Posted on 11/13/2014 12:01:17 PM PST by naturalman1975
A THIRD Australian warship has been dispatched to intercept a Russian flotilla steaming towards the G20 summit in Brisbane and a fourth navy vessel is ready to divert to the area.
The replenishment ship HMAS Sirius is heading into the Coral Sea to support the frigates HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Stuart and the frigate HMAS Sydney is preparing to divert from an exercise in New Zealand to join the mission, according to a government source.
Both Parramatta and Stuart are understood to be carrying Seahawk anti-submarine warfare helicopters, although defence sources said it was unlikely that a Russian submarine is in the area.
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It is understood that the Australian Defence Attache in the Russian capital has advised senior Russian military officers that the ships would be refused port access in Brisbane unless there was an emergency.
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Defence released a statement saying that Russian warships had been deployed to previous international summits including the 2009 APEC meeting in Singapore and the visit of President Medvedev to San Francisco in 2010.
Russian has increased its global military activity in recent weeks with submarine incursions in the Baltic, bomber flights over the Arctic and the Caribbean and the task group in the South Pacific.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldsun.com.au ...
How well has that worked out for the US's allies since obama and co. took over?
I am truly sorry about what my country has foisted upon the world.
Australia has always been a good friend of the US but I wouldn’t count on Obama to have your back.
That so true I hope Vlady ratting war sabers
To be honest, not badly.
We still get intelligence information from the US that we couldn't (certainly not easily or readily) get ourselves. We still have access to American military hardware and similar for purchase under favourable conditions. We still get American logistical support in a wide range of areas when we need it.
It's not my place to criticise the elected leader of a friendly nation, so I won't comment on that. But I will say that America has a whole is still a very good ally to Australia - and a bloody good friend. I don't think any individual - no matter who they are - could cause any lasting damage to that.
True but it is tough to predict or even anticipate all the possible illogical moves. This reminds me of all the probing done during the cold war. I agree also this will likely end after the summit is over.
Respectfully, this incident clearly demonstrates the need for our good friends in Australia, to reinvest in the submarine forces. My understanding is that the closest sub is too far away, to engage the Russians, in a timely fashion. Please understand I say this as your ally. Thanks.
Halt? International waters...
Secondly, I agree with you. We need to boost a lot of areas in our Navy. The two new LHDs will partly restore a capability we've been short of for a long time (and may eventually restore even more of that capability) as they come online, and are a step in the right direction, as will our new Air Warfare Destroyers - but we still need a lot of work.
Unfortunately it takes a long time to get back these capabilities once you lose them - the Labor government of the 1980s and 1990s made us a lot less capable, and since then - while things are getting better over time, I'd like to see it happen a lot faster.
Yeah - I didn’t write the headline... sometimes I wish I could.
You arent giving your nation enough credit. Particularly that Australia would have complete air supremecy with your Legacy and Super Bugs.
The Frigates keep their distance, use their helos to identify and track the Russian ships. The Bugs can prevent the Russian ships from using their helos for the same, and use standoff PGMs if needed.
It would get a lot more fun if some of your F/A-18Fs had already been converted to EA-18Gs.
I hadn’t considered, but your point #1 is a good one.
I fully agree with point #3, and am concerned that we (USA) may be in a similar predicament, if not now, then soon.
All the best !
Note - I'm talking about an actual (very unlikely) war situation, not the (almost as unlikely) event of the current situation deteriorating badly.
I actually think we could stop what Russia has in the area at the moment if we really needed to. We're not matching their forces, but we are putting something credible into the area which they wouldn't want to take on.
But if Russia seriously wanted to attack us, they'd be sending a lot more - and the situation would be considerably different.
Of course, in that case, I also think it'd be likely that (unless otherwise occupied by something at least equally serious), we'd have at least a US Carrier group sitting off our shores as quickly as it could be managed. I do consider the US to still be a very genuine ally who would come to our aid if it could - and it would be unusual not for that to happen.
Oh, we're on your side, definitely. But the running-dog Kenyan in the White House definitely isn't. Shoot, he's not even on our side, and he's ostensibly our own President.
I’d bet money there’s a US SSN attack boat or two in the vicinity.
No worries - I knew it was the editorial page leaking onto the news page of the Herald Sun. You’re right though - it is a good opportunity to improve intel on the Russian fleet.
The U.S, is a military ally of Australia, Australia is safe from this blustering Russia.
True but what is the big deal about this movement by the Russians? The American fleet goes everywhere. If anyone should get a little bugged, it should be the Chinese. They are trying to command some respect the Russkies sail right past without a thought.
It’s not exactly a Kirov battle group roaming the open seas. It’s two 30 year-old former Soviet warships.
It seems to be the Russian response to an Australian shirtfronting, notable mainly for being unusual. True about the Chinese - hadn’t thought of that. But I don’t think the Russians worry too much about them.
Don’t forget the Navy takes its orders ultimately from from its commander in chief. He won’t be sending attack boats.
To a great extent, nobama and putin are quite alike. When not doing so well, both just bring on the bluster and obtuse threats. If someone calls them out, they just act as if everyone really didn’t understand they were just acting theoretically and move on to something completely different.
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