Posted on 02/11/2008 3:45:40 PM PST by Flavius
Edited on 02/11/2008 4:36:47 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Russian bomber aircraft approached a US Aircraft carrier in the Pacific on Saturday and were intercepted by American fighter jets, a US Defense official said on Monday...
Excerpt. Story continues: YNetNews
Update:
Google AP
Navy Intercepts Russian Bombers
By LOLITA C. BALDOR – 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. fighter planes intercepted two Russian bombers, including one that buzzed an American aircraft carrier in the western Pacific during the weekend, The Associated Press has learned.
A U.S. military official says that one Russian Tupolev 95 flew directly over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz twice, at a low altitude of about 2,000 feet, while another bomber circled about 58 miles out. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because the reports on the flights were classified as secret.
The Saturday incident, which never escalated beyond the flyover, comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans for a missile defense system based in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Such Russian bomber flights were common during the Cold War, but have been rare since.
The bombers were among four Russian Tupolev 95s launched from Ukrainka in the middle of the night, including one that Japanese officials say violated their country's airspace over an uninhabited island south of Tokyo.
U.S. officials tracked and monitored the bombers as two flew south along the Japanese coast, and two others flew farther east, coming closer to the Nimitz and the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton.
As the bombers got about 500 miles out from the U.S. ships, four F/A-18 fighters were launched from the Nimitz, the official said. The fighters intercepted the Russian bombers about 50 miles south of the Nimitz.
At least two U.S. F/A-18 Hornets trailed the bomber as it came in low over the Nimitz twice, while one or two of the other U.S. fighters followed the second bomber as it circled.
The official said there were no verbal communications between the U.S. and the Russians, and the Pentagon has not heard of any protests being filed by the United States. Historically, diplomatic protests were not filed in such incidents because they were so common during the Cold War era.
This is the first time Russian Tupolevs have flown over or interacted with a U.S. carrier since 2004.
In that incident, a Russian Tupolev flew over the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk in the Sea of Japan on Jan. 29, 2004. Since then, however, relations between the U.S. and Russia have deteriorated to their worst point since the Cold War, largely due to the United States' plans to put a radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 missile defense interceptors in Poland.
The U.S. has defended the plan as necessary to protect its European allies from possible attacks by Iran. But the Kremlin has condemned the proposal, saying it would threaten Russia's security.
"We are being forced to take retaliatory steps," said Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also warned that a new arms race is under way.
Japan, meanwhile, filed a formal protest with the Russian Embassy in Tokyo after Saturday's incident, saying that one of the Russian bombers crossed into Japanese airspace for three minutes. Russia has denied there was an intrusion.
Are they trying to get a Republican elected?
Political correctness dictates everything about this country now, including the way we defend ourselves. Crap like this should not be allowed in ANY circumstance.
Raise your hand if you think Russia's our friend.
MM (in TX)
Throughout the 11-day standoff the Bush administration was under mounting pressure, from both Republican congressmen and a section of the right-wing press, to escalate the conflict.
Only days after the emergency landing on Hainan, top Republican congressional leaders, including Richard Shelby, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Henry Hyde, chairman of the House International Relations Committee, began referring to the spy plane crew as “hostages,” language studiously avoided by the Bush administration itself.
Senator John McCain greeted the release by denouncing China for “inexcusable conduct, its reprehensible detention of our air crew as it dishonestly attempted to shift blame for the mid-air collision to the United States from where it rightfully belongs—with the Chinese policy of dangerously challenging our lawful and essential surveillance flights in international airspace over the South China Sea.”
Without directly criticizing Bush, McCain declared, “We must avoid, at all costs, giving Chinese leaders the impression that they will profit by challenging America’s global responsibilities and substituting demagoguery and hostility for ... respect and understanding.”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/apr2001/chin-a15.shtml
From your lips to God’s ears!!!
USS Nimitz Arrives in Sasebo for Port Visit
USS Nimitz Public Affairs
SASEBO, Japan (NNS) — The San Diego-based aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN 68) arrived in Sasebo, Japan, Feb. 11 for a scheduled port visit.
While in port, the ship’s crew members will have a chance to participate in friendship-building and good will-generating activities, as well as cultural exchanges.
The deployment of Nimitz to backfill USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) while it undergoes maintenance exemplifies U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the Pacific Region. The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is commanded by Rear Adm. Terry Blake.
“Our goal is to maintain and strengthen our alliances and friendships in the region,” said Blake. “Our deployment to the Western Pacific is a visible demonstration of the United States ongoing commitment to Japan and the other nations in the region. We also value our exceptionally strong relationship with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and this port visit is an opportunity for us to make new friends and renew old acquaintances.”
The Nimitz CSG is comprised of commander, CSG 11, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Nimitz; its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11; embarked Destroyer Squadron 23; the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59); the guided-missile destroyers USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), USS Higgins (DDG 76), and USS Chafee (DDG 90); Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 49 “Scorpions,” HSL 37 “Easy Riders”; and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11.
CVW-11’s squadrons include the “Tophatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, the “Black Aces” of VFA-41, the “Sunliners” of VFA-81, the “Wallbangers” of Airborne Early Warning Squadron 117, the “Red Devils” of Marine Corps Strike Fighter Squadron 232, the “Black Ravens” of Electronic Warfare Squadron 135, the “Providers” of Carrier Logistics Support Squadron 30 and the “Indians” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 6.
Nimitz is currently operating as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet. Operating in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, the 7th Fleet is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with approximately 50 ships, 120 aircraft and 20,000 Sailors and Marines assigned at any given time.
For more news from USS Nimitz, visit
http://www.navy.mil/local/cvn68/.
~~~
“We are being forced to take retaliatory steps,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also warned that a new arms race is under way.
~~~~
Don’t push your luck, Pootie .. Barrack’s not president yet.
Do the phrases 'international waters' and 'international airspace' mean anything to you? A Russian plane flying over our carrier docked in San Diego may be an act of war but a Russian plane flying over one of our carriers in the middle of the Pacific is not.
“...one Russian Tupolev 95 flew directly over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz twice, at a low altitude of about 2,000 feet,...”
That’s “intercepting”?
Between the rubber boat incident w/iran a few weeks ago, and now this (first I’ve heard of it), I’m wondering why we let them get so darned close?
This picture is in Russian. It reads WE DRINK RUSSIAN BLOOD. The little ship in the background is that Soviet AGI:
Soviet KA-25 HORMONE Anti ship/Anti Sub helicopter that buzzed our flight deck twice, close enough that I heard it fly over from 5 decks below the flight deck. The first pic is the sqd photographer, the second is mine.
If this had been an actual war, the Bear would have been splashed 200 miles away. As an Air Force lieutenant general said to me, the days of the slow bomber being a military tool —beside cruise missiles—is over.
Why? It was quite common when I was in. Ships at sea can be “flown over”. It’s just the way it’s always been. Now if we’re at war, we get to shoot them down. And we would and then they’d never get close.
We did it to them, too.
I hardly think that B2s are cruising at 2K over Russian carriers.
Were they, then I would consider that a suicide mission.
Exactly. Iranian P-3s fly over our carriers frequently day in the Persian Gulf. I've been there and seen it myself. It is as much their airspace as it is ours and if Iran had their navy patrolling in international waters off the coast of New York we'd be doing the same thing.
Anyways, the Iranian patrols break the monotony of boring days and gives our F/A-18 pilots some practice at interception.
All the knuckle-draggers screaming to "SHOOT THEM OUT OF THE SKY!!!" don't have clue what they're talking about.
ROTFLMAO!
If the Tupolev turbo prop was considered a threat to the Nimitz, the Nimitz would have resoved the threat 300 miles earlier without issue.
Where are these media pieces contrived?
Cold war SOP. They use to make almost daily overflights when I was in Tonkin aboard the America. Jeez, I’ve got more pics of Badgers and Bears than I have of our birds. Of course, there were always a flight of F-4s covering the camera ports and two trailing behind at missle range watching the bombbay doors. they always made direct straight-in approach and we always knew well ahead of time they were coming, long enough to go below and retrieve your camera.
Those were suicide missions, but if they gave targetting info toa an Oscar class sub, you were in trouble.
It is not the little old lady that is the threat. The threat is in that little old lady’s purse.
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