What's Next for the Russian Military?

USSR Military vs. Russian Military

Over the last ten years the Russian military has shrunk from a world superpower to a shadow of its former glory. Here are some figures that show the degree of the Russian military's decline.

Note that the USSR's population in 1989 was 288.7 million, compared to a 2001 Russian population of 145.4 million people. Also, the USSR's gross domestic product was US$1,100 billion in 1990, compared with Russia's US$241 billion in 2000, according to the World Bank Group.

	USSR 1989	Russia 1999
General
Total Troops	4.7 million	1.1 million
Military Budget	US$271 billion	US$7 billion
Ground Forces
Personnel	1,900,000	420,000
Tanks	53,350	5,559
Air Forces
Personnel	448,000	210,000
Combat Aircraft	5,130	1,855
Fighters	1,885	415
Fighter Bombers	2,475	725
Naval Forces
Personnel	437,000	180,000
Nuclear Submarines	201	66
Nonnuclear Submarines	147	31
Major Surface Warships	264	44
Combat Aircraft	1,039	329
Nuclear Offensive Forces
Total Nuclear Warheads	6,938	3,590
ICBM*	1,451	756
SLBM**	960	412
Long-Range Bombers	195	66

Note: Figures derived from IISS The Military Balance for 1989-90 (USSR) and 1998-99 (Russia).

* Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
** Sub-Launched Ballistic Missile