After START Treaty, Russia Announces New Military Build-Up

Thirteenth Century Depiction of the Red Horse of War

The USA and Russia signed a nuclear reduction treaty called START which became effective a few weeks ago (Nuclear Reduction Deal With Russia). Now that it is in place, and the USA feels it is safe to reduce its military might, the Russians have publicly announced that they plan to spend hundreds of billions to upgrade their military:

24 February 2011 Last updated at 07:17 ET

Russia plans $650bn defence spend up to 2020

Eight nuclear submarines, 600 jets and 1,000 helicopters feature in plans to renew Russia’s military by 2020, priced at 19tn roubles (£400bn; $650bn).

One hundred warships are also due to be bought in, including two helicopter carriers, in addition to two already being purchased from France…Analysts say the ambitious programme only makes sense if the military upgrades its training and recruitment…

Missile defence boost Last week, Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin announced that spending on defence development would triple from 0.5% of GDP to 1.5% from next year.

The defence spending was detailed in Moscow on Thursday by First Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin.

“The main task is the modernisation of our armed forces,” he said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12567043

So, Russia is warning the world that it will modernize its military and spend “big bucks” to do so.

But, we have not heard anything similar yet from the USA. Will that be coming soon?

Not likely. While the USA will do some modernization, it has so many political considerations (including economic) when it makes defense spending decisions that optimal defense capabilities are not always the top priority (often getting or keeping defense-related jobs in certain areas plays a major role). The essentially bankrupt USA cannot really afford to be on top militarily and its political system will likely contribute to it making the wrong decisions for its next major war. The USA’s recent focus on terrorism seems to have gotten it to overlook who its future enemies will be. Thus, the USA will likely modernize the wrong aspects of its defenses.

Speaking of modernization of their military, it was recently announced that Germany apparently has the quietest submarines available in the world:

Super-stealth sub powered by fuel cell

CNN – Feb 22, 2011…

The super-stealth vessel is the first of its kind to be powered by a revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell that lets it cruise the deep blue without giving off noise or exhaust heat.

That’s important, because according to Bernd Arjes, a captain in the German Navy, silence keeps submariners alive.

“We operate in coastal waters around Europe and this submarine is specially designed for finding submarines. If you want to find other submarines of course you have to be quiet,” he said.

With this latest technology, he added, “the boat is virtually undetectable.”

But being indistinguishable is not the only thing that sets the U212A apart. Unlike conventional subs, which need air to combust diesel, the fuel cell doesn’t require oxygen to operate.

This means it can remain submerged for many weeks — holding its breath many times longer than its gas-guzzling cousins.

You’d expect a boat like this to pack a punch, and you’d be right.

The 212A is armed with 12 heavyweight wire guided torpedoes, each capable of destroying a war ship or disabling an aircraft carrier. http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-22/tech/hybrid.submarine_1_submariners-aircraft-carrier-howaldtswerke-deutsche-werft?_s=PM:TECH

It would seem that the German submarines may be able to track and eliminate even American submarines and air craft carriers without being detectable. This may not bode well for the USA in the future.

The world is changing. The times show that the Gentiles are rising up (cf. Luke 21:24, Revelation 11:2, Ezekiel 30:3). This also means that the Anglo-powers like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will no longer be on top. Consider the following”

1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’
3 For the day is near,
Even the day of the Lord is near;
It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. (Ezekiel 30:1-3)

35 And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.” (1 Chronicles 16:34-35)

We are getting closer to this time than most think.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? What are the role of the Gentiles?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What is the Book of Revelation trying to tell us about them? Does the first one deceive many?
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?