The armies of eastern recruits can only go to war under a white flag
If the armed forces and military-industrial complexes of Ukraine and Belarus are among the largest in Europe (albeit mainly due to its voluntary disarmament), then four other neighboring countries of the former USSR still have absolutely insignificant armed forces and zero defense industry complexes.
Moldova, for example, was not helped even by the fact that it had to wage a war over Transnistria, and conflicts almost always contribute to the intensification of the construction of the Armed Forces.
There is nothing to do beyond the Dniester
The Moldovan army, already weak, is gradually declining due to extremely insufficient funding. Aid from Romania is limited due to a lack of resources on its own. In fact, it all ended with the delivery of the TAV-71 armored personnel carrier, a certain amount of munitions and equipment. For the rest, the Armed Forces of Moldova are armed with equipment received from the Soviet Army.
Ground forces include three infantry - 1st "Moldova" (Balti), 2nd "Stefan cel Mare" (Chisinau), 3rd "Dacia" (Cahul) and artillery ("Prut", Ungheni) brigades, communications regiment “Bessarabia” (Chisinau), battalions - engineering “Codru” (Negreshty), special forces “Fulger” (Chisinau), MTO (Balti), security of the Ministry of Defense (Chisinau). In service there are 44 BMD-1, up to 115 armored personnel carriers (no more than 9 BTR-D and 6 MTLB, 11 BTR-80, about 89 Romanian TAV-71), 9 self-propelled guns 2S9, 69 towed guns (17 M-30, 21 2A36, 31 D-20), 111 mortars (59 M-43 and M-120, 52 2B14 and M-1977), 11 Uragan MLRS, 120 ATGM (72 Fagot, 21 Konkurs, 27 Shturm), 36 anti-tank guns MT-12, 39 anti-aircraft guns (28 ZU-23, 11 S-60).
After the collapse of the USSR, the Air Force of Moldova represented a significant force, having received 34 MiG-29 fighters. But one of these planes was shot down over Transnistria, more than 20 were sold to Romania, Yemen and the USA. There are a maximum of nine cars left in storage, and they are also supposed to be sold somewhere. Therefore, the Air Force consists only of transport and training aircraft and helicopters. These are 1 Yak-40 (1 more in storage), 1 Tu-134, 5-6 An-2, 1 An-26, 1 Yak-18, about 12 Polish PZL-104s, up to 4 Mi-8s. Ground air defense is carried out by 1 regiment of the S-125 air defense system (12 launchers).
The Armed Forces of Transnistria, according to some estimates, are armed with 18 T-64 BV tanks, more than 100 armored personnel carriers, over 70 guns and MLRS "Grad", a significant number of anti-tank and air defense weapons, 6 Mi-24 attack helicopters. This means that the military potential of Moldova is completely insufficient to return Transnistria by force. Rather, the armed forces of the unrecognized republic can capture at least part of Moldova. True, in this case, Romania will probably come to its aid, which will provoke a major regional conflict. However, so far such a development of events seems unlikely. Since the Moldovan army continues to gradually degrade, Chisinau will not dare to seize Transnistria by force. Kiev may support the intervention (it is possible that the fiery Russophobe Saakashvili was appointed by the governor of the Odessa region under this option), but now Brussels, which is already very tired of the Ukrainian conflict, even in its current version, will not allow it. Moreover, Tiraspol will not start the war first.
The current economic situation in Moldova looks frankly catastrophic with a tendency to deteriorate, so no prospects for the restoration of its Armed Forces are visible. Much more likely is the complete political and economic collapse of the state and, accordingly, its army.
Unlike Moldova, the Baltic countries have long been members of NATO and the EU. But this did not bring them economic prosperity, let alone military power.
Vilnius armada
The ground forces of Lithuania include the 1st and 2nd motorized infantry brigades ("Iron Wolf", "Zemaitia" - in the stage of deployment), 1 engineer battalion. Armed with 11 BRDM-2, about 263 armored personnel carriers (up to 19 Soviet BTR-60 PB, 8-10 MTLB, 234 American M-113), 54 American M101 guns (105 mm), 126 mortars (42 Finnish self-propelled Tampella, 20 Soviet 2B11, 18 Romanian M1982, 18 Soviet M-43, 28 Finnish M41D), 40 American Javelin ATGMs (including 10 self-propelled on Hummers). It is planned to purchase in Germany 84 new-built Boxer armored personnel carriers and 12 PzH-2000 self-propelled guns from the order of the Bundeswehr.
The Air Force does not have combat vehicles. There are transport aircraft: 3 Italian C-27Js, 2 Czech L-410s, 1 An-2 (8 more in storage), 3 An-26 in storage. Training: 1 Czech L-39ZA (2 more L-39С in storage). Helicopters: 4 Mi-8s (and 5 in storage), 1 French AS365N.
SAM - 21 Swedish RBS-70. MANPADS - 8 American "Stingers", 2 Polish "Thunder". Anti-aircraft guns - 18 Swedish L / 70 (40 mm).
The Lithuanian Navy includes 3 Danish-built patrol boats of the Fluvefisken type, 1 former Norwegian missile boat Storm, used as a patrol boat (2 more of the same ones were withdrawn from the Navy), 1 former Norwegian minelayer Vidar, 4 minesweepers (2 British type "Hunt" and German type "Lindau"). None of the ships have any missile weapons. In the early 90s, the country received from Russia 2 IPCs of project 1124 (they became payment for the construction of housing by Lithuanians for officers in the Kaliningrad region), which were classified as frigates in the national navy. Vilnius was going to sell them to Tbilisi, but after the August 2008 war, NATO imposed an unspoken, but extremely tough embargo on any arms deliveries to Georgia, so both ships were scrapped.
Riga commandos
The ground forces of Latvia include one brigade, as well as a special forces detachment. Formally, the country is the only Baltic country with tanks in its army. However, these are just three extremely outdated T-55s, used for training purposes, since they have no combat value. There are also two no less obsolete BRDM-2 (apparently, they have already been decommissioned) and eight American Cougar armored vehicles. It is expected to receive from the British Armed Forces 123 BRM series CVR (T) ("Spartan", "Simiter", etc.). The artillery includes 26 Czech K-53 guns and 68 mortars - 24 British L-16s, 26 Soviet M-43s and 18 Swedish M-41Ds.
There are 12 Israeli Spike ATGMs (this is the only weapon that can be called modern) and 2 Swedish RBS-56s. The air defense consists of 24 Swedish RBS-70 MANPADS and 22 L / 70 anti-aircraft guns from the same.
The Air Force has 4 multipurpose Mi-17s, 1 Mi-2 (and about 6 in storage), 2 Italian A-109s (in the Border Guard). In addition, about 10 An-2 maize aircraft, 1 Czechoslovakian transport aircraft L-410 and up to 5 Polish training PZL-104s have been removed from service and are in storage in a non-flying state.
The navy includes 11 patrol boats: 5 newest self-built Skrunda catamarans, 1 Astra, 5 Swedish type KVV-236. There is also a former Norwegian minesag of the Vidar type and 5 minesweepers Imanta (Dutch Alkmaar). The Norwegian missile boat of the Storm type (without anti-ship missiles) and the German minesweeper Lindau are used as training boats. 3 more RC "Storm" (also without anti-ship missiles, they were used as sentries) and 2 German minesweepers "Condor" were withdrawn from the Navy and are in the layup.
Tallinn monsters
The Estonian ground forces include the 1st and 2nd infantry brigades.
In service with 157 armored personnel carriers (20 Soviet BTR-80, 49 Finnish XA-180 and 81 XA-188, 7 South African "Mamba"), 98 towed guns (32 Finnish N61-37, 42 N63 - a copy of the Soviet 122-mm D-30, 24 British 155-mm FH70), 310 mortars (41 B455, 80 M252, 10 NM-95 (L-16), 165 M41D, 14 2B11), 132 ATGMs (120 American Javelin, 10 Israeli MAPATS, 2 Swedish RBS-56 "Bill"), 27 French Mistral MANPADS, 98 Soviet anti-aircraft guns ZU-23. It is planned to purchase 44 Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicles from the Dutch Armed Forces.
The Air Force is armed with 2 An-2 (1 more in storage), 2 Czechoslovak L-39C training aircraft and 4 American R-44 light helicopters. There is 1 Soviet Mi-8 in storage. In addition, the border troops have 2 light transport aircraft L-410, 1 Cessna-172, 1 American light helicopter Enstrom-480 and 3 European AW139.
The Navy consists of 3 former British Sandown-class minesweepers used as patrol ships.
Thus, the total potential of all three Baltic armies is negligible without a chance to change the situation due to the lack of their own defense industry and funds for the purchase of equipment. There are no plans even to acquire tanks, MLRS, combat aircraft and helicopters, at least medium-range air defense systems, boats with strike weapons, not to mention submarines and warships. From the point of view of conducting a classic war, the Baltic Armed Forces can simply be neglected.
Armored cam
As for the deployment of NATO troops in these countries, the United States is transferring a brigade group from Germany to Eastern Europe, which is armed with 90 Abrams tanks, 140 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 20 M109A6 self-propelled guns. If such a group were located in each of the limitrophes, it would be possible to talk about something, but it will be one even not for three countries, but for the whole of Eastern Europe. That is, very insignificant forces will "smear" from Estonia to Bulgaria. Naturally, this measure has no military significance and is not even a political, but a purely propaganda measure. Western Europe has neither the resources nor the will to defend the limitrophes. The United States has the resources, but it certainly has no desire.
