Could the United States defeat Russia in all out war in the pacific?

In present day, assuming an all out war broke out between the United States and the Russian Federation, could the U.S maitain superiority over the pacific west coast and then proced to take and hold at least a significant part of the eastern seabord of Rusia?

Russia has a very large eastern seabord and most of their modern combat aircraft are fourth generation fighters tops, the Sukhoi-37 isn't even mass produced and thats all they got on american F-22 raptors.

Barring nuclear weapons, which would make it a lose-lose situation, yes, the United States is still the most powerful military in the world and could defeat Russia. Here's the difference:

http://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.asp?country_id=United-States-of-America

http://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.asp?country_id=Russia

We have a large edge over them both Naval and with Air Power. The difference in aircraft carriers alone is a tremendous advantage for the United States in force projection.

It would probably go nuclear because russia is fucking crazy and then both sides would lose.

If it was non-nuclear, the U.S. would give Russia the old Hot Cosby like there was no tomorrow.

*searches Hot Cosby*

Major Russian military assets would be destroyed in the first hour of the conflict.

Quantity means absolutely nothing in this day and age

@effec_tor:

But quality does, and the U.S. has that. I bet even the archaic F-15E Eagles (they are undefeated at present I believe) could still reign supreme in the skies, let alone the more advanced fighters.

Well good thing that the US also has Russia beat in the quality department as well? Even then, your statement is stupid anyways since quantity does mean something. Having 20 aircraft carrier and Russia having exactly 1 is a gigantic difference from a quantity/power perspective.

It would end with the US' west coast cities being invaded by the vastly superior Russian military machine ...

Yeah, Russia's military is a mess... let alone, their country.

Wouldn't matter.

If the US and Russia went against eachother into a all out war, Nukes would rain and no side would be victorious.

Both sides have nuclear submarines. It wouldn't be pretty.

Russia's east coast is easily triple the length of the US west coast. It'll require a lot of logistics to hold it. To win wars, you need boots on the ground. It'll require an awful lot of boots to occupy the Siberian coast. Probably wouldn't be worth it. Plus, potential allies are nearby (N Korea, China). This is Russia's doorstep we're talking about and not some Third World sh*thole far away from both countries.

The US carrier force can provide safety under its aerial umbrella. But, for how long? Most navies don't want to be too near a hostile coastline because of danger from land-based aircraft and missiles. Look what happened to the USN at Okinawa back in WW2.

American's remember Vietnam?

I think you underestimate how tits the U.S. air force is.

We basically won the gulf war within a few hours. That was against a competent army, how hard would it be to beat a bunch of alcoholics with a country that can barely be called first world?

Has no one read a history book and learned what has happened to everyone ever who tried to invade Russia?

I think people are underestimating Russia. They would surely put up a much bigger fight than the shitty Taliban or ISIS. If nukes stay out of the picture, I'd have to lean toward the US winning since they have more 21st century technology.

Russia has robot tanks and they are currently hiring World of Tanks players to operate them.

They advertised them recently.

Now they have acquired stealth cruise missiles. I also think China would get involved to prevent western imperialism, along with Iran's help in the middle east.

On the other hand, Taiwan definitely has Air Supremacy in the Pacific so things could get ugly. Also South Korea's military is more powerful than the North. Then you have Japan and the Philippines all over the pacific and china sea.

It would take a good war strategist to take down the US. Also, wasn't the US military purged with tons of jets unoccupied? They'd have to draft the American people and be willing to fight. Hard to when American people are so fat.

@servomaster: I'm sorry,but I think it's you that underestimate Russia.The people of Russia are not a wealthy race,but their military are one of the most powerful on the planet.If you did research,it's comparable with the U.S.Russia is not sitting with pee shooters while the States have slingshots,don't think that for a second.Probably 2 country's have a good chance at defeating the States at a ground/air war would be Russia/or China.By the way,the U.S.A. ain't the center of the world,there are some things they are not invincible at.

no, Russia's air force would dominate us, this has been the conclusion of multiple Pentagon exercises, our modern fighter aircraft cost more now to order and to maintain and perform worse than our aircrafts did decades ago, this is the effect of crony capitalism, people in the high ranks of military being wined and dined by lobbyists and told if they sign off on contracts for equipment that there's a golden ticket for a high paying job waiting for them when they leave their post, rather than a military that awards contracts because we can get the best equipment for our money

here, read this article came out last month that spells this practice out quite clearly, and with several hundred billions of dollars of waste, there's plenty more of this where that came from...

http://graphics.latimes.com/missile-defense-jlens/

There wouldn't even be a battle. Strategic nukes would take out multiple cities in both countries and most of the world population would be annihilated. Fortunately I have training to live off the land and survive if I wasn't within the perimeter of a severe blast point.

@brimmul777:

I think with China's help on currency wars and cyber war to attack the people of America indirectly, Russia could have chance to collapse America. China has lasers to knock off satellites and they could destroy America's weak point, technology.

@thegerg:

Did you only read the thread title and not the post?

So the Russian seaboard isn't Russian territory?

Open conflict between Russia and the US would likely end in the use of WMDs (atomic, biological, and/or chemical) so no winners there.

However, if we are talking conventional warfare, I'd say the US for a variety of reasons:

1. Hardware. It is the best, often. Not always, but generally better than most of the stuff out there.

2. Training. Pretty severe training, assuming we dont need to crank out soldiers fast (I heard towards the end of the US's occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, the standards had dropped; maybe they're back up where they belong again).

3. Veterancy. The US has participated or led a conflict like every ten years it feels like. That's a whole lot of experienced officers and so forth.

It'd be a tough fight, no doubt. I'm not sure what Russian military doctrine is now, but during the Cold War it was essentially zerg rush lol. I know it sounds funny, but the objective was to storm the border with huge numbers of tanks, occupy with infantry, and beat the enemy before resources ran out (and they'd run out, quickly, given the sheer volume of forces they would deploy).

Anyone interested in a fictionalized, but realistic, portrayal of a NATO vs Soviet war (naval warfare in the Atlantic, ground combat in Germany, and spec ops in Antarctica) should read Tom Clancy's Red Storm RIsing. Amazing book. A bit dated as it uses 1980s/Cold War hardware and tactics as reference, but still an amazing book. Just be patient, after the first 30 pages of action there's about 100 pages of politics. But then its back to action! Don't be intimidated by it's thickness (that's what he said?), it reads fast!

I think China is more likely to go to war with Russia than we are at this point. And they'd definitely ally with non-Russian forces. Hell, they almost went to war with Russia (and Japan, mind you) over a few islands.

China gains nothing if Russia wins, except a stronger and bolder neighbor that is suddenly thinking China doesn't look so intimidating any more.

@thegerg:So you didn't read the op. Got it.

Never bullshit a bullshitter. I was obviously talking about Russian territory and you were pretending the op was only talking about the U.S.'s pacific west coast, or as the thread title said, "the pacific".

@lamprey263:

No chance Russian air force can outdo the U.S.....ain't happening. Not in a real war. U.S. would have a sizable victory in the skies (Air Force) and water (Navy), fact. You underestimate the U.S. war machine.

The Vietnam experiment is a far cry from the power Americans would unleash if the mainland was threatened. And no other country could occupy gun-toting U.S., certainly not on their home turf.

You're just jealous (and fearful) of the greatness that is Mother Russia!

I think whoever has the home court has the advantage which is why neither one will invade the other.

Of course, here at the US, I'm sure there are those gun nuts itching to add Russian imports to the trophy room.

Being an alcoholic with a failing economy because all it produces is oil isn't great. Elon Musk is coming for you!!!!!

Going by the numbershe U.S. has almost 10 times the military spending budget that of Russia.

Not to mention, the U.S. has a monster Navy compared to russia, and 3-4 times the number of aircraft, and more personnel.

The USA still has the most superior military in the world, so yes, they would beat Russia. However, a conflict between those nations would be stupid and they should focus on remaining allies- Even though they bully each other all the time in the press.

We're talking another pacific war scenario, just that this time its between the United States and Russia, another big air-sea campaign. All war scenarios are always imagined in the European theater, NATO/U.S Vs Russia, in all out war in the pacific its just the two superpowers (if Russia can still be considered a superpower) blood and gore in the air and the sea without foreign intervention, im sure Canada and Mexico wouldn't want to intervene in such a conflict and it'd be suicidal for North Korea and China to get involved either, same for Japan.

I'm pretty sure america would lose countless lives and quite posibly, despite their aerial superiority many i'm talking MANY of their carriers wouldn't survive. No nukes allowed or the entire planet is most likely ****ed.

The United States has the sole operational fith generation stealth fighter in the world, theoretically unmatched by any other available fighter from other nations. They have more than a hundred F-22 raptors and those can cripple the Russian airforce within ours of combat, they literally wouldn't see them coming.

Nice circlejerk you got going here. The U.S' perception of its military might seems to have been grossly inflated by decades of bullying small-fries all over the globe. The irony is that it didn't even do a good job in that as attested by Vietnam, Cuba, Afghanistan, Somalia and even Iraq; yet it takes account of none of it.

That deficiency is potentially deadly. The U.S' military mentality and acumen are both entrenched in such warfare. If the U.S goes to war with Russia with that mentality and with that set of experiences, it'd find itself dumbfounded by how real wars work.

@servomaster: This is how it would play out at the strategic level ...

:-)

@GazaAli: One of these days the entire world will turn its back on America.

It's actually already happening. The U.S lost any credibility it had left in the region. Even the historically meek and subservient regional allies have been forced to grow balls and act unilaterally while being wary of the U.S and its intentions. On the Palestinian scene, the leadership in Ramallah no longer believes the U.S is willing to sponsor a lasting and remotely just peace with the Israelis, which is why it's becoming rebellious with the U.S and any ostensible efforts to resume the peace process. Even the Israelis, despite the U.S being the Jewish state's greatest benefactor, are giving the Obama administration the finger. Egypt is strongly reverting to Russia as a strategic ally after the farce of the U.S' support to the Muslim Brotherhood regime in the 2012 elections and the subsequent Mursi regime. Russia is no longer willing to sit back and watch the U.S lays claim over the world and subverting its own national interests, and China will possibly follow suit at some point.

Meanwhile, God bless America, his gift to the world and the longest lasting democracy.

In conventional war the US would win, especially in the Pacific where a navy counts more. Russia still relies too much on conscription to bulk out it's military and still has a lot of outdated equipment. The only real winner would be China in the long run. China is benefitting the most from this dumbass adversarial relationship between the US and Russia now but the leaders of both countries are too short sighted to realize it.

Yes, circle jerk and undue perceptions huh? Here's a reality check, these perceptions are based on actual statistics regarding both countries aerial, naval, and military expenditures...not just in total quantity but also taking into consideration quality/technology and force projection ability and the economies behind them.

On just about every single measurable metric the US outclasses Russia in the ability to conduct conventional warfare, but most importantly we completely and utterly out class Russia in air power and naval forces...which is how conventional warfare is conducted in this day and age.

Anyone who thinks Russia could beat the United States in a conventional war is flat out delusional.

Now before anyone starts with their "oh just another US lover" bullcrap, I actually wish we would stop spending so much on defense and instead appropriating more of our massive wealth towards the sciences, renewable energy technology, infrastructure, and in general for the benefit of our people. That being said, when you outspend the world in defense, and Russia in this example, by orders of magnitude you do end up with the most powerful military in the world. That's reality.

Strategic Difference. Also 'Murica!!

@Stesilaus said:

@servomaster: This is how it would play out at the strategic level ...

:-)

@Gaming-Planet:

and the world at large will suffer as a result, personally I think the U.S. should concentrate on maintaining good relations with Canada, Mexico, Britain, let everyone else fight their own battles, while we improve ourselves here at home in every aspect. Keep ourselves the strongest country in the world militarily.