Luc MICHEL for EODE/
Flash géopolitique – Geopolitical Daily/
2017 08 31/
“The Russian Federation, being a great sea and land power must take into account all aspects of geopolitical processes happening in the World Ocean, in coastal territories, and in adjacent water zones”
– The Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Field of Naval Activities for the Period until 2030;
RUSSIA’S NEW NAVAL DOCTRINE:
MAKING A STATEMENT OR PRE-BUDGET DEBATE SKIRMISHING
Excerpts : “Russia’s new Naval Military Doctrine (that will remain in force until 2030) effectively replaces the previous doctrine signed in 2015. As the previous doctrine was slated to remain in force until 2020 the introduction of the new doctrine two years in advance required an explanation. Pro-government Russian outlets praised the doctrine as a response to the rapidly changing global environment, while independent experts dismissed the doctrine as a propaganda exercise that sets unattainable goals and is primarily intended to buttress the Russian Navy’s position in the upcoming budget battles. The Naval Military Doctrine preaches the need for a powerful modernized navy.
While the strong naval tradition can be expected in the United States with theorists like Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan and his The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, Russia has always been a land power. In Soviet times Sergey Gorshkov (1910-1988) revolutionized Soviet military thinking by persuading the leadership that Russia needed a navy to project power and be a component of the nuclear deterrence triad. These themes continue in the new doctrine for example in paragraph 8. « 8. The Russian Federation continues to retain the status of a great sea power; its naval capacity ensures the implementation and protection of its national interests in any area of the World Ocean, is an important factor of international stability and strategic deterrence, and allows it to pursue independent national maritime policy as an equal participant of the international maritime activities. »
However, perhaps reflecting an awareness that in Russia’s sanctions-impacted economy requests for massive naval investments are a hard sell, the doctrine is laden with explanations on why the navy is essential for protecting Russian economic interests and assuring access and communications to the more remote parts of Russia that are rich in natural resources and therefore are coveted by foreigners. The Arctic area in particular is singled out. This line of thought can be seen in the following paragraphs « 18, The long-term significance of the World Ocean for the entire world and for the Russian Federation will grow steadily due to the depletion of natural resources on land, impact of human economic and other activities on the environment, climate change, human migration, and other processes…
« 20. Recently, rivalry between countries for the access to the natural resources of the World Ocean has become stronger; the aspirations of a number of states to gain control over the strategically important maritime transportation routes have intensified. In the context of increased intensity of World Ocean exploitation for economic and military goals, the political significance of the above-mentioned factors acquires a global character…
« 23. For the period until 2030, the forecast is a militarily and politically unstable global situation, characterized by increased global competition, rivalry between world power centers, unstable political and economic processes taking place against the backdrop of deteriorating international relations and the activation of transnational terrorist groups.
« 24. Existing dangers still remain and new dangers emerge to the national security of the Russian Federation in the World Ocean; the chief of them are:
« a) The ambition of a number of countries, primarily the United States of America (USA) and its allies, to dominate the World Ocean, including the Arctic, and to achieve overwhelming superiority for their naval forces;…
« h) Flash points for the eruption of armed conflicts and their escalation in the territories strategically significant for the Russian Federation and its allies exist, as well as in the territories of the countries that have outlet to the World Ocean.
« 27. The necessity for the naval presence of the Russian Federation in strategically important and other regions of the World Ocean is also determined on the basis of the following dangers:
« a) The increased ambition of a number of states to possess sources of hydrocarbon resources in the Middle East, the Arctic, and the Caspian Sea basin;…
« b) The negative impact on the international atmosphere caused by the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, [as well as] conflicts in the Middle and Near East, and in several South Asian and African countries
« 28 b) maintaining strategic stability and international rule of law in the World Ocean, in particular, by the effective use of the Navy as one of the major tools of foreign policy of the Russian Federation;…
« 29 c) Creating in the remote areas of the Arctic and the Far East districts of the Russian Federation of dual-purpose infrastructure facilities with the aim of providing basing for civil ships, Navy ships and vessels, and federal security service bodies; ».”
(From Russian RT)
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* Luc MICHEL (Люк МИШЕЛЬ) :
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