Google Earth updates satellite images of a significant part of Russia several times a year. In recent years, the country's leadership has been paying serious attention to improving the defense capability of the Russian armed forces; many positive changes in this area can be seen in Google Earth images.
The guarantor of the independence and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation is the Strategic Nuclear Deterrence Force (SNF).
The Russian armed forces have a classic version of the "nuclear triad" - ground (Strategic Missile Forces), naval (SSBN) and air (DA) components.
As of the beginning of 2015, the Russian strategic nuclear forces had about 500 strategic delivery vehicles carrying about 1,900 nuclear warheads.
The largest number of nuclear charges in Russia are deployed on the intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) of the Strategic Missile Forces (Strategic Missile Forces). Approximately 300 missile systems in service with the Strategic Missile Forces can carry about 1,100 nuclear warheads. The Strategic Missile Forces are armed with mobile and silo-based ICBMs.
Mine-based ICBMs - R-36M / R-36M2, UR-100N UTTH, RT-2PM2 Topol-M - are on alert in protected silo launchers (silos).
Satellite image of Google Earth: silo RT-2PM2 Topol-M in the Saratov region
Currently, some missile divisions of the Strategic Missile Forces, which in the past had mobile ground complexes, are switching to a new mobile missile system - RS-24 Yars, which, unlike the single-block Topol, carries three individual targeting warheads with a capacity of 150 -300 kt in TNT equivalent.
In addition to the warheads themselves, countermeasures are installed on the RS-24 Yars, which guarantee the overcoming of any missile defense system existing at the moment.
Satellite image of Google Earth: the location of the mobile missile systems in the Ivanovo region
At their permanent deployment site, the launchers are located in Krona-type shelters, which are equipped with a retractable roof and allow missiles to be launched at any time.
The Russian Navy has 8 strategic missile submarine cruisers (SSBNs), with ballistic missiles on board.
Ballistic missiles in service with Russian submarine missile carriers are capable of carrying about 500 nuclear warheads.
SSBN units are available in the Northern (Northern Fleet) and Pacific (Pacific Fleet) fleets.
The Northern Fleet has 5 SSBNs of project 667BDRM, each of which carries 16 R-29RM missiles and 1 missile carrier of Project 955 with 16 R-30 Bulava-30 missiles.
Satellite image of Google Earth: SSBNs pr. 667BDRM and pr. 955 in the parking lot in Gadzhievo
At the Pacific Fleet in Krasheninnikov Bay, 2 SSBNs of project 667BDR with 16 R-29R missiles on board are based.
Satellite image of Google Earth: APRK pr.949A and SSBN pr.667BDR parked in Krasheninnikov Bay in Kamchatka
It is planned that 2 missile-carrying submarines of pr. 955 will become part of the Pacific Fleet by the end of 2015.
The aviation component of the Russian strategic nuclear forces includes 11 Tu-160 bombers and 55 Tu-95MS bombers, which are deployed at two air bases in the European part and in the east of the country.
Satellite image of Google Earth: strategic bombers Tu-160 and Tu-95MS at Engels airbase in the Saratov region
In addition to the Tu-95 and Tu-160, the long-range aviation includes 40 Tu-22M3 bombers.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Tu-22M3 at the Shaikovka airfield in the Kaluga region
Several years ago, the Tu-22M3 missile carriers, which were in service with naval aviation, were transferred to long-range aviation. All aircraft of this type, capable of taking off, were flown from the Far Eastern airfields to the European part of the country.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Tu-22M3, which are "in storage" at the Olenya airfield in the Murmansk region
Currently, about 100 Tu-22M3 are "in storage", it is expected that 30 vehicles will undergo major overhaul and modernization.
The most important means of space control and missile attack warning are stationary over-the-horizon radars, which are used as part of a missile attack warning system.
Recently, stationary radars of old types of this purpose are being replaced by new Voronezh radars - meter and decimeter ranges.
Not so long ago, the Voronezh-DM radar station was commissioned in the Kaliningrad region, not far from the Dunaevka airfield. This radar was built to replace the old station of a similar purpose "Volga" in Belarus.
Satellite image of Google Earth: radar station "Voronezh-DM" in the Kaliningrad region
The radar station in the Kaliningrad region serves to monitor air and space objects flying from the western direction.
The Voronezh-M radar station, built near the village of Lekhtusi in the Leningrad Region, is planned to be upgraded to the Voronezh-VP modification.
Satellite image of Google Earth: radar station "Voronezh-M" in the Leningrad region
This will make it possible not only to control the missile-dangerous northwest direction, but also to observe high-altitude aerial targets on the east coast of the United States.
This year, the Russian Aerospace Forces, in accordance with the state defense order, should receive more than 150 new aircraft and helicopters.
The process of developing and adopting new models of aviation technology is underway. Usually, new types of combat aircraft are tested at the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) at the Ramenskoye airfield near Moscow and at the 929th State Flight Test Center of the Ministry of Defense named after V. P. Chkalov (GLITs) in Akhtubinsk.
Satellite image of Google Earth: PAK FA T-50 in the parking lot for experimental equipment of the Ramenskoye airfield
Satellite image of Google Earth: aircraft parking at the GLITs airfield in Akhtubinsk
New types of combat aircraft entering service with the Aerospace Forces are initially supplied for development in the 4th Order of Lenin Red Banner Center for Military Tests and Training of Air Force Personnel named after V. P. Chkalov in Lipetsk. Here in Lipetsk there is a storage base for aviation equipment.
Satellite image of Google Earth: aircraft parking in Lipetsk
Satellite image of Google Earth: aviation equipment at the storage base in Lipetsk
One of the regiments mastering the latest technology is the 23rd IAP, stationed at the Dzemgi airfield in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
Satellite image of Google Earth: fighters Su-27SM, Su-35S and Su-30M2 at the Dzemgi airfield
The 23rd IAP is armed with single-seat fighters - Su-27SM and Su-35S and two-seat fighters - Su-30M2. All these machines were built by KnAAZ, with which the 23rd IAP shares the runway.
In 2011, work began on the modernization of the A-50 DPLO aircraft to the A-50U level. At the moment, three cars have undergone revision. In the course of the modernization, the radio-electronic complex of the machine was updated, the flight range was increased and the habitability conditions were improved. In the Russian Air Force, there are 18 A-50 and A-50U AWACS aircraft in service.
Satellite image of Google Earth: AWACS aircraft A-50 and A-50U at the airfield in Ivanovo
Also, the Russian Aerospace Forces, in addition to the aviation component, includes anti-missile and air defense troops. Currently, the air defense forces are in a planned process of replacing the S-300PS anti-aircraft missile systems (ZRS), which were built in the 80s of the modern S-400 air defense system.
Satellite image of Google Earth: the position of the S-400 air defense system, not far from the settlement of Kurilovo, Moscow region
Most of the S-300PM air defense systems, which were supplied to air defense units in the 90s, have been upgraded to the S-300PM2 level, which will allow them to operate for another 20 years.
Satellite image of Google Earth: the position of the S-300PM air defense system at the Gvardeyskoye airfield in the Crimea
Soon after the reunification of Crimea with Russia, an anti-aircraft missile battalion from another region of the country was transferred there to strengthen the air defense of the Russian military group in this area.
After a long period of decline, positive changes began to take place in the navy.
After the transfer in March 2014 of the main naval base of the Black Sea Fleet (BSF) under the jurisdiction of Russia, its strengthening of the combat strength of the fleet began.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Black Sea Fleet warships docked in Sevastopol
First of all, there was a strengthening of the Black Sea Fleet aviation. Su-30SM multifunctional fighters were deployed to the military airfields of the Crimea.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Su-30SM fighters at the Saki airfield in Crimea
In 2015, there were reports of the redeployment of several diesel submarines of the project 636 to the Black Sea fleet.
The only aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Russian Navy, project 1143.5 "Admiral Kuznetsov" based in the Northern Fleet (SF) from May to August 2015 was undergoing repairs at the dock of the 82nd shipyard in Roslyakovo.
Satellite image of Google Earth: aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" docked in Roslyakovo
The air group of the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" includes carrier-based fighters Su-33, training Su-25UTG, helicopters Ka-27 and Ka-29.
Satellite image of Google Earth: carrier-based aircraft of the 279th shipborne fighter aviation regiment at the base airfield "Severomorsk-3"
It is expected that in the future the Su-33 will be replaced by the deck-mounted MiG-29K. The contract for the supply of 4 MiG-29KUB and 20 MiG-29K should be completed in 2015.
Heavy nuclear missile cruiser 1144 Admiral Nakhimov is currently being repaired at the Zvyozdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk.
Satellite image of Google Earth: "Admiral Nakhimov" in Severodvinsk
Satellite image of Google Earth: warships of the Northern Fleet at a stop in Severomorsk
Despite the losses incurred in the past years, the Northern Fleet still remains the most numerous and combat-ready in the Russian Navy.
