Eastern European Military procurement.

[victorhadin]

I am curious as to the military procurement plans and plans for military modernization in the Eastern European nations.

With the cold war long over, the EU expanding and 'Western' markets intruding into the issue of military procurement, what markets will be used and what directions will be followed? Do the Eastern European nations wish to become defining military powers in their regions or is that very much a minor issue for the future?

Will Russian, german, American or miscellaneous markets be used for fighters, tanks, guns and so forth?

Will the British/ American ideals of 'professional non-volunteer' armies, where not already applicable, become more widespread?



Discuss.

[Imperial]

Eastern European Military procurement.

Ok

What we see now is the so-called "New Europe" (as insulting as it might sound, given the fact that it suggests that all those countries weren't "Europe" before :roll: ) that is strongly leaning towards the US. Of course not for the reasons that it's "thankful" to the US for "liberating" them (1. there is no such thing as "gratitude" in international relations, rather, it's all "interests" 2. the US never did anything to really help Eastern Europe while it was in the Soviet influence zone). Mostly it follows from the hopes of those countries (the bigger and richer like Poland, and the smaller and poorer like Bulgaria) to attract more supposedly richer US investors for our still struggling economies, and to get the US vote for our applications to NATO.

From this follows the simple fact that most of those countries would look primarily towards the US for supplying their rearmament programs. The clever ones like Poland have signed contracts that pretty much mean that the US themselves will pay for all the equipment they send. However I don't find even that justifiable enough for allowing your vital military sector to become dependant on the US...

Ok, enough for now for I have much work to do today

[victorhadin]

Intriguing.

Naturally, Western European investors would be even better, but since the issue is not a pro/ against, black/ white one and since investors and venture capitalists from both blocs can be encouraged this seems reasonable. Western Europe is interested in the East regardless of political stance; the US needs some egging on.

Even so; I would have thought that equivalent Russian weaponry would be the cheapest and easiest solution for military procurement in Eastern Europe. Is this not done, and if not, why not? Hard feelings towards Russia?

[Гост]

Is the M84 tank still being produced?

[Imperial]

Originally posted by "victorhadin"

Even so; I would have thought that equivalent Russian weaponry would be the cheapest and easiest solution for military procurement in Eastern Europe. Is this not done, and if not, why not? Hard feelings towards Russia?

Be informed that "russian" = "bad" if you ask any current Eastern European govt. And the reasons for this are quite hard to explain.

On one hand, countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, actually most (I'll abbreviate Eastern European to EE because of laziness ) EE countries, do dislike the russians heavily....because of those 45 years of communist slavery...Poles really hate the Russians AFAIK...but then, I think they hate the Germans too :o but work with them :? anyway politics is nothing simple at all

Bulgaria is only a bit different. We're too much under Russian influence, and mostly illegal; also cultural influence is enormous not only because of the soviet rule but also because of the 1878 Russo-Turkish war that brought our independance back...interestingly enough the people don't take all the bad things Russia did just a bit later when it saw that young Bulgaria doesn't behave like the puppet they wanted at all...

However, if you check the WW2 sympathies poll in the WW2 forum, you'll observe (or you would if you knew Bulgarian ) that of all the countries over 50% were for Germany...and some % for Japan At the end it seems that Germany was more beneficial for us (at least until we lost the wars with them...)

ok ok, enough rant for I really lost my own tracks

[Imperial]

Originally posted by "gbotto"

Is the M84 tank still being produced?

Didn't the US level those factories?

And given the current economical situation in Serbia, I guess not...

[rambler]

victorhadin wrote

I would have thought that equivalent Russian weaponry would be the cheapest and easiest solution for military procurement in Eastern Europe. Is this not done, and if not, why not? Hard feelings towards Russia?

I would say hard feelings certainly exist, to some extent, as Imperial Friedrich had already explained.
The other reason is that if we want to be a part of NATO we will have to conform to a certain NATO standards.Imagine a NATO-member army armed with Russian weaponry.
And another reason - a little more subtle - US military industry has found new markets and, naturally, it craves to flood them with its merchandise(McDonald's or weapons, it's all the same) using NATO as bait.