ABSTRACT
For an outside observer, it is always easy to find things to criticize in Russian military reform. There is, however, probably every reason to be humble about the difficulties involved. Defence transformation in countries like the United States, Germany and Sweden have been far from problem-free and have certainly not escaped heavy, and often warranted, criticism. The challenge of turning a defence bureaucracy around is daunting in most countries, and predicting future threats in the international arena and the development of warfare is always difficult and at times highly contentious in the domestic security policy debate. The problems that Russia faces when it comes to reforming its armed forces are, to a degree, the same ones Western defence planners face, albeit on a larger scale and more severe.
