Is it just me? But Russian military ships and helicopters all seem to look more intimidating than other countries counter parts.
Russian vessels, throughout the cold war and even now have always "bristled" with weapons and sensors.
They are meant to look menacing...and in many ways they most certainly do.
However, make no mistake, this does not mean that other nation's vessels are not equally capable in terms of weaponry and their ability to inflict harm on their opposition.
The US, typically, has always liked "clean lines." So, they have flush VLS cells, each of which can contain up to four missiles. See? That clean look can be just as menacing...and sometimes more so...if you know what it represents.
THis is carried forward in the new, large Zumwalt class. Sleek, with Periperal VLS cells. All you see are the two main guns (which one day soon will include a ril gun) in stealthy cupoloas. but this does not mean that there is not a lot of capability on those ships.
It's just usually very, very obvious on Russian ships.
But this may change with the newer Russian design DDGs coming forward.
Remember, the Udaloy DDGs, the Sovremenny DDGs, the Kirov CGNs, were all designed in the 1980s and built largely in the 1980s and 1990s.
I think the new Admiral Goshkov FFGs for example, are a lot sleeker looking, with VLS and what not than the later model Krivaks for example. Perhaps not quite so sleek as some US vessels, but trending that way.
Admiral Gorshkov FFG
Krivak III FFG
