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In a deal which coincides with PM <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi">Narendra </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi">Modi’</a>s visit to Russia, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Anil+Ambani">Anil </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Anil+Ambani">Ambani</a>-led <keyword id="54268" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Group">Reliance Group</keyword> has signed an agreement with Russia's manufacturer of Air Defence Missile Systems, <keyword id="3182945" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="AlmazAntey">AlmazAntey</keyword>, to work jointly on a range of air defence missile and radar systems for the <keyword id="1161005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Defence-Forces">Indian defence forces</keyword>.<br />
 <br />
The pact with AlmazAntey will extend to 'Deep upgrades' modernization, repairs, execution of offsets, supply of spares, as well as research and development projects for the Indian armed forces, the former said in a release on Thursday. <br />
<br />
Reliance Group has also signed a deal with the Russian United Shipbuilding Company for warships.  <br />
<br />
"Working with Reliance Defence will help us develop new directions for both companies to address future requirements of the Indian Armed Forces," VF Medovnikov, Vice Chairman of AlmazAntey was quoted as saying in the statement.<br />
 <br />
Reliance Group's Reliance Infrastructure recently concluded an open offer for Pipavav Defence &amp; Offshore Engineering Co, which took the company's shareholding in the latter to 35%. <br />
<br />
Reliance Infrastructure said recently that it plans to make its recent acquisition Pipavav Defence &amp; Offshore exit corporate debt restructuring. Reliance Infrastructure acquired 18% in the company from the promoters for Rs 819 crore, making its foray into the defence sector. <br />
<br />
The company will be renamed Reliance Defence and Engineering in January 2016. <br />

Reliance Group signs pact with Russia's AlmazAntey for air defence missiles, radars

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia has established a clandestine weapons program in China, Reuters reported.</li><li>China is helping Russia develop attack drones for use in the war with Ukraine, per Reuters.</li></ul><p>Russia is tapping China to build long-range attack drones for use in its war against Ukraine, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-has-secret-war-drones-project-china-intel-sources-say-2024-09-25/">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p>The report stated that Russia had created a secret weapons program in China, citing documents as well as two unnamed sources from a European intelligence agency.</p><p>Experts on the region told Business Insider that although such a partnership has not been publicly reported before, it's<strong> </strong>plausible and should have been expected.</p><p>In Reuters' reporting, IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russia's state-owned arms company Almaz-Antey, has developed and tested a long-range attack drone model called the Garpiya-3, or G3, in China.</p><p>Citing reports sent by Kupol to the Russian Ministry of Defence earlier this year, Reuters said that the drones were developed with the help of local specialists in China.</p><p>It said that another Kupol report had said that G3s and other drones could be produced at the Chinese factory at scale for the war in Ukraine.</p><p>The outlet also wrote that it had seen invoices confirming that Kupol had received seven military drones made at the facility in China to its headquarters in the Russian city of Izhevsk.</p><p>Two of these were G3 models, it said.</p><p>The G3 can travel about 1,200 miles with a payload of 110 pounds, Reuters wrote, citing the Kupol reports.</p><p>Furthermore, the Kupol reports said that within eight months, the Chinese factory would be able to produce another drone with a payload of 400kg, per Reuters.</p><p>This would be comparable<strong> </strong>to a US Reaper drone, European intelligence officials told the outlet.</p><p>China's foreign ministry told Reuters it was unaware of such a project.</p><p>Business Insider has not independently verified the Reuters report. However, two experts told BI that it is plausible.</p><p>"It is absolutely a likelihood — almost a near certainty — that the cooperation between Russia and China at the military and technical level is deeper than is commonly reported," said James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at London's Chatham House think tank.</p><p>The West "shouldn't be surprised" at the newly reported closer cooperation, he added.</p><p>China claims to be neutral in the war with Ukraine. But <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-and-china-anti-us-coalition-is-growing-more-threatening-2024-9">its partnership with Russia is growing</a> — including aiding Russia's sanctions-hit economy by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/china-russia-economy-record-trade-crude-oil-india-demand-sanctions-2024-3">buying vast amounts</a> of oil, and partnering in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-and-china-anti-us-coalition-is-growing-more-threatening-2024-9">showy joint military exercises</a>.</p><p>But prior to the Reuters report, it was thought that China stopped short of transferring entire weapons systems to Russia.</p><p>Nixey said it's a matter of increments.</p><p>The US had long accused China of supporting Russia's war effort by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-says-china-giving-russia-support-behind-scenes-ukraine-war-2024-5">supplying dual-use components</a> that could be used in the manufacture of weapons, and, Nixey said, it would be "naive" to assume they are not.</p><p>On September 11, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell accused China of straight-up <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-accuses-china-supporting-russia-military-exchange-submarine-missile-tech-2024-9">supplying military parts</a>.</p><p>The new report will make it "increasingly difficult" for the West to ignore the ways that China is aiding Russia during the war, Sari Arho Havrén, an associate fellow specializing in China's foreign relations at the Royal United Services Institute, told BI.</p><p>"I think we are moving towards a situation where this simply cannot be ignored anymore," she said.</p><p>Officially, the EU's position is to impose sanctions on countries that provide military aid to Russia, she said. But Brussels has been unwilling to do that to China.</p><p>Sanctions are "absolutely China's fear," Nixey said.</p><p>If that happens, "then China's well-oiled machine, there's suddenly grit in it because secondary sanctions will prevent China from interacting with a global economy, which it must do if it is to continue growing," he continued.</p><p>Even so, China's motivations for working so closely with Russia are clear, he said.</p><p>While the two countries do not have identical worldviews, Russia's war in Ukraine provides a significant challenge to Western readiness and influence, something that China finds extremely useful.</p><p>"Let's be absolutely clear about it: China does not want Russia to lose this war," Nixey said. "That would not be in China's interests."</p><p>The war, he said, "is a symbol and a forebear of Western ability, Western spine, Western political will to defend the rules-based international order." </p><p>The West has reacted with alarm to the latest news.</p><p>NATO's spokesperson, Farah Dakhlallah, told Reuters: "These reports are deeply concerning and Allies are consulting on this matter."</p><p>"The Chinese government has a responsibility to ensure its companies are not providing lethal assistance to Russia," Dakhlallah added. "China cannot continue to fuel the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War without this impacting its interests and reputation."</p><p>However, according to Nixey, the West should have also done far more.</p><p>"We should have been planning for this way before," he said. "We shouldn't be hoping it doesn't happen. That's insane."</p>

Russia reportedly has a secret long-range drone program in China. Experts say it shouldn't surprise anyone.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www1.fips.ru/wps/portal/ofic_pub_en/#page=document&amp;type=doc&amp;tab=PO&amp;id=899E1A96-941A-42C0-9BD9-624DBE297BF5">Almaz-Antey</a></span></p><p class="caption">Images of RU Patent  (11) 113562.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Russian arms maker Almaz-Antey filed a patten in February 2018 on what looks like a literal flying AK-47 drone.</strong></li><li><strong>It doesn't make a ton of sense as a weapon or a plane. There's a few obvious challenges to finding a use for what is basically half AK-47, half model airplane. </strong></li><li><strong>But crazy patents get filed all the time, and this may just be one of them. </strong></li></ul><p>Kalashnikov's AK-47 represents a timeless design and an instantly recognizable icon of warfare, but one thing it cannot do is fly.</p><p>But Russian arms maker Almaz-Antey <a href="http://www1.fips.ru/wps/portal/ofic_pub_en/#page=document&amp;type=doc&amp;tab=PO&amp;id=899E1A96-941A-42C0-9BD9-624DBE297BF5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a patent in February, 2018</a> on what looks like a literal flying AK-47 drone.</p><p>Images filed with the patent show a minimalist drone formed around a Kalashnikov-style rifle, and were <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1105520017179840515" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first pointed out by aviation writer Steven Trimble on Twitter.</a></p><p>The aircraft has no apparent propulsion, but has two large bulbs that may support propellers. It looks to have large control surfaces built into rear vertical stabilizers and towards the gun's barrel at the front of the aircraft.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Almaz-Antey</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The gun appears a completely standard Kalashnikov rifle, with a standard banana-shaped magazine that extends conspicuously from the bottom of the airframe. The drawings of the drone show absolutely no effort made towards making the gun streamlined or more aerodynamic. </p><p>Russia has unveiled a number of unusual drones in recent years, including an underwater drone meant to fight off undersea divers. The underwater drone is armed with an underwater version of a Kalashnikov assault rifle.</p><p><strong>Read more: </strong><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-is-apparently-putting-assault-rifles-on-underwater-drones-2018-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia is arming underwater drones with assault rifles, and that's a first for undersea warfare</a></em></p><p>Additionally Russia has tested unmanned aerial combat vehicles and even "suicide drones."</p><p>But the flying AK-47 drone patent raises more questions than it answers. With forward facing propellers, the drone will likely have to maintain some velocity throughout its flight. Other drones with helicopter-like rotors can fly in place.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www1.fips.ru/wps/portal/ofic_pub_en/#page=document&amp;type=doc&amp;tab=PO&amp;id=899E1A96-941A-42C0-9BD9-624DBE297BF5">Almaz-Antey</a></span></p><p class="caption">This small drone plane has to aim at you to shoot you.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Also, an assault rifle basically only works against people or unarmored targets. It's hard to imagine a scenario in which Russia would need small flying aircraft to try to shoot people in what would essentially be a flying drive by. To operate such a drone against small targets, the aircraft would have to handle the blowback from shots fired and have a way to find, track and fire at moving targets. And unless the drone has some hidden capacity to change magazines in flight, each drone gun likely wouldn't hold more than 30 rounds. </p><p><keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">Defense</keyword> contractors routinely file patents for a variety of innovations and don't always follow through with them, so it's unclear if we'll ever see this strange bird fly. </p><p>But if you were thinking of building for commercial purposes a small drone to fly a Kalashnikov around and not do much else, then don't. There's a patent on that. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-kim-jong-un-scariest-dictators-2016-1">Here's how North Korea's Kim Jong Un became one of the world's scariest dictators</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Russian patent shows plans for what looks like a ridiculous flying AK-47 assault rifle

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian state arms producer Almaz-Antey said on Tuesday it would supply Iran with the advanced S-300 missile system once a commercial agreement is reached.</p><p>The company's chief executive, Yan Novikov, confirmed Moscow had removed restrictions on deliveries to Tehranthat were imposed under pressure from the West in 2010.</p><p>He did not say when the deliveries might go ahead or how close a deal was.</p><p>"All restrictions have been lifted by the political authorities. When there is a contract, we will supply the system, including to Iran," he told a news conference when asked whether Almaz-Antey would supply the missile system to Iran.</p><p>President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in April ending the self-imposed ban on selling the S-300 system to Iran.</p><p>His decision came after world powers, including Russia, reached an interim deal with Iran on curbing its nuclear program.</p><p>Russia hopes to reap economic and trade benefits if a final deal is concluded to build on the framework agreement reached in the Swiss city of Lausanne between Iran and six world powers - Russia, the United States, France, Britain, Germany and China.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/roar-filmed-with-100-untamed-lions-movie-injured-2015-4">70 people were injured while filming this movie with 100 untamed lions</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Nzc3hmdDr4a5heo3T-j-WFkV1wYM_fEN" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Russian firm to provide Iran with S-300 missile system once contract agreed

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A cruise missile fired from a US Navy destroyer streaks towards Syria on April 7, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Russia and the US, the world's two most powerful militaries and biggest nuclear powers, appear set to clash over a chemical weapons attack in Syria.</strong></li><li><strong>President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing a much bigger strike on Syria than the one on April 7, 2017, which did little long-term damage. </strong></li><li><strong>Russia has threatened to shoot down incoming US missiles, and also target the platforms used to launch them, which could mean downing US Navy ships.</strong></li></ul><p><br />The US and Russia, the world's two most powerful militaries and biggest nuclear powers, appear set to clash over a chemical weapons attack in Syria, and much of the world has gone quiet in anticipation.</p><p>President Donald Trump has cancelled a trip to South America, and will instead consult with John Bolton, his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-likely-mcmaster-replacement-really-wants-to-bomb-north-korea-john-bolton-2018-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new ultra-hawkish National Security Adviser</a>. Trump, along with France, has promised a strong joint response in the coming days.</p><p>The President and his inner circle are reportedly considering a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/us/politics/trump-military-strike-syria.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=first-column-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much larger strike on Syria than the one on April 7, 2017</a>, where 59 cruise missiles briefly disabled an airbase suspected of playing a role in a chemical attack.</p><p>Now, almost exactly one year later, Trump again may strike Syria after another report of a chemical weapons attack that killed 40. This time, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-and-france-issue-joint-response-on-syria-2018-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he has France's President Emmanuel Macron in his corner</a>, but also acute threats of escalation from Syria's most powerful ally, Russia. </p><p><span>"The threats you are proffering that you're stating vis-a-vis</span><span> Syria </span><span>should make us seriously worried, all of us, because we could find ourselves on the threshold of some very sad and serious events," Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia warned US Ambassador Nikki Haley in a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-vetoes-un-syria-resolution-2018-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heated clash at the UN</a>.</span></p><p><span>"If there is a strike by the Americans, then... the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired," Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV, according to Reuters.</span></p><h2><span>The US wants a massive strike, but Russia won't make it easy</span></h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://fightersweep.com/3414/how-scary-is-the-russian-s-400-sam-system/">NOSINT</a></span></p><p class="caption">The Russian S-400 "Triumf," also known by its NATO codename of SA-21 "Growler," produced by the Almaz-Antey Central Design Bureau.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>Syrian government forces are a different level of target to most US foes. Unlike ISIS fighters or Taliban militants, the Syrian government is backed by heavy Russian air defenses. Experts on these defenses have told Business Insider that the US <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/what-would-happen-us-strike-russia-targets-syria-2016-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would struggle to overcome them</a>, even with its arsenal of stealth jets.</span></p><p><span>On the April 7 strike, it was US Navy ships which fired the missiles. If Russia were to retaliate against a US Navy ship with its own heavy navy presence in the region, the escalation would likely resemble an all-out war.</span></p><p><span>Vladimir Shamanov, a retired general who heads the <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> affairs committee in Russia's lower house of parliament, would not rule out the use of nuclear weapons in an escalation with the US over Syria, saying only that it was "unlikely," <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/russia-u-s-strike-on-syria-could-trigger-military-clash-with-russia-1.5990719" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Associated Press reports</a>.</span></p><p><span>Currently, the US has destroyer ships in the region, the New York Times reports, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-strike-syria-firepower-navy-air-force-options-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as well as heavy air power at military bases around the region.</a> While Russian air defenses seem credible on paper, they seem to have done nothing to stop repeated Israeli air strikes all around Syria.</span></p><h2>US and Russia's military superpower status on the line</h2><h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/USAFCENT/photos/pcb.10156498000325215/10156497997845215/?type=3&amp;theater">US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook</a></span></p><p class="caption">A US Air Force F-22 Raptor flies over the Arabian Sea in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Jan. 27, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></h2><p><span>On both the Western and Russian sides of the conflict, credibility is on the line. The leaders of the US and France have explicitly warned against chemical weapons use, saying they will respond with force. Russia has acted as a guarantor of Syria's safety in the face of possible Western intervention, but has found itself undermined by several strikes from the US and Israel. </span></p><p><span>Experts previously told Business Insider that an outright war with the US would <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-syria-us-shoot-down-jet-air-force-war-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call Russian President Vladimir Putin's bluff and betray his true aim</a> of projecting power at low cost, while destroying much of his military. </span></p><p><span>Additionally, Syria, backed by Russia, has struggled to beat lightly-armed rebels who have lived under almost nonstop siege for the past seven years. </span></p><p><span>For the US and France, failure to meaningfully intervene in the conflict would expose them as powerless in the face of Russian aggression, and unable to abate the suffering in Syria even with strong political will. </span></p><p><span>For now, the world has gone eerily quiet in anticipation of possible fighting.</span></p><p>European markets dipped slightly on expectations of military action, and the skies around Syria have gone quiet as pan-European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol warned airlines about flying in the eastern Mediterranean due to the possibility of an air war in Syria within the next 48 hours. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/evolution-humans-theory-life-animation-2018-3">This incredible animation shows how humans evolved from early life</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Trump is weighing a massive strike on Syria - and it could bring all-out war with Russia

Since the launch of ‘<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>’ program, considerable thrust has been given to <keyword id="2377476" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="defence-manufacturing">defence manufacturing</keyword>. Transformation from being one of the largest importers of arms into a credible defence equipment manufacturer takes a lot.<br />
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Country’s defence spending is expected to go beyond USD 600 billion by 2022 and every private company indulged into defence manufacturing wants a pie of that, especially when USD 150 billion of contracts are there to be awarded within a few years.<br />
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<strong>Current scenario of Imports:</strong><br />
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  <br />
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 <br />
<strong>Some of the Indian Companies in Defence Sector:</strong><br />
·      Mazagon Dock Ltd<br />
·      Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd<br />
·      Mahindra Defence Systems with Bae Systems &amp; Seabird Aviation (Private Player)<br />
·      Rolta ( A Private Player)<br />
<strong>·      </strong>Tata Advanced Systems with Boeing,Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation &amp; Israeli Aerospace Industries<br />
·      <strong>Ashok Leyland</strong> ( Private Player)<br />
·      Bharat Dynamics Ltd<br />
·      Bharat Earth Movers Ltd<br />
·      Bharat Electronics Ltd ( BEL)<br />
·      Bharat Forge<br />
·      Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL)<br />
·      Garden Reach Shipbuilders &amp; Engineers Ltd<br />
·      Goa Shipyard Ltd<br />
·      HCL with Boeing &amp; Circore Aerospace Inc (Private Player)<br />
·      Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd ( HAL)<br />
·      Reliance Defence<br />
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<strong>Defence Manufacturing, Exports and its future:</strong><br />
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Indian exports are negligible when it comes to the total market share on a global level. India has exported defence equipment to 22 countries over last one year, including UK, US, Israel and Russia. India exported forging equipment, electronic assemblies, flight panel controls to the US.<br />
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India exported transmitting tubes to UK and MIG &amp; Sukhoi 30 aircraft spares and services to Russia. India’s major exports included Cheetal helicopters to Afghanistan, Dhruv helicopters and bulletproof jackets to Nepal, Sukhoi avionics and MIG spares to Malaysia, offshore petrol vessels and ammunition to Mauritius and Jaguar aircrafts and spares to Oman.<br />
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Indian private players are looking for foreign partners as the foreign direct investment in defence sector is pushed up to 49%. Reliance defence had signed a manufacturing and maintenance deal potentially worth $6 billion with Russia's Almaz-Antey, the maker of an air defence system. Apart from the Akash air defence system, the government had cleared the purchase of five S-400 air defence systems that are estimated to cost about $4.5 billion.<br />
 <br />
Similarly kalyani group tied up with Rafael of Israel to make Spike Anti-tank missiles for the Indian military.<br />
 <br />
Indian private players are still far away from accessing the key sensitive technologies related to fighter aircrafts and nuclear submarines however they are approaching fast by the virtue of transfer of technology and domestic manufacturing set-up under the make in India program. What must is to invest heavily in R&amp;D facilities along with the collaboration of key government institutions like DRDO with the private partners. Incoming demands for defence equipment is heavy and it should only be fulfilled by boosting the manufacturing process along with minimum government interference and a feasible policy framework.<br />
<br />
(Image: Indiatimes)<br />
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Defence Manufacturing: Is India Inc. ready?

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Russian President Vladimir Putin has again scrambled his jets in a snap military drill meant to prepare his air force for a "time of war."<p>"In accordance with the decision by the Armed Forces Supreme Commander, a snap check of the Aerospace Forces began to evaluate readiness of the control agencies and troops to carry out combat training tasks," said Russian <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword> Minister Sergey Shoigu, according to Russia's state-run media.</p><p>"Special attention should be paid to combat alert, deployment of air defense systems for a time of war and air groupings' readiness to repel the aggression,"&#xa0;continued Shoigu.</p><p>Russian snap exercises on the border with NATO happen often, without warning, and they often come with menacing overtones. For some time now, Russia has held a numerical, qualitative, organizational, and timing advantage over NATO forces in the Baltics.</p><p>In 2014, Putin said he could <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11069070/I-can-take-Kiev-in-two-weeks-Vladimir-Putin-warns-European-leaders.html" target="_blank">take Kiev in two weeks</a>. In 2015, a Czech general said Russia could <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/czech-general-russia-can-occupy-baltics-in-2-days-2015-5" target="_blank">take the Baltics in two days</a>. The US and NATO have responded to Russia's rising aggression steadily but slowly, most recently by stationing&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/moscow-will-get-the-message-us-flexes-muscles-with-largest-ever-deployment-to-poland-2017-1" target="_blank">80 tanks in Poland</a>.</p><p>But according to a presentation made at the&#xa0;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzcyIBge-2AxNPLAu_Ugz2Q" data-sessionlink="itct=CDIQ4TkiEwiwm_Tol4PSAhWT15wKHUG0AXEo-B0" data-ytid="UCzcyIBge-2AxNPLAu_Ugz2Q">World Affairs Council of Philadelphia</a> by Senior <keyword id="6356001" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">International</keyword> Research Analyst Michael Johnson of the RAND Corporation, Russian tanks outnumber NATO tanks at about 480 to 80.</p><p>In Air Power, even with a US Navy carrier battle group in the mix, Russia could muster up fully one-third of their air force to the fight, according to Johnson.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Meanwhile, nearly <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/articles/grounded-nearly-two-thirds-of-us-navys-strike-fighters-cant-fly" target="_blank">two-thirds of US F/A-18s can't currently fly</a> due to budget cuts that lead to a backlog on maintenance and sourcing new parts, Defense News reports. The Marine Times reports something similar - more than half of the Marine Corps'&#xa0;planes <a href="https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/articles/many-marine-aircraft-grounded" target="_blank">couldn't fly in December</a>.</p><p>Even with the US's ship-based aviation crippled by age and budget cuts, the bigger problem is Russia's advanced anti-air systems.</p><p>In October,&#xa0;<a href="https://rusi.org/people/igor-sutyagin" target="_blank">Dr. Igor Sutyagin</a>, an expert on Russian and US air power and air defenses at the <a href="https://rusi.org/" target="_blank">Royal United Services Institute</a>, said even the US's best, stealthiest jets and pilots would have to be "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-would-happen-us-strike-russia-targets-syria-2016-10" target="_blank">operationally, tactically brilliant</a>" to cope with&#xa0;Russia's advanced S-400 air defenses.&#xa0;</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Legacy fighters from the US and NATO would have their work cut out for them in a battle of the skies and against missile defenses, leaving few planes left over for close air support. Essentially, US troops would fight without total air superiority for the first time since World War II.</p><p>Additionally, by the time US and NATO reinforcements reached the Baltics, the Russians would have long ago established themselves, possibly with more air defenses. US troops would have to go from fort to port, 5,000 miles across the sea, land outside of Russian missile range or air space, and then make their way to the Baltics. The whole ordeal could take up to 6 months, according to Johnson.&#xa0;</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>US President Donald <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-nato-obsolete-darrell-issa-2017-1" target="_blank">Trump has often called NATO "obsolete,</a>" though the current challenges from Russia would argue that the alliance now bears more relevance than any point since the end of the Cold War. Trump, and Obama before him, have both called on all NATO states to pay their fair share on defense, but the US must still lead the fight.</p><p>"There are more police officers in New York City than there are American soldiers stationed in Europe today. So while bipartisan presidents have always called on Europeans to do more, I think we can also look to our own situation in Europe now," said Johnson.&#xa0;</p><div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/comparing-russia-most-advanced-military-equipment-nato-hardware-us-defense-2017-1">How Russia's most advanced military equipment stacks up against NATO hardware</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="drM2pxODE6hjs6_C894_trgI1Tj1Pg1V" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Putin orders Russia's air force to prepare for a 'time of war'- and NATO doesn't stand a chance right now

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Larry Downing/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">US President Barack Obama pauses during the 93rd annual American Legion National Convention in Minneapolis, August 30, 2011.</p></div><p></p></div></div>On Friday, Obama is set to meet his top military advisers to discuss possible kinetic solutions to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's brutal Russian-backed bombing campaign, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-weighing-military-action-in-syria-to-counter-russia-and-assad-2016-10" target="_blank">Reuters reports</a>.</p><p>Obama has faced increased pressure to intervene against Syria and Russia after they were <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/un-aid-trucks-airstrike-syria-us-russia-relations-2016-9" target="_blank">linked to the bombing of a UN humanitarian aid convoy</a> heading to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-aleppo-2016-9" target="_blank">besieged Aleppo</a>, where airstrikes and a lack of food and water are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-un-envoy-offers-to-escort-rebels-out-of-aleppo-2016-10" target="_blank">affecting 275,000 civilians</a>.</p><p>Many questions will weigh on Obama in making his determination: What is the extent of the US's duty to ease suffering in Syria?</p><p>What are the political ramifications for each different course of action?</p><p>Should the US embark on another mission for regime change in the Middle East?</p><p>Besides these questions, none of which are easy, the US will have to consider something that was unthinkable in previous decades - does the US have the military capacity to carry out strikes on Assad should they choose to?</p><p>Russia has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-deploys-sa32-missile-system-syria-2016-10" target="_blank">recently deployed another advanced missile defense battery to Syria</a>, the S-300. This joins the even more advanced S-400 system already in place.</p><p>Together, these road-mobile missile batteries provide serious air defenses that the US would need to think long and hard about breaching, even with stealth aircraft like the F-22, F-35, and B-2. </p><p>Russia went as far as subtly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-warns-us-syria-warplanes-2016-10v" target="_blank">threatening to shoot down US or coalition aircraft</a> without warning, should they attack the Assad regime. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://fightersweep.com/3414/how-scary-is-the-russian-s-400-sam-system/">NOSINT</a></span></p><p class="caption">The Russian S-400 "Triumf," also known by its NATO codename of SA-21 "Growler," produced by the Almaz-Antey Central Design Bureau.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><a href="https://rusi.org/people/igor-sutyagin" target="_blank">Dr. Igor Sutyagin</a>, an expert on Russia, the US, and air defenses at the <a href="https://rusi.org/" target="_blank">Royal United Services Institute</a>, told Business Insider that the US Air Force's offensive output roughly meets its match with Russia's entrenched and defended position in Syria.</p><p>US pilots in fifth generation aircraft would have to be extremely well trained and "operationally, tactically brilliant" to knock out a Russian missile <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> battery in Syria, Sutyagin said.</p><p>However, Russia could take steps to improve the missile battery's defensive position. Russia lacks radar planes, or Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), in Syria, but they have them in their inventory. Should Russia deploy these planes, which act as eyes and ears in the sky, they could greatly increase the range and efficacy of their groud-based missile defense systems.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beriev_A-50#/media/File:%D0%98%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8E%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%BD_%D0%98%D0%BB-76-78-%D0%90-50_0083483499,_%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B0_-_%D0%96%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_(%D0%A0%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B5)_RP63598.jpg">Alex Beltyukov</a></span></p><p class="caption">A Russian Air Force AWACS, the A-50. If these arrive in Syria, the US's options could be further restricted.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Additionally, Russia's air force has a strong presence in Syria. Although they field older, non-stealth aircraft, confronting them while simultaneously going after air defense batteries would present additional difficulty to US forces.</p><p>Regardless, the determination of the US armed forces to conduct any mission remains strong. A pilot with the F-22 program recently <a href="http://nationalinterest.org/blog/could-russia-really-shoot-down-f-22-f-35-or-b-2-stealth-17986?page=2" target="_blank">told National Interest's Dave Majumdar</a> that the F-22 pilots are confident they could prevail against Russia's defenses in Syria. </p><p>The Obama administration is said to be considering air strikes on Syrian military bases, munitions depots, or radar and anti-aircraft bases <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-weighing-military-action-in-syria-to-counter-russia-and-assad-2016-10" target="_blank">according</a> to Reuters. However sources close to Obama also told Reuters they do not think he will go through with any aggressive military action.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Operation Inherent Resolve</span></p><p class="caption">The more time passes, the less safe Syrian air space becomes for US and coalition aircraft.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Of course, this is only the latest example of Obama mulling military intervention against Assad, as he famously backed down from his "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=8&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjZ0rHYu9jPAhWBHD4KHX2UDR8QFghDMAc&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fobama-syria-red-line-robert-gates-2016-1&amp;usg=AFQjCNE_v-uTttHjNRoq0m6Pf4b95W-9ew&amp;bvm=bv.135475266,d.dmo" target="_blank">red line</a>" when he refused to bomb Assad after it became clear the Syrian president was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/assad-might-have-hidden-some-of-syrias-deadliest-chemical-weapons-2016-9" target="_blank">using chemical weapons on his own people</a>.</p><p>Later it became clear that Obama refused to bomb Assad in order to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-red-line-syria-iran-2016-8" target="_blank">preserve negotiations for the Iran deal</a>.</p><p>Whether Obama will strike or not is an open question, though some experts have speculated that he is "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uss-mason-obama-phobic-yemen-iran-2016-10" target="_blank">phobic</a>" of a confrontation with Syria because they are aligned with Iran, who he has chosen to engage with diplomatically.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-struck-radar-sites-yemen-iran-saudi-arabia-navy-missiles-ship-conflict-2016-10">The US struck radar sites in Yemen after rebels tried to attack a Navy ship with missiles</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="F4ajluNjE6bSUmtuV9P5TT4uYsiyZYpO" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

At this point, the US would have to be 'operationally, tactically brilliant' to strike Assad

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Flight MH17 was shot out of the sky over Ukraine in July 17, 2014, five years ago Wednesday. The disaster killed 298 people.</strong></li><li><strong>World leaders were immediately suspicious of Russia, and investigators concluded in 2018 that the plane was downed by a Russian military missile.</strong></li><li><strong>The plane was flying over an area held by pro-Russian separatists that want to take the region out of Ukraine, but Russia has long denied any involvement in the attack and global tensions began to cool.</strong></li><li><strong>It took almost five years for anyone to be identified as a suspect, and Russia condemned the international investigation when Russian former military officers were named. </strong></li><li><strong>They will be put on trial, though they have not yet been apprehended.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p>On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by a missile over Eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, and spawning a political battle that is yet to end.</p><p>The aircraft, a Boeing 777, was travelling between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, when it was shot out of the sky by a Russian-made missile over the Donetsk territory, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists that want to take the region out of Ukraine.</p><p>It took almost five years for anyone to be formally accused of the attack, and those suspects have not yet been apprehended.</p><p>The incident only increased tensions between Ukraine and Russia, with both nations repeatedly contradicting each other's accounts. As Kiev and Moscow squabble, families continue to call for justice, and criticism of the US for not standing up to Russia over the incident remains.</p><p>Here's what happened, the political fallout, and why no one has yet been formally held to account for the deaths.</p><h2>In an 'unspeakable outrage,' the plane was shot out of the sky</h2><p>The Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 plane took off from <span>Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at 12.31 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 17, 2014, bound for Kuala Lumpur International Airport.</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/local-witnesses-describe-what-it-was-like-when-mh17-was-shot-down-in-ukraine-2015-7">Locals describe what it was like when MH17 was shot out of the sky in eastern Ukraine</a></em></p><p><span>It lost contact with air traffic control at 1.20 p.m., who then spent the next two minutes frantically trying to contact the plane, with no success, <a href="https://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/nl/media/inline/2019/1/10/prem_rapport_mh_17_en_interactief2.pdf">investigators said</a>. The plane was then around 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the border between Russia and Ukraine, and had sent no distress signals.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p>Its emergency locator signal was used to locate the wreckage, where <a href="https://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/nl/media/inline/2019/1/10/prem_rapport_mh_17_en_interactief2.pdf">Dutch investigators said</a> the aircraft was "destroyed." wreckage spread out far enough to cover two towns six miles (10 kilometers) apart.</p><p>The 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board were dead. 193 of the passengers were from The Netherlands, 43 were from Malaysia, 27 were from Australia, 12 were from Indonesia, 10 were British, and the rest were from Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, Canada, and New Zealand.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/13/flight-mh17-report-families-solace-questions-remain">The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) looking into the crash</a>, made up of countries including the <span>Netherlands, and Australia,</span> said the passengers were likely killed, or at least knocked unconscious, instantly.</p><p>"Fuselage, cargo, and and baggage" were scattered over the site, leading investigators to believe that it had broken up in the air, and parts of the plane were pierced with holes.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>A notice had been issued to prevent airlines from flying at a lower height over the area, due to "hostilities between armed groups and Ukrainian armed forces," but MH17 was flying at a safe height and in unrestricted airspace, the Dutch investigators said.</p><p>Three other planes flew through the area at the same time, the investigators said, but were unharmed.</p><p>Recordings <a href="https://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/nl/media/inline/2019/1/10/prem_rapport_mh_17_en_interactief2.pdf">show</a> air traffic controllers at <span>Russia's Rostov airport</span> and Ukraine's <span>Dnipropetrovsk International Airport</span> were confused as they spoke to each other when the plane stopped responding. "Well, it's not responding to our calls too," Ukraine said.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-shows-mh17-crash-site-after-plane-went-down-2014-11" data-analytics-position="5">Video Shows The MH17 Crash Site Right After The Plane Went Down</a></em></p><p>"Yes it's disappeared," they said.</p><p>The countries whose citizens were killed were contacted.</p><p>Speaking one day after the incident, then-<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/obama-statement-ukraine-mh-17-crash-2014-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">US President Barack Obama said</a> it was an <span>"outrage of unspeakable proportions" and a "global tragedy."</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p><span>He said that the moment was a "wake-up call for Europe and the world that there are consequences to an escalating conflict in the eastern Ukraine."</span></p><h2><span>Blame went to Russia, but it had a different explanation </span></h2><p>Politicians around the world <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/18/mh17-hillary-clinton-says-russian-backed-rebels-likely-shot-down-plane">immediately</a> pointed the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/18/malaysia-airlines-crash-australian-pm-tells-russia-to-explain-disaster">finger</a> at Russia, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/world-leaders-furious-russia-mh17-crash-2014-7">arguing</a> that the actions of Russian separatists would likely not be far removed from those of the government.</p><p>And Russian <span>separatists had already <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-separatists-have-shot-down-multiple-aircraft-over-the-past-month-2014-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">shot down other aircraft</a> in the region.</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aircraft-shot-down-by-rebels-in-eastern-ukraine-2014-7" data-analytics-position="17">Here are all of the aircraft shot down by Putin-backed rebels in Eastern Ukraine</a></em></p><p><span>Ukraine's president called the incident a "terrorist attack" just after it occurred, while <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-state-televisions-blame-for-dmh17-2014-7">Russian media argued</a> that Ukrainian defense systems were operating in the area. </span></p><p><span>Former <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ron-paul-defends-russia-after-malaysian-plane-crash-2014-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">Congressman Ron Paul said</a> that the crash was the fault of the US for destabilizing the Donetsk region, and that reporting on the crash without the context of the conflict was "government propaganda."</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p><span>World leaders issued warnings to Russian President Vladimir Putin while the White House, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/18/un-meets-as-world-leaders-call-for-global-inquiry-into-mh17-crash">the UN</a>, and the UK all <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mh17-plane-crash-white-house-obama-statement-2014-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">called for</a> a full, independent investigation. World leaders also said that the evidence from the crash site was being <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/australia-prime-minister-mh17-evidence-has-been-tampered-with-on-an-industrial-scale-2014-7">tampered</a> with.</span></p><p><span>They urged a ceasefire between Russia, Ukraine, and separatists so the crash site could be properly investigated, but clashes in the region only <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/21/mh17-australia-pushes-for-international-access-to-crash-site-live-updates">escalated</a> as experts came to examine the scene. </span></p><p><span>Police from The Netherlands and Australia struggled to access the crash site as fighting continued, and the international team of investigators also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/australian-investigators-still-cant-get-to-the-mh17-crash-site-2014-7">had difficulties getting to the site.</a></span></p><p>Putin said the<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-ukraine-malaysia-airliner-2014-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blame for the tragedy lies with Ukraine.</a> Both Russia and Ukraine still deny any involvement in the crash.</p><p>Russia produced what it said was satellite photographs that showed a Ukranian fighter jet shooting down the plane, but the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/15/ukraine-fighter-shot-mh17-claims-russian-tv-photo-fake">US state department said</a> the idea was "preposterous."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p>In October 2015, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afp-inquiry-finds-mh17-plane-shot-down-by-buk-missile-dutch-paper-2015-10">Dutch investigators said</a> they had evidence the plane was shot down by a Russian-built Buk missile, and the pilots were killed instantly. But <span>Almaz-Antey, the manufacturer of Buk anti-aircraft systems, said in Russia that the version of the missile <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-media-is-now-saying-the-russian-missile-system-that-shot-down-mh17-was-being-operated-by-ukraine-2015-5">was only in use by Ukraine</a>.</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/animation-of-mh17-being-hit-2015-10" data-analytics-position="10">The Dutch Safety Board released this chilling animation of MH17 being hit with a missile</a></em></p><p>In May 2018, the international team of investigators concluded that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mh17-investigators-say-russian-military-missile-launcher-behind-attack-2018-5">a Russian military missile was responsible</a> for bringing down the plane, and showed photo and video evidence.</p><p>Australia and the Netherlands then formally <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/netherlands-australia-formally-accuse-russia-downing-mh17-180525094404651.html">blamed Russia for the crash</a>, concluding that it was likely the missile system was brought to the region to support the separatists.</p><p>The theory, which was also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/22/mh17-eu-foreign-ministers-mh17-sanctions-russia-live-updates">held by US intelligence</a>, was that separatists could have shot down the plane, believing it belonged to the Ukranian military.</p><h2>Politicians promised 'hell to pay' - but no one has been formally held to account</h2><p>International appetite to confront Putin was initially strong, but, five years later, the crash appears to have little bearing on countries' relationship with Russia, the war in Eastern Ukraine is still ongoing, and no one has been prosecuted over the deaths.</p><p>The UN <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/death-toll-up-to-13-000-in-ukraine-conflict-says-un-rights-office/29791647.html">said</a> this year that <span>13,000 people have been killed in the Donetsk crisis since it began in 2014.</span></p><p>In November 2014, then-Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised to "shirtfront" (an Australian term that means running at an opponents chest, potentially trying to knock them over) Putin.</p><p>He <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/10/tony-abbott-steps-back-from-promise-to-shirtfront-vladimir-putin-over-mh17">later</a> only referred to "robust discussions" and told Putin that he should consider <span>apologizing and providing compensation to victims' families.</span></p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/witnesses-of-plane-crash-in-grebovka-describe-what-they-saw-2014-7" data-analytics-position="17">Witness at the crash site in Ukraine: 'There are bodies scattered everywhere'</a></em></p><p><span>US Senator John McCain, who died last year, said in July 2017 that there would be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/john-mccain-warns-hell-to-pay-if-russia-shot-down-mh17-2014-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">"hell to pay" if Russian forces or pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine shot down the plane</a>, while Hillary Clinton said it would be time to put Putin "on notice."</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p>As families continued to campaign for the truth to come to light, the crash dropped further down the international agenda amid a lack of answers.</p><p>Five countries, including <span>The Netherlands and Malaysia, called for a UN tribunal to investigate the crash, though <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-is-doing-everything-it-can-to-prevent-a-tribunal-over-downed-flight-mh17-2015-7">Russia rejected the idea</a>.</span></p><p><span>What had for a time colored Putin's interactions with other world leaders paled in response to other concerns like US election meddling, propaganda, and Russia's human rights record.</span></p><p>US President Donald Trump has shown little interest in what role Russia may have played in the crash. The Australian parents of three children killed in the crash condemned Trump in July 2018 over what they said was his refusal to hold Putin to account.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flight-mh17-attack-father-slams-trump-putin-summit-2018-7">In a Facebook post</a> addressed to Donald Trump about his relationship with Putin, Anthony Maslin wrote: "That the man whose arse you've just been kissing did this, and continues to lie about it, is an irrefutable fact."</p><p>"It's not anger that I feel towards the two of you, its something much, much worse. It's pity. You have no empathy for your fellow man, and you clearly have no idea what love is. So you have nothing."</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/state-department-deletes-statement-criticizing-russia-over-mh17-attack-trump-putin-2018-7">State Department deletes a statement condemning Russia over MH17 downing right after Trump's Putin summit</a></em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><p><span>Four people <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mh17-4-pro-russian-military-officers-accused-of-missile-attack-2019-6?r=US&amp;IR=T">were formally accused</a> of being behind the attack in June 2019 - the first time that anyone was formally named in connection with the deaths.</span></p><p><span>The JIT named Russian nationals Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy, and Oleg Pulatov as well as Ukrainian national Leonid Kharchenko, who the investigators said all worked for the Donetsk People's Republic's military intelligence agency. </span></p><p><span>The three Russians formally worked for Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, investigators said.</span></p><p><span>The JIT intends to try the four suspects in The Netherlands in March 2020 on murder charges - though the men have not yet been apprehended. Russia maintains that the investigation is baseless and that the accusations "discredit Russia in the eyes of the international community."</span></p><p>And while Russia will seek to distance itself from the suspects, Malaysia condemned the charges against the men, saying there was no "proof."</p><p>Its <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2019/06/21/malaysia-prime-minister-decries-charges-in-mh17-downing/">prime minister said</a> that the investigation had become a "political issue" where people are accusing Russia, and said it wants "proof of guilt."</p><p>As the trial date approaches, families will wait anxiously to see if they get more of the answers and closure they are looking for.</p>

It's been 5 years since MH17 was shot down, killing 298 people. Here's what happened, and why nobody has yet been held officially responsible

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Dragan Radovanovic</span></p><p class="caption">Russia's S-400 missile <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> battery and the US's F-22 Raptor.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In a bold faced power move, Russia <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-deploys-sa32-missile-system-syria-2016-10" target="_blank">just moved additional missile defense batteries to Syria</a> and issued a thinly veiled threat that it would <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-warns-us-syria-warplanes-2016-10" target="_blank">shoot down any US or coalition aircraft</a> that tried to bomb Syrian regime targets without warning.</p><p>This step, just days after US and Russian bilateral negotiations for a ceasefire fell through, shows the depth of Russia's commitment to Syrian President Assad, who has shown a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/assad-might-have-hidden-some-of-syrias-deadliest-chemical-weapons-2016-9" target="_blank">ferocious willingness to use chemical</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-syrian-barrel-bomb-attacks-are-crimes-against-humanity-amnesty-2015-5" target="_blank">banned weapons</a> against his own people since the war started in 2011. </p><p>But the Russian S-300 and S-400 missile defense batteries pose a serious question about US and coalition military capabilities versus the Russians.</p><p>Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, went as far as to <a href="https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201610081046134414-russia-s300-syria/" target="_blank">say</a> that "all the illusions of amateurs about the existence of 'invisible' jets will face a disappointing reality," referring to the US's fifth generation stealth aircraft, the F-22 and F-35.</p><p>While the US fields the greatest Air Force in the world, the capabilities of Russia's S-300 and S-400 air defense systems in Syria represent a very real challenge to the US's ability to operate in those zones without being shot down.</p><p><a href="https://rusi.org/people/igor-sutyagin" target="_blank">Dr. Igor Sutyagin</a> of the <a href="https://rusi.org/" target="_blank">Royal United Services Institute</a>, an expert on Russian missile defense systems and strategic armaments, told Business Insider that in this case at least, Russia is correct.</p><p>"Konashenkov is absolutely right - 'stealth' as 'invisibility' is just amateurs' invention, not a technical term."</p><p>However, according to Sutyagin, some of the Russian capabilities also fall in the category of speculation rather than hard capability. </p><p>For instance, as advanced as Russian surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems are, and they are really quite advanced, they still face very real limitations. </p><p>Russian "air defense systems are designed to intercept high flying targets at a maximum range of  about 250 miles," said Sutyagin. While this does pose a threat to US and coalition aircraft operating normally in the region, the missile defense can be outfoxed, as they less optimal against low flying planes or missiles.</p><p>Even though the Russian systems have great radar range and capabilities, in the real world obstacles abound, and that makes it very hard to get a clear picture of real world air spaces.  </p><p>The Russian missile defense systems sit on trucks, ready to be positioned wherever needed in a specific region. Some reports indicate that Russian crews can get the missile battery up and running within 5 minutes of parking the truck. Additionally, the mobile missile batteries present an ever changing target, and a puzzle that incoming aircraft must solve anew each time they enter the air space.</p><p>But they battery is still just a truck on the ground. Parking it on a hilltop makes it visible. Parking it in a valley severely limits the range due to natural obstacles. So just as the US fantasy of "invisible jets" doesn't completely pan out when the rubber hits the road, neither does the Russian fantasy of a 250 mile air defense zone. </p><p>Indeed to flesh out this idea of the Russians, they'd need to operate Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACs), or planes that carry large radars and can survey battle spaces free from obstructions on the ground, which Sutyagin says Moscow does not currently have in Syria. </p><h2>But who would come out on top?</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://fightersweep.com/3414/how-scary-is-the-russian-s-400-sam-system/">NOSINT</a></span></p><p class="caption">The Russian S-400 "Triumf," also known by its NATO codename of SA-21 "Growler," produced by the Almaz-Antey Central Design Bureau.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>According to Sutyagin, stealth US planes like the B-2, F-22, and F-35 could knock out Russian SAM sites in Syria, but not without a fight.</p><p>"Yeah they can do it. In theory they can do it because they will be launching stand off weapons," said Sutyagin, referring to long range missiles as "standoff weapons."</p><p>"The tactics of these low visibility planes as they were designed originally was to use the fact that detection range was decreased so you create some gaps in radar range and then you approach through gap and launch standoff weapons," said Sutyagin.</p><p>At this point, Russia's "defenses will inevitably detect it, but maybe too late," said Sutyagin, who emphasized that firing a missile doesn't always mean a hit, and detecting a missile doesn't always mean an intercept.</p><p>"There is no 100% reliability, but still it will be much more difficult" for Russian SAM sites to intercept missiles fired from US stealth aircraft that can get up close and personal and locate the site first.  "If the standoff weapon is also low visibility," the chances only improve, according to Sutyagin.</p><p>Additionally, Russian SAM sites in Syria have a limited magazine capacity. </p><p>"One air defense battalion with an S-300 has 32 missiles. They will fire these against 16 targets (maybe against cruise missiles they would fire a one-to-one ratio) but to prevent the target from evading you always launch two... but what if there are 50 targets?"</p><p>This limitation explains why Russia deployed the S-300 battery to Syria when they already have the more advanced S-400 stationed there. </p><p>According to Sutyagin, it takes "40-50 minutes to reload launchers." The SAM sites are then unarmed, with their positions exposed and they're "not well prepared to meet another threat."</p><h2>What it comes down to</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>US Air Force</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>So the US could overwhelm Russian defenses. Or Russia could shoot down US fifth-generation aircraft over Syria. What it comes down to, according to Sutyagin, is training.</p><p>Sutyagin says that overall, the situation is "very complicated" and that there is "no easy solution to suppress air defense, but there are opportunities."</p><p>Each combat scenario brings unique challenges and opportunities that may benefit one side or another. Generally, there is reason to believe that the pilots of US fifth-generation aircraft are among the best in the world, and that they would have the edge in almost every situation.</p><p>Indeed, Sutyagin says that the US's airborne capabilities put them in a better situation than the US was in during Vietnam, when Russian SAM sites shot down many US planes. </p><p>Though the details of the how US F-22 Raptor pilots would engage an enemy SAM site are classified, a pilot with the program recently <a href="http://nationalinterest.org/blog/could-russia-really-shoot-down-f-22-f-35-or-b-2-stealth-17986?page=2" target="_blank">told National Interest's Dave Majumdar</a> that the F-22 pilots are confident they could prevail. </p><p>But jets and SAM sites fight battles on air, over seas, and on land - not on paper. </p><p>"If American pilots will be not experienced in their fifth-gens, they will be shot down. If they are brilliant, operationally, tactically brilliant, they will defeat them," concluded Sutyagin.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/international-investigation-finds-mh17-hit-by-russian-missile-2016-9">International investigation: MH17 was struck by a Russian-made missile</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="10amo1NjE6liYSa9a7fCK7hoP5-VGV9D" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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