Modernization of a land forces of Russia begins

[FutureTank]

Most training units have T-72. I think T-55 might be only found in russian marines service - but here i'm unsure. T-55 might be hard to replace for them due to its low weight.

T-55s still used in driver training, but not 1000 as Janes suggests.

 

[FutureTank]

It's via a russian specialised tank forum with very limited axcess, sorry.

I can give another source, the Romanian military journal, 2002:
All tanks - 21 820

1 200 T-55
2 020 T-62
4 300 T-64 A/B
9 700 T-72 L/M
4 500 T-80/-U/-UD/-UM
150 T-90
(8 000 tanks on conservation)
150 PT-76
2 000 BRMD-2
7 500 BMP-1
4 600 BMP-2
100 BMP-3
1 800 BMD
700 BRM-1K
900 BTR-80 including conservation)

1 000 BTR-50
4 900 BTR-60/-70/-80
575 BTR-D
4 800 MT-LB
http://gmr.mapn.ro/Arhiva_pdf/2002/Revista-4.pdf

All these numbers are a complete guesswork.
After 1996 entire tank divisions with near-brand-new T-80s were renamed to training bases.
At the same time existing training schools received between a platoon and a company of every type of tank in the inventory, with parks growing from an average of 3-10 tanks to, in some cases, full battalions of mixed inventory. Since training units were excluded from the 'counting' this placed hundreds of tanks on the reserve list. Same thing happened to other equipment. Many BTRs and MTLBs were transferred to scientific exploration and research institutions and state authorities. However these remain property of MoD.
I'm not sure if anyone has done the accounting exercise, but every MD had a training regiment, and every Army a training battalion. This is aside from various schools and higher education institutions which keep their own assets.

This is why the various lists are rounded to 00.

 

[FutureTank]

On service only the Army without Internal Ministry forces and Marines:
T-54/55 - 1031; T-62 - 689; T-72 — 2144; T-80 — 3045; T-90 — 208. All- 7117. The remained are in storage. US CIA open source, 2007.

I find this figure hard to believe. My impression is that the T-72 variants outnumber T-80s in active service 2:1, with 1/2 of T-80s held in storage. The process seems to be to rotate the parks on divisional basis every two years with simultaneous upgrade applied to these vehicles.
T-62s are held only for training and export, as are many T-55s. There is talk of plans to convert some into the heavy IFVs along the Israeli example, but so far no signs of anything to this effect actually being achieved.

 

[swerve]

All these numbers are a complete guesswork.
....

They aren't complete guesswork, since they start from CFE declarations. Armed with all of them since 1990, & lists of units, you can make a half-decent guess at the number of tanks held elsewhere in the country.

 

[FutureTank]

They aren't complete guesswork, since they start from CFE declarations. Armed with all of them since 1990, & lists of units, you can make a half-decent guess at the number of tanks held elsewhere in the country.

I am neither so armed, nor prepared to make the half-decent guess even if I have the OOB for 2006. Its a huge job. Are you game?

 

[swerve]

I am neither so armed, nor prepared to make the half-decent guess even if I have the OOB for 2006. Its a huge job. Are you game?

No. Nobody's paying me to spend weeks working on it, & I don't have the CFE details or an accurate OOB.

 

[FutureTank]

No. Nobody's paying me to spend weeks working on it, & I don't have the CFE details or an accurate OOB.

I can get the CFE details, and I do have a reasonable OOB, but time is at a premium right now also, with several projects.

It is something I looked at before, but found the task daunting :-(

 

[Rossiman]

I will be impressed once Russia starts to deploy a reasonable amount of new "modern" equipment, while feeding its troops.

 

[F-15 Eagle]

I will be impressed once Russia starts to deploy a reasonable amount of new "modern" equipment, while feeding its troops.

Oh don't wory that will happen soon, its just a matter of time. Its not a question of if Russia will get funding anymore, now its more like what will they spend it on now.