They only screw with American presidents they consider particularly weak.
As someone noted on a previous thread, as long as Russia doesn’t strafe a golf course, Obama won’t much care.
They won't do it a second time.
i wonder if Putin realizes he could land his bombers at our airports and 0bama would do nothing.
sure, the USAF would want to respond... but 0failure would be doing everything he can to be more ‘flexible’
i wonder, if some foreign power walked in and said they’re taking over... and 0bama agreed... would the american left care? would the current fedgov do anything to stop it, after the foreign dictator agree to give them a juicy pension and cozy seats in a nice office in the new govt?
i sincerely doubt the fedgov would oppose any such action
Must be in response to an internet video.
Ah, they’re just giving The One another “happy birthday” greeting.
No. Putin is doing it to send a message of defiance to our feckless leader.
Looks like Putin is a busy boy.
If they start doing this with Backfires and Blackjacks, I’ll be a little more concerned.
Sic the Raptors on them!
"Isn't that a golf course, Pasha?"
"You think Obama is down there, Yuri?"
"Very likely"
This is Putin playing the suburban game of ring and run on Barky which is played by teens all over America. This has zero military importance as Bears are not going to be a nuke delivery system of any importance were the balloon ever to go up.
Why does he need to test them....he has access to everything China has access to.
They are not so much “testing” as making threatening gestures.
They didn't enter US airspace as such, they entered a zone within which US forces expect aircraft to identify themselves. That they haven't been flying in those zones of late doesn't mean our airspace moved out to the limits of our air defense zone.
This must mean Russian aircraft are flying into areas they have not been flying into lately and may not be identifying themselves in the recommended manner. Apparently they're not identifying themself in the usual manner which would make this unusual or provocative as opposed to just an indication of increased training or something of that sort.
If you read the section at the link I posted regarding Russian aircraft and other aircraft (about halfway down the page under 'United States') it's sort of confusing as to why this is abnormal rather than routine. The reason it's a bit confusing is that it specifically mentions that if they find an aircraft is a Russian aircraft on a training mission they just let it go on it's way which implies they don't expect such aircraft to identify themselves in some specific way. So . . . ?
Maybe the headings they're on indicate they're headed into US airspace rather than transiting the ADIZ?
The TU-95 is only still considered a bomber by courtesy.
I’d like to know if the standing orders for air defense have been changed by the regime. If they have, I’ll wager it is not for added security.
A Russian Defense Ministry statement on the cruise missile test launches said a Tu-95 bomber “is capable of destroying the critical stationary assets of an enemy with cruise missiles, in daytime and nighttime, in any weather and in any part of the globe.”