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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2009 9:35:55 GMT -4
Let's do some world politics.....
This sounds a lot like the 60's all over again. The hardliner stance over Cuba just doesn't seem to be getting us anywhere. The US had an opportunity to step up to the plate when the Soviet Union collapsed.
Now that Russian and China are starting to flex their military muscle, is another cold war looming or a even a double cold war scenario (Russia/China). I'm all for saber rattling and a little cat and mouse play....but we have domestic issues right now that can not be distracted from.
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia expressed interest in using Cuban airfields during patrol missions of its strategic bombers, Russia's Interfax news agency reported
"There are four or five airfields in Cuba with 4,000-meter-long runways, which absolutely suit us," Maj. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev told Interfax.
Zhikharev, who is the chief of staff of the Russian Air Force's long-range aviation, said, "If the two chiefs of state display such a political will, we are ready to fly there."
Zhikharev also told Interfax that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has offered a military airfield on La Orchila island as a temporary base for Russian strategic bombers.
"If a relevant political decision is made, this is possible," he said, according to Interfax. Zhikharev said he visited La Orchila in 2008 and can confirm that with minor reconstruction, the airfield owned by a local naval base can accept fully-loaded Russian strategic bombers.
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Post by cheapshotartist on Mar 14, 2009 10:21:25 GMT -4
Well I think a lot of this has to do with the current administration. Russia knows that this president is not pro-military, such is evidenced by the administration wanting to eliminate as much as 55 billion from the current defense budget. I also think that is why Israel retaliated against HAMAS just prior to the current administration coming into play, they were not sure were they stood with Israel on that issue.
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Post by dej on Mar 16, 2009 12:36:54 GMT -4
These "talks" are just a pathetic effort by the Russian, Cubans & Chavez to get a little attention and put up a front of solidarity.
Basing them in Cuba and Venezula is actually a good thing. It would cost the Russians, Cubans & Venezualans money they really can't afford. It also means they really have no intention of using them. One of the primary reasons for having long range strategic bombers is to reduce the opportunity to hit their bases in a retaliatory attack if the bombers are used. If they launched an attack from Cuba or Venezula, the home bases would probably be destroyed before the bombers even finished their attack.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2009 8:25:35 GMT -4
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Russian military aircraft flew just 500 feet over two U.S. Navy ships this week as the ships participated in a joint military exercise with South Korea in the Sea of Japan, according to U.S. military officials.
Two Russian Ilyushin IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft flew only 500 feet above a U.S. aircraft carrier.
On Monday, two Russian Ilyushin IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft, known as "Mays," overflew the U.S. aircraft carrier Stennis while it was in international waters in the Sea of Japan.
The Russian aircraft flew about 500 feet over the ship, lower than other flights the Russians have made over U.S. ships in the past year.
The USS Stennis was about 80 miles east of Pohang, South Korea, participating in the joint military exercise when the flyover occurred.
On Tuesday, the USS Blue Ridge, a lead command and control ship, and the Stennis were overflown by two Russian "Bear" long-range bombers multiple times, according to U.S. military officials.
The Bears overflew the ships at about 2,000 feet, officials said.
U.S. military officials said that in both cases, U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighters met up with the Russian aircraft about 70 nautical miles from the U.S. ships and flew alongside them until they left the area.
On both days, U.S. aircraft tried contacting the Russian planes on international air frequency radio channels, but the Russian pilots did not respond, officials said.
The last time Russian planes flew over a U.S. Navy ship was February 2008, when two Bears flew 2,000 feet over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz south of Japan.
Russian long-range flights skirting U.S. or other nations' boundaries have also been common over the last year.
Although the Pentagon does not often talk about the overflights, there is nothing illegal about the actions, and they are generally seen by the United States as nothing more than muscle-flexing by the Russian military
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