Russian Nuclear-Capable Bombers Intercepted near West Coast

[Jetdawgg]

Russian Nuclear-Capable Bombers Intercepted near West Coast in Second U.S. Air Defense Zone Intrusion in Two Weeks

The Washington Free Beacon Two Russian strategic nuclear bombers entered the U.S. air defense zone near the Pacific coast on Wednesday and were met by U.S. interceptor jets, defense officials told the Free Beacon.

It was the second time Moscow dispatched nuclear-capable bombers into the 200-mile zone surrounding U.S. territory in the past two weeks.

An earlier intrusion by two Tu-95 Bear H bombers took place near Alaska as part of arctic war games that a Russian military spokesman said included simulated attacks on “enemy” air defenses and strategic facilities.

A defense official said the Pacific coast intrusion came close to the U.S. coast but did not enter the 12-mile area that the U.S. military considers sovereign airspace.

The bomber flights near the Pacific and earlier flights near Alaska appear to be signs Moscow is practicing the targeting of its long-range air-launched cruise missiles on two strategic missile defense sites, one at Fort Greely, Alaska and a second site at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

In May, Russian Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said during a Moscow conference that because missile defense systems are destabilizing, “A decision on pre-emptive use of the attack weapons available will be made when the situation worsens.” The comments highlighted Russian opposition to planned deployments of U.S. missile defense interceptors and sensors in Europe.

The U.S. defense official called the latest Bear H incident near the U.S. West Coast “Putin’s Fourth of July Bear greeting to Obama.”

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, a former Alaska commander for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said the latest Bear H intrusion appears to be Russian military testing.

“It’s becoming very obvious that Putin is testing Obama and his national security team,” McInerney told the Free Beacon. “These long-range aviation excursions are duplicating exercises I experienced during the height of the Cold War when I command the Alaska NORAD region.

McInerney said the Bear H flights are an effort by the Russians to challenge U.S. resolve, something he noted is “somewhat surprising as Obama is about to make a unilateral reduction of our nuclear forces as well as major reductions in our air defense forces.”

“Actions by Russia in Syria and Iran demonstrate that Cold War strategy may be resurrected,” he said.

“These are not good indications of future U.S. Russian relations.”

Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby said the incident occurred July 4. He said the “out-of-area patrol by two Russian long range bombers … entered the outer [Air Defense Identification Zone]” and the bombers “were visually identified by NORAD fighters.”

Kirby said the bombers did not enter “sovereign airspace.” He declined to identify the specific distance the aircraft flew from the United States due to operational security concerns. He also declined to identify the types of aircraft used to intercept the bombers.

In last month’s intercept of two Russian Tu-95 bombers, U.S. F-15s and Canadian CF-18s were used. The most likely aircraft used in Wednesday’s intercept were U.S. F-15 jets based at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

Kirby and U.S. Northern Command spokesmen, apparently in line with the Obama administration’s conciliatory reset policy toward Russia, sought to play down both bomber intrusions.

The Pentagon spokesman said the latest Pacific intrusion was “assessed as another training activity.”

Rather than using traditional military terminology common during the Cold War to describe the meeting of the violating bombers as an “intercept,” Kirby said that the bombers were “visually identified” by jets described only as joint U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) jets.

“NORAD is postured to ensure air warning and control for the continental United States, Canada, and Alaska,” Kirby said. “NORAD maintains an extensive radar system around North America and has aircraft located throughout the United States and Canada that can respond quickly to any unidentified flights approaching the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).”

Kirby said the ADIZ is extends about 200 miles from the coast and is “mainly within international airspace.”

“The outer limits of the ADIZ goes well beyond U.S. sovereign air space which only extends 12 nautical miles from land,” he said. “As part of its mission, NORAD tracks and identifies all aircraft flying in the ADIZ in advance of any aircraft entering sovereign airspace.”

The Free Beacon reported June 28 that two Bear H’s intruded into the Alaska ADIZ during war games that ended June 27.

A Northern Command spokesman later disputed the Free Beacon’s assertion that the bombers violated U.S. airspace and said the air defense zone is not the same as sovereign airspace since it includes international airspace.

However, the ADIZ is defined by the military as a nation’s declared area within which “the ready identification, the location, and the control of aircraft are required in the interest of national security.”

Canadian Navy Lt. Al Blondin also said in an email that the Russian bombers during the air defense intrusion last month did not violate U.S. airspace.

“NORAD will track and identify all aircraft flying in the ADIZ prior to those aircraft entering sovereign airspace,” Blondin said.

“It is important to note the Russian flights followed international flight rules and conducted their flight in a professional manner,” Blondin said. “As is their right, the Russian Air Force continues to fly in international airspace.”

Earlier, in response to questions about the Alaska Bear H intrusion, Marine Corps Col. Frank H. Simonds, Jr., deputy chief of staff for NORAD-U.S. Northcom, also defended the Russian bomber intrusion as nonthreatening.

“NORAD does not consider these flights a threat,” Simonds said, noting “Russia and NORAD routinely exercise their capability to operate in the North.”

Simonds identified the Alaska defense zone intruders as Tu-95MS bombers that were met by U.S. F-15s and Canadian CF-18s.

“Interaction between NORAD fighters with these types of aircraft are carried out routinely,” Simonds said. “As part of its responsibilities to identify all aircraft in its area of operation, which includes the ADIZ, NORAD has visually identified more than 50 Russian long range bomber aircraft over the last 5 years and NORAD fighters have been interacting with Russian aviation for over 50 years.”

Simonds said NORAD and Russian aircraft since 2010 take part in an exercise called Vigilant Eagle aimed at building cooperation on identifying and intercepting hijacked aircraft that cross international boundaries.

Last week, Rep. Michael R. Turner (R., Ohio), chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, said the Bear H intrusions near Alaska showed Russia’s response to the administration’s reset policy. He said air incursions, along with threats to attack U.S. missile defense sites preemptively, were signs of Putin’s aggression in the face of President Obama’s promised flexibility in talks with Moscow.

The Alaska bomber flights coincided with a summit between Obama and Putin in Mexico June 18.

According to U.S. officials, some 30 bombers and support aircraft took part in the war games, including the Bear Hs and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers.

Russian Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Vladimir Deryabin, told reporters in Moscow last month that the arctic strategic war games “practice destruction of enemy air defenses and strategic facilities.”

http://fromthetrenchesworldreport.co...o-weeks/17353/

[DeanPatsFan]

I'm sure the Eunuch-In-Chief called Putin and apologized for the interception, telling him it wont happen again...

[Trades]

I know this happened constantly during the 80's. Par for the course.

[palmetto defender]

PD to jetdawg: THIS is why we need to maintain a strong military. Air naval and ground.

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by palmetto defender

PD to jetdawg: THIS is why we need to maintain a strong military. Air naval and ground.

This is what DEFENSE spending is for, to protect America. The wars Iraq/AG are not for the Defense of America

[palmetto defender]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

This is what DEFENSE spending is for, to protect America. The wars Iraq/AG are not for the Defense of America

Learned something many years ago. better to take it to the bad guys on their ground, rather than on or near your own ground.
AG was a revenge war. Iraq, I firmly believe, was to stick it in Islam's ear.

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by palmetto defender

Learned something many years ago. better to take it to the bad guys on their ground, rather than on or near your own ground.
AG was a revenge war. Iraq, I firmly believe, was to stick it in Islam's ear.

At this cost?

[palmetto defender]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

At this cost?

Freedom isn't cheap.
It takes MORE than a "FEW GOOD MEN". Nice slogan but we need more than a bunch of 19-21 year old grunts.

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by palmetto defender

Freedom isn't cheap.
It takes MORE than a "FEW GOOD MEN". Nice slogan but we need more than a bunch of 19-21 year old grunts.

Let me see things clearly now; spend an excessive amount of time, money and lives killing under-nourished, under-educated individuals for WMD's that did not exist?

[palmetto defender]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

Let me see things clearly now; spend an excessive amount of time, money and lives killing under-nourished, under-educated individuals for WMD's that did not exist?

The WMSs did exist once. Saddam used them on the Kurds - killed tens of thousands. Fact. He also used them against Iran in that war. Fact.
Claimed he had more. Doing Iraq in was a good idea. Handled badly. Tommy Frank was a moron. Read his book. Clueless.

The Indians in our country were uneducated also. Had to do them in for the common good also.

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by palmetto defender

The WMSs did exist once. Saddam used them on the Kurds - killed tens of thousands. Fact. He also used them against Iran in that war. Fact.
Claimed he had more. Doing Iraq in was a good idea. Handled badly. Tommy Frank was a moron. Read his book. Clueless.

The Indians in our country were uneducated also. Had to do them in for the common good also.

Everyone with sense knew that there were no WMD's in Iraq in 2002. The same sane individuals also knew that Iraq had nothing to do with the 911 tragedy

Also the fact is that the war was unpaid for. The over zealous, over officious neo-cons lied to the American populace causing the debacle that we are now spinning in.

Again, just how good a policy is that? How is going to war on such lies and misinformation good defense spending? Who's 'common good' was all of this waste for?

[palmetto defender]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

Everyone with sense knew that there were no WMD's in Iraq in 2002. The same sane individuals also knew that Iraq had nothing to do with the 911 tragedy

Also the fact is that the war was unpaid for. The over zealous, over officious neo-cons lied to the American populace causing the debacle that we are now spinning in.

Again, just how good a policy is that? How is going to war on such lies and misinformation good defense spending? Who's 'common good' was all of this waste for?

War dead in Afghanistan - More under Obam than Bush BTW.
Who knew about Iraq? Don't know. Saddam said he was ready to use WMD. It's not nice to lie.

[PlumberKhan]

Originally Posted by palmetto defender

The WMSs did exist once. Saddam used them on the Kurds - killed tens of thousands. Fact. He also used them against Iran in that war. Fact.

Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. sold those chemical and biological weapons to Saddam.

Fact.

[DeanPatsFan]

Originally Posted by PlumberKhan

Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. sold those chemical and biological weapons to Saddam.

Fact.

Facts Plumber is ignoring...


52% of Iraq's international chemical weapon equipment was of German origin.
Around 21% of Iraq’s international chemical weapon equipment was French.
About 100 tons of mustard gas also came from Brazil.
The United Kingdom paid for a chlorine factory that was intended to be used for manufacturing mustard gas
An Austrian company gave Iraq calutrons for enriching uranium. The nation also provided heat exchangers, tanks, condensers, and columns for the Iraqi chemical weapons infrastructure, 16% of the international sales.
Singapore gave 4,515 tons of precursors for VX, sarin, tabun, and mustard gasses to Iraq.
The Dutch gave 4,261 tons of precursors for sarin, tabun, mustard, and tear gasses to Iraq.
Egypt gave 2,400 tons of tabun and sarin precursors to Iraq and 28,500 tons of weapons designed for carrying chemical munitions.
India gave 2,343 tons of precursors to VX, tabun, Sarin, and mustard gasses.
Luxemburg gave Iraq 650 tons of mustard gas precursors.
Spain gave Iraq 57,500 munitions designed for carrying chemical weapons. In addition, they provided reactors, condensers, columns and tanks for Iraq’s chemical warfare program, 4.4% of the international sales.
China provided 45,000 munitions designed for chemical warfare.

[FF2®]

Originally Posted by palmetto defender

The Indians in our country were uneducated also. Had to do them in for the common good also.

LOLz.

Yes, any uneducated people should be slaughtered.

We should kill everyone in Tennessee.

[PlumberKhan]

Originally Posted by DeanPatsFan

Facts Plumber is ignoring...


52% of Iraq's international chemical weapon equipment was of German origin.
Around 21% of Iraq’s international chemical weapon equipment was French.
About 100 tons of mustard gas also came from Brazil.
The United Kingdom paid for a chlorine factory that was intended to be used for manufacturing mustard gas
An Austrian company gave Iraq calutrons for enriching uranium. The nation also provided heat exchangers, tanks, condensers, and columns for the Iraqi chemical weapons infrastructure, 16% of the international sales.
Singapore gave 4,515 tons of precursors for VX, sarin, tabun, and mustard gasses to Iraq.
The Dutch gave 4,261 tons of precursors for sarin, tabun, mustard, and tear gasses to Iraq.
Egypt gave 2,400 tons of tabun and sarin precursors to Iraq and 28,500 tons of weapons designed for carrying chemical munitions.
India gave 2,343 tons of precursors to VX, tabun, Sarin, and mustard gasses.
Luxemburg gave Iraq 650 tons of mustard gas precursors.
Spain gave Iraq 57,500 munitions designed for carrying chemical weapons. In addition, they provided reactors, condensers, columns and tanks for Iraq’s chemical warfare program, 4.4% of the international sales.
China provided 45,000 munitions designed for chemical warfare.

That's great.

Doesn't change the fact the we sold weapons to Saddam. Just because other people did it, doesn't make it OK, does it?

[palmetto defender]

Originally Posted by FF2®

LOLz.

Yes, any uneducated people should be slaughtered.

We should kill everyone in Tennessee.

Hmm. Really. then what would you do for military people. Certainly not available in NE - land of the wimpy.
Do colleges actually recruit football players in NE and NY? NOPE, not anymore. They used to. Now we have people like you.
BTW, the American Indian was and is a group of savages.

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by palmetto defender

Hmm. Really. then what would you do for military people. Certainly not available in NE - land of the wimpy.
Do colleges actually recruit football players in NE and NY? NOPE, not anymore. They used to. Now we have people like you.
BTW, the American Indian was and is a group of savages.

Living in the wild and in a more traditional manner does not make one a 'savage'.

The Native Americans were a nomadic, tribal people. You dish out a great deal of insults here, mostly it seems due to a pompous and bias state of mind.

[MnJetFan]

We sold the above items to keep Iran under control. It did exactly that for decades.

[brady's a catcher]

Originally Posted by palmetto defender

The WMSs did exist once. Saddam used them on the Kurds - killed tens of thousands. Fact. He also used them against Iran in that war. Fact.
Claimed he had more. Doing Iraq in was a good idea. Handled badly. Tommy Frank was a moron. Read his book. Clueless.

The Indians in our country were uneducated also. Had to do them in for the common good also.

LOL, sounds like when the wife says, "this milk is bad, smell it".

Ok to stray from the party line once in a while PD, Iraq was a disaster, not nearly worth it to "stick it in Islam's ear.