Russia Looks to Set up Naval Bases Abroad

[The Stig]

Original Story at Guardian.com

Russia seeks to set up naval bases abroad

Naval chief confirms talks with Cuba, Vietnam and the Seychelles about setting up overseas facilities for Russian ships

Russia is talking to Cuba, Vietnam and the Seychelles about housing Russian navy ships, its naval chief has said.

Vice-admiral Viktor Chirkov told the RIA Novosti state news agency Russia was in talks with the three countries about setting up maintenance and supply facilities but would not give further details.

Russia's only existing naval base outside the former Soviet Union is located in the Syrian port of Tartus. A squadron of Russian navy ships, including several assault ships carrying marines, is heading to Tartus in a show of support for a longtime ally that Moscow has protected from international sanctions and continues to supply with weapons.

Chirkov's statement marked a sharp about-face for Russia, which closed a Soviet-era naval base at Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay and a spy base in Lourdes in Cuba in the early 2000s during President Vladimir Putin's first term.

Along with financial reasons, that move was part of Putin's bid to improve ties with the US. But relations with Washington deteriorated and Putin, who was re-elected to a third term in March, has grown increasingly eager to challenge Washington. During his election campaign, he accused the US of encouraging protest against his 12-year rule in order to weaken Russia and pledged to strengthen the nation's military might.

[The Stig]

Original story at yahoo news

Russia wants naval bases abroad: report
ReutersReuters – Fri, Jul 27, 2012

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia hopes to establish its first naval base abroad since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and is looking at Cuba, Vietnam and the Seychelles as possible locations, state-run RIA news agency quoted the navy chief as saying on Friday.

Russia has been increasing the reach of its navy in recent years, sending warships further afield as part of an effort to restore pride project power in a world dominated by the U.S. military.

"It's true that we are continuing work on providing the navy with basing outside the Russian Federation," RIA quoted Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov as saying in an interview.

The Soviet Union had a large naval base in Communist ally Vietnam but post-Soviet Russia opted to vacate the Cam Ranh base in 2002, during President Vladimir Putin's first Kremlin term, because rent payments were a burden on state coffers.

The fate of Russia's only naval facility outside the former Soviet Union, a maintenance and supply facility in the Syrian port of Tartous, is uncertain because of the conflict in Syria.

Chirkov said Russia was "working out the issue of creating sites for material and technical support on the territory of Cuba, the Seychelles and Vietnam," RIA reported.

Chirkov's wording suggested facilities in those countries might be less extensive than full-scale naval bases. Navy officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, who was in Russia and was to meet Putin on Friday, was quoted as telling a Russian radio station that Vietnam has "no intention of cooperating with any country with the aim of military use of the port of Cam Ranh".

However, Sang was quoted as telling Voice of Russia radio that a maintenance and service facility at the port would be open to ships from all nations and that, in the interest of furthering a "strategic partnership" with Moscow, Vietnam "will provide Russia with advantages in Cam Ranh, including with aim of developing military cooperation".

(Reporting By Nastassia Astrasheuskaya; Editing by Steve Gutterman and Alessandra Rizzo)

[izzyscout21]

yay.........

[Stg1swret]

Here we go again. Wonder if anyone from this administration remebers the Monroe doctrine, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

[IDTANDY]

Cold War.Putin is what he is.Look at his back ground.Dreams of the former Soviet.Russia should not be ignored by America nor should it be placated.

[Twitchy]

its the CMC all over again... or it is about to be...

[Grumpy Old Man]

The Russians have been trying to get warm water ports since the time of Peter the Great. This is nothing new for them, it's just that we won't stand in their way anymore.

[ehughes1488]

To bad the POTUS doesn't know the first rule of warfare "know your enemy!" Hell I wouldn't be suprised if he let them put one on our land somewhere.

[izzyscout21]