Russia Flexing Its Military Muscles

(CBS)  With one enormous explosion the Russian military hoped to inspire some shock and awe of its own. They were showing off a newly-developed fuel bomb, one which the Russians say is as powerful as a small nuclear weapon.

And earlier this summer, Russia resumed long-range bomber patrols into NATO-controlled airspace for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. That has prompted Britain's Royal Air Force to scramble fighter jets.

This is all part of a Russia's new swagger on the world stage. Flush with oil and gas money, its defense budget has grown by almost 25% this year.

The country's muscle-flexing mirrors the style of its alpha-male president Vladimir Putin, who stripped off for the cameras on a recent hunting trip to Siberia.

But, as CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports, Russia's military expansion isn't just for home consumption.

At London's international arms fair this week, Russia had a booth for the very first time, selling everything from automatic weapons to anti-aircraft systems.

So far, business has been brisk with clients from all over the world.

Some of the Russian weapons on sale are really just souped-up old Soviet technology, but some - like the new Sukhoi fighter jets - are cutting edge.

Eager customers include the leaders of countries the U.S. would prefer not to see well-armed: like Presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.

Russia "is keen to keep its customers purchasing because it's a massive boost for its own defense industry," said Matthew Celements, an editor for Jane's Defense Weekly. "It's also to a degree saying, 'we're not going to let the West interfere with what our defense decisions are, we're gonna sell to who we want to because we're not a slave to the West.'"

Russia is not an enemy to the West either... at the moment anyway. So for now, its more interested in projecting might than picking fights.

[j_flood]

I''d be disinclined to call Russia''s recent military actions as the ''cold war''. They are learning the capitalist ways here and selling military goods is much better for the bank balance than invading other countries, and they want a bigger bank balance.

[j_flood]

I''d be disinclined to call Russia''s recent military actions as the ''cold war''. They are learning the capitalist ways here and selling military goods is much better for the bank balance than invading other countries, and they want a bigger bank balance.

[ubrew12]

The U.S. had a chance to lead the world into a new era of a ''peace dividend'', after the Cold War ended. Instead, we invaded Iraq, and showed the world that for us... MIGHT MAKES RIGHT!

This is how the world has responded, by upping their defense budgets, bringing us closer to WWIII.

Way to go, neocons!!!

[paris042]

russia is the only hope for the mankind against
imperialism i am counting on eyropeans and they know it .

[drinuk]

Right now we in the so-called Western World from Washington to London, Paris to Sydney and Japan to Bonn and Paris are ruled by a select bunch of people intent upon World Government. Sometimes called the Illuminati these powerful rich crooks appoint our so-called leaders like Bush and Blair and run our lives. India booted them years ago, the Chinese have made their intentions clear and Russia is now telling them in no uncertain terms to F--- Off and rightly so, they are evil. It is time WE did the same.

[drinuk]

What we have here is Russia telling the American and the International Corporate Criminals to get their feet from under the table and off their patch. They are saying to the evil Empire of the Bush Family and their Elite wealthy friends that they are not going to stand by and allow them to interfere in their country And they are right. These evil crooked money grabbing b a s t a r d s will not be happy until they have their sticky fingers on the Russian Oil and Gas and Putin knows it. They have lied and conned us whilst the Russians have watched and took notes, it ''aint going to happen to them during the last 18 months of the Bush evil Empire, they will make sure of that.

[afmca]

Yes another Bush / Cheney foreign policy fiasco that has made the world more dangerous for all. We had a chance of dialogue which may have made the world safer, but Bush''s military weapon suppliers saw their possible profits declining. The neo-con hubris will result in getting us all killed.

[missingamerica]

Pretty funny, isn''t it?

Our leaders in America projected their own greed onto all other nations, and assumed that they too could be controlled with the all-mighty dollar.