would make.

LMP737 wrote:

ThePointblank wrote:

Two accidents where aircraft are lost in the period of one operation is considered very abnormal for the USN.

And from what I've read, the earlier MiG-29K loss was blamed on the arrestor wire breaking, leading to a halt in air ops that caused one MiG-29K that was still in the air to have a double 'flame out'. This time, we have a Su-33 go over the front after another broken arrestor wire...

Sounds like they have serious problems with the arresting system. I have to wonder if they have some kind of single point failure with it. On USN carriers one wire goes OTS you still have three more. Or maybe it's an efficiency issue. I remember watching from vultures row on the Nimitz the ABE's change out a wire rather quickly. Didn't slow down operations that much.

Probably the best thing for the Russian Navy would be to decommission the Kuznetsov. The money saved could be used on systems that may be of actual use. Not that it would happen since it would a political decision. A decision that I doubt Putin would make.

More like serious problems with the Kuznetsov, period. This deployment has been fraught with problems. This latest incident are cause for alarm about the repair state of the Kuznetsov itself along with deck crew training/responsibilities. Coupled to what is obviously the poor state of her engines (when she deployed, the Kuznetsov was seen belching black smoke through the English Channel), it should be alarming for anyone watching what's going on. It's clear that the Kuznetsov has not been well maintained and kept in good repair, and the inability of her crew to clear and fix problems quickly shows a complete lack of training and procedures in naval aviation. It's only going to be a matter of time before there's another serious incident with the Kuznetsov at this rate.

Cable breaks are not an uncommon occurrence on USN carriers; the difference is that on USN carriers, it's not likely going to lead to a mishap, because of how well trained USN carrier crews are. USN carrier crews are very adept at quickly clearing and fixing problems in a high tempo environment to allow the resumption of flight operations quickly. And in addition, USN crews are very good at keeping the ship in tip top condition to reduce the likelihood of such events, no matter how old the ship is.

I'm just wondering how much longer the Kuznetsov can remain on station before some other issue arises. Maybe an issue that forces it to head back to port.

Interesting article regarding the trials and tribulations of the Kuznetsov.

https://warisboring.com/two-big-reasons ... .s1zefud44

I'm not sure the MIG-29 that went in the drink had the option to divert back to Syria. It's fuel state might have prevented this. Maybe they can call the USN to send some Super Hornets their way next time.

LMP737 wrote:

Interesting article regarding the trials and tribulations of the Kuznetsov.

https://warisboring.com/two-big-reasons ... .s1zefud44

I'm not sure the MIG-29 that went in the drink had the option to divert back to Syria. It's fuel state might have prevented this. Maybe they can call the USN to send some Super Hornets their way next time.

Or, a complete lack of experience and knowledge on the part of the Russian commanders in safe carrier operations had a direct impact on the situation; the USN usually makes sure that if a carrier is recovering aircraft and is close to shore, the aircraft that are landing have enough fuel to make it to the closest land base for an emergency landing.

With the Russian Navy operating close to Syria, the Russian commander had the option of diverting aircraft to land in Syria (or, even Cyprus for that matter) if the carrier could not recover aircraft if they made sure that the aircraft returning did have enough fuel for a divert and made the decision early enough to direct aircraft to divert.

The USN has been doing carrier aviation for over 70 years, and has made safe carrier operations a top operational priority for the fleet. Many of the safety policies, procedures and systems are there as a result of lives lost, and the high value the USN has placed on the lives of the sailors and airmen on their ships. I can't say that the Russians have placed such an emphasis on safety compared to the USN.

ThePointblank:
I can't say that the Russians have placed such an emphasis on safety compared to the USN.

Russians are not Americans. No belt and suspenders culture.

If you ask around there are a lot of problems that western media see for Russia.
And then there are those problems the Russians see from their side.
Not much overlap.

ThePointblank wrote:

More like serious problems with the Kuznetsov, period. This deployment has been fraught with problems. This latest incident are cause for alarm about the repair state of the Kuznetsov itself along with deck crew training/responsibilities. Coupled to what is obviously the poor state of her engines (when she deployed, the Kuznetsov was seen belching black smoke through the English Channel), it should be alarming for anyone watching what's going on. It's clear that the Kuznetsov has not been well maintained and kept in good repair, and the inability of her crew to clear and fix problems quickly shows a complete lack of training and procedures in naval aviation. It's only going to be a matter of time before there's another serious incident with the Kuznetsov at this rate.

It's called concurrency, from all the F-35 threads I know that you are a fan of that method There has been talk of a major refit of the Kuznetsov for several years, including possibly fitting her with nuclear propulsion, removing the vertical launchers and increasing the size of the hangars. Obviously, testing it out in an operational environment is the best way to find and isolate design flaws and defects, and decide what needs to be fixed or improved and how before sending her to the shipyard. It is supposedly going to start in the first quarter of 2017.

ThePointblank wrote:

The USN has been doing carrier aviation for over 70 years

And there you have the answer. This is the first time the Russians are doing actual carrier operations, and not just keeping their qualifications up-to-date with a minimum amount of training due to a lack of funds. They are at a stage where you might as well compare her with the USS Langley.

VSMUT wrote:

It's called concurrency, from all the F-35 threads I know that you are a fan of that method There has been talk of a major refit of the Kuznetsov for several years, including possibly fitting her with nuclear propulsion, removing the vertical launchers and increasing the size of the hangars. Obviously, testing it out in an operational environment is the best way to find and isolate design flaws and defects, and decide what needs to be fixed or improved and how before sending her to the shipyard. It is supposedly going to start in the first quarter of 2017.

I can think of nothing worse for the Russian Navy than trying to refit the Kuznetsov. It would bleed their navy of much needed funds that would do more good elsewhere. Best thing would be to cut her up and incorporate lessons leaned in a new class of carriers. When funds are available of course.

LMP737 wrote:

Best thing would be to cut her up and incorporate lessons leaned in a new class of carriers. When funds are available of course.

The Russians don't have the use case the US has: Bullying Power on the High Seas.
( Most of the stuff they have is defensive or plausible second strike capability.)

But Maybe they need that ... just to give a counter to US expansionism.

As a comparison here is a summary of US crashes in 2016:

15 January - Two United States Marines Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters collide off Oahu, Hawaii

18 March - a landing U.S. Navy E-2C Hawkeye was sent off the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower when a landing cable snapped. The Hawkeye was able to recover level flight, though eight sailors were injured. An arresting cable engine designed to slow the aircraft failed, causing the cable to snap. A Navy report faulted maintainers for a “lack of procedural compliance

18 May - A United States Boeing B-52 crashed on take-off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam

2 June – A Blue Angels F/A-18 crashed while taking off for a practice run two days before an airshow at the Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee. Opposing solo Capt. Jeff Kuss did not eject and was killed in the crash. The incident grounded the team for the next three shows scheduled for the season.

28 July - A United States Navy F/A-18C jet aircraft crashed near Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in Twentynine Palms, California, while on a training mission. The pilot, a major, was killed.

2 August - A United States Navy F/A-18C Hornet crashed during a training mission near Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada. The aircraft was assigned to Marine Strike Fighter Squadron 232, based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California, and had been on temporary assignment to the Strike Fighter Wing Pacific Detachment at Naval Air Station Fallon. The pilot was taken to Banner Churchill Regional Medical Center.

20 September - A U.S. Air Force U-2 reconnaissance aircraft assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base crashed in a rural area near the Sutter Buttes in Sutter County, California. The U-2 was on a training mission. One pilot was killed and another was injured. The crash, combined with hot weather conditions and wind, resulted in a 250-acre wildfire, which was extinguished by firefighters

22 September - An U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B crashed off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. 33rd Rescue Squadron together with JSDF rescued the pilot.

26 October - USMC F/A-18C crashed near 29 Palms. The pilot ejected and survived.

9 November - Two USMC single-seat F/A-18s collided off San Diego. Both pilots survived.

7 December - USMC single-seat F/A-18C Hornet piloted by Capt. Jake Fredrick crashed in the Pacific Ocean, about 120 miles southeast of Iwakuni, Japan. The pilot managed to escape but died after he ejected out of the plane. His body was found and identified next day.

[quote="Balerit"7 December - USMC single-seat F/A-18C Hornet piloted by Capt. Jake Fredrick crashed in the Pacific Ocean, about 120 miles southeast of Iwakuni, Japan. The pilot managed to escape but died after he ejected out of the plane. His body was found and identified next day.[/quote]
13 Dezember - MV-22 Osprey Crash off the Coast of Okinawa, Japan
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1350017

Balerit wrote:

As a comparison here is a summary of US crashes in 2016:

Apples to oranges. If we are solely talking about the two Kuznetsov incidents, you have to filter the US crashes to carrier operations related crashes only.

Or at least look at the amount of flight hours vs. accident rate

WIederling wrote:

The Russians don't have the use case the US has: Bullying Power on the High Seas.
( Most of the stuff they have is defensive or plausible second strike capability.)

But Maybe they need that ... just to give a counter to US expansionism.

The Russians have most of their bullying power wrapped up in their army.

ramair wrote:

Or at least look at the amount of flight hours vs. accident rate

That's the big thing. The USAF, USN and USMC all fly significantly much more and at a higher realism and intensity than the Russians do. Basically, we train like we fight, and we fight like we train.

ThePointblank wrote:

Or, a complete lack of experience and knowledge on the part of the Russian commanders in safe carrier operations had a direct impact on the situation; the USN usually makes sure that if a carrier is recovering aircraft and is close to shore, the aircraft that are landing have enough fuel to make it to the closest land base for an emergency landing.

With the Russian Navy operating close to Syria, the Russian commander had the option of diverting aircraft to land in Syria (or, even Cyprus for that matter) if the carrier could not recover aircraft if they made sure that the aircraft returning did have enough fuel for a divert and made the decision early enough to direct aircraft to divert.

The USN has been doing carrier aviation for over 70 years, and has made safe carrier operations a top operational priority for the fleet. Many of the safety policies, procedures and systems are there as a result of lives lost, and the high value the USN has placed on the lives of the sailors and airmen on their ships. I can't say that the Russians have placed such an emphasis on safety compared to the USN.

Another problem the Russian Navy has is a lack of career/experienced NCO's. NCO's are the backbone of the US Navy and their experience is invaluable. The Russian Navy does not have that.

LMP737 wrote:

Another problem the Russian Navy has is a lack of career/experienced NCO's. NCO's are the backbone of the US Navy and their experience is invaluable. The Russian Navy does not have that.

To be expected when the bulk of the personnel in your military are conscripts, with the bulk of them only serving for just under 2 years. That just leaves the officers as the most experienced personnel.

An Il-18 with Russian soldiers on board crashed in Siberia. There were no fatalities, but 16 of the occupants were seriously injured.

http://www.news18.com/news/world/russia ... 24752.html
http://www.rt.com/news/370700-russian-m ... h-yakutia/