There have been massive downsizing of the GRU in the past years for "military reforms". Resulting in these "reforms" have been :
1. Fight over its agent and "field officers" networks
2. Closing of its foreign intelligence bases like in Lordes Cuba and In Vietnam
3. The transfer of ObrSpN brigades into VDV recon. brigades and army recon. and navy
4. Replacement of GRU chiefs and heads with FSB "Alpha" operators
5. Special operations forces of the ObrSpN detachments and elite direct action operators transferred to Vympel and Alpha in FSB and SVR.
6. Lack of moral
7. Phasing out of high ranking GRU officials
8. Closing and auction of the newly built GRU headquaters in MOSCOW and the closing of training bases in Samara etc
9. SIGINT and COMINT divisions now under command of Defence ministry.
So what are the likely causes?
The following are some speculative reasons:
1. Politics- The FSB heads and the "siloviki" want totalitarian control of what was the worlds largest intel. agency
2. Personal Gain- Corrupt officials within the GRU putting pockets first before country and their organization
3.Change in russian foreign policiy- Russia doesnt have to pursue global hegemony,is reluctant to engage in international conflicts
4. Greater antiterror role- more focus is need on counterterrorist russia's only real threat at this moment
5.End of the cold war- GRU is not need as a shock force to fight NATO, sabouteers only needed for regional conflicts
6.Professional and contract army- gru commandoes were conscripts, trained for 1 year and then put into battle(some say 5 years for ObrSpN operator), conscripts leave and then forget what they learnt.
7.Poor performance???? - From my knowledge they performed the best amongst all forces in Astan, chechnya, georgia(22obrSpN rescued VDV peacekeepers), some folks say they are conscripted, poorly trained,shadow of their soviet past, and never battle ready, thus suffering high casualties
Resulting Consepuences:
1.Less capable russian wartime capability
2. Degradation of russian intelligence gathering
How will NATO see this?
I haven't studied the situation and i am not familar with the current state of the russian armed forces and the progress of the reforms. This is all just speculation.
I hope members on this forum will distinguish the true from the false, and make a better conclusion.
Regards and cheers,
gloriousfatherland
Last edited by gloriousfatherland on Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:52 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : have to haven't)