Russian bomber jets resume Cold War sorties

marco murphy

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's strategic bombers have resumed Cold War-style long-haul missions to areas patrolled by NATO and the United States, top generals said on Thursday.

A Russian bomber flew over a U.S. naval base on the Pacific island of Guam on Wednesday and "exchanged smiles" with U.S. pilots who had scrambled to track it, said Major-General Pavel Androsov, head of long-range aviation in the Russian air force.

"It has always been the tradition of our long-range aviation to fly far into the ocean, to meet (U.S.) aircraft carriers and greet (U.S. pilots) visually," Androsov told a news conference.

"Yesterday we revived this tradition, and two of our young crews paid a visit to the area of the (U.S. Pacific Naval Activities) base of Guam," he said.

President Vladimir Putin has sought to make Russia more assertive in the world. Putin has boosted defense spending and sought to raise morale in the armed forces, which were starved of funding following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Androsov said the sortie by the two turboprop Tu-95MS bombers, from a base near Blagoveshchensk in the Far East, had lasted for 13 hours. The Tu-95, codenamed "Bear" by NATO, is Russia's Cold War icon and may stay in service until 2040.

"I think the result was good. We met our colleagues -- fighter jet pilots from (U.S.) aircraft carriers. We exchanged smiles and returned home," Androsov said.

Ivan Safranchuk, Moscow office director of the Washington-based World Security Institute, said he saw nothing extraordinary in Moscow sending its bombers around the globe.

"This practice as such never stopped, it was only scaled down because there was less cash available for that," he said.

"It doesn't cost much to flex your muscles ... You can burn fuel flying over your own land or you can do it flying somewhere like Guam, in which case political dividends will be higher."

COLD WAR CAT-AND-MOUSE

The bombers give Russia the capability of launching a devastating nuclear strike even if the nuclear arsenals on its own territory are wiped out.

During the Cold War, they played elaborate airborne games of cat-and-mouse with Western air forces.

Lieutenant-General Igor Khvorov, air forces chief of staff, said the West would have to come to terms with Russia asserting its geopolitical presence. "But I don't see anything unusual, this is business as usual," he said.

The generals said under Putin long-range aviation was no longer in need of fuel, enjoyed better maintenance and much higher wages, a far cry from the 1990s when many pilots were practically grounded because there was no money to buy fuel.

The generals quipped that part of the funding boost was thanks to a five-hour sortie Putin once flew as part of a crew on a supersonic Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber, known as the "White Swan" in Russia and codenamed "Blackjack" by NATO.

The current state of Russia's economy, which is booming for the eighth year in a row, has allowed Russia to finance such flights, said Safranchuk from the World Security Institute.

"Maintenance and training are not the most expensive budget items of modern armies. Purchases of new weapons really are."

www.yahoo.com

Wonder is this part of a broader flexing of muscles by Putin, and will we see more. This Missile Defence system that the US is pushing has really enraged him. Will it get worse? What happens when the Missile Defence is constructed?

the_syco

They've been doing this for years. Due to the recent increase in the price of oil, and the way Putin has taken over (by force) more or less every oil company is Russia, they're now pumping it into the military.

Seemingly, they're thinking of having a presence in the Med. Putin is just flexing his muscles, knowing well the US wouldn't think twice about "liberating" Russia, now that they (the Russians) have lots of oil, if Putin did something stupid.

Dirk Gently

It's nothing new really. Just a friendly "hello, we’re big boys too". They've run a few sorties off the north of Britain too in the last few months and they did send a fleet of naval vessels to patrol around Yugoslavia when Clinton was there doing his thing. They were also the first to roll tanks into town before NATO could mobilise land forces. In recent years Russia has become more assertive internationally, bulling neighbouring former soviet states and she will become more overtly so in coming years as energy security becomes every states number one priority but I wouldn't start building the bunker in the back garden yet based on this little joy ride.

The North Pole territory claim looks juicy alright though. Russian Flag planted on the sea bed a couple of weeks ago (scientist declared a national hero) and the Canadian PM visiting the northern region a week later and planning to set up military bases in the area. The US also has a claim on the area so it looks like it could be a super power gold rush with Canada and Norway thrown into the mix too.

Putin has said he won’t seek to amend the constitution for a third term but no doubt he'll make sure one of his KGB buddies gets elected. Perhaps a few black operations to ensure his strong man gets elected. Many believe that’s how putin himself over came disastrous initial ratings to finally become the popular choice. (Another theory is that he out manoeuvred political opponents using techniques learned for interrogation and extracting sensitive information through casual conversation, - all very James bond).

Soviet style national pride is making a come back after disillusionment with the neglect of the armed forces since the fall of the wall and although there are many new billionaires there is resentment with the loss of nationalised services and a feeling that the country has been sliced up and sold off, especially in the smaller towns while Moscow itself is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in these days. I can't see the failed state controlled economy making a come back but a longing for the old days of superpower with national and international authority is creeping back, especially in the face of outrageous unilateral military actions from the US and former Soviet states going through western influenced "orange revolutions".

purple'n'gold

the_syco wrote:

They've been doing this for years. Due to the recent increase in the price of oil, and the way Putin has taken over (by force) more or less every oil company is Russia, they're now pumping it into the military.

Seemingly, they're thinking of having a presence in the Med. Putin is just flexing his muscles, knowing well the US wouldn't think twice about "liberating" Russia, now that they (the Russians) have lots of oil, if Putin did something stupid.

Are you seriously suggesting that the USA would consider invading Russia?

p1k3y

purplengold wrote:

Are you seriously suggesting that the USA would consider invading Russia?

They don't need to. Look how they took over Ukraine and Georgia.
Here is the recipe:
1. Support an opposition force (with money, media, strategy etc.)
2. Accuse their opponents in the election manipulations.
3 Drive people to the streets
4 Let peoplle stay there and keep "international pressure" on winning party till they give up.

PS
5 -Opposition takes over and gives international corporations total access to their economy and their land for future NATO bases.
Thats called an aggressive globalisation.
BTW Is there antiglobalists in Ireland? I wanna join.

PSS **** da police

Mick86

purplengold wrote:

Are you seriously suggesting that the USA would consider invading Russia?

The first rule of Land Warfare is Never Invade Russia. The US hasn't broken that one yet.

That said the Second Rule is Never Wage War on the Asian Landmass. The US has broken that one several times so they are obviously slow learners.

p1k3y wrote:

BTW Is there antiglobalists in Ireland? I wanna join.

You've come to the right place.:D

p1k3y wrote:

PSS **** da police

However I have a feeilng you may not be here too long.

Captain Chaos

the_syco wrote:

They've been doing this for years.

They actually haven't being doing this at all since the early 1990s. Putin only announced in August this year that they are resuming tactical patrols over the the North Atlantic. After the early 1990s till now they were only doing low scale training as far as the coast just off Norway.

mike65

p1k3y by name pikey by nature.

Mike.

p1k3y

Mick86 wrote:

-That said the Second Rule is Never Wage War on the Asian Landmass. The US has broken that one several times so they are obviously slow learners.



-However I have a feeilng you may not be here too long.

Do you still think that invasion of Iraq was a mistake?

PS 1st pikey rule - never get caught

bostonian

Mick86 wrote:

The first rule of Land Warfare is Never Invade Russia. The US hasn't broken that one yet.

That said the Second Rule is Never Wage War on the Asian Landmass. The US has broken that one several times so they are obviously slow learners.

HAHAHAHAHA

I think that after the Cold War, Russia kind of went under the radar, "licking it's wounds", so to speak, but now they're feeling a bit better and realize that in the time they've been away, their counterpart has gotten out of hand. I don't think the Cold War is on again by any means, but rather the sorties are Russia's way of saying "Hey, remember us? Get back in line like everybody else."

I do find it distressing that Russia still feels very contrary to NATO, but that could be a good thing, to keep global power divided. If any one person/group had the vast majority of the world's military might at their hand, true liberty could be lost forever.