Posted on 03/06/2008 6:25:58 PM PST by LibWhacker
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. and South Korean fighter jets scrambled to turn back a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that approached a U.S. aircraft carrier during training exercises, an official said Thursday.
The Russian plane flew close to the USS Nimitz in waters off South Korea's eastern coast Wednesday, but retreated shortly after the allied warplanes approached, an official at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said on condition of anonymity, citing office policy.
Yonhap news agency quoted an unnamed military official saying two F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters from the carrier and four South Korean F-16 jets were deployed to intercept the Russian plane.
The South Korean official refused to confirm details of the fighters involved. Kim Yong-kyu, a spokesman at the U.S. military command in Seoul, said he was aware of the report but had no comment on it.
To get close to the U.S. carrier, the Russian plane intruded into a South Korean-controlled air defense zone above the open sea, Yonhap reported.
The zone does not belong to South Korea's aerial territory, but was demarcated by the U.S. military a year after the Korean War broke out in 1950, as part of efforts to prevent accidental aerial clashes among regional powers.
In recent years, discord between the U.S. and Russia has grown over American plans to build a missile defense network and expand NATO membership. Russia has sought to bolster political and trade ties with countries in Asia and the Middle East to counter U.S. clout.
The U.S. stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War that ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. American and South Korean troops regularly stage joint exercises to maintain their ability to deter a North Korea attack.
Next time shoot it down !
Then say “oops - we are sorry...”
I think we still owe them for 007, don't we?
Poor people of Russia; Putin's ruining it for everyone.
Mr. Putin, I think you're a scumbag.
Do any of our naval aircraft carry guns, anymore. Send one of these birds back full of holes, and they may think twice next time.
This is not the same incident reported a few days ago??? I believe the Russkies are testing us again as in the old cold war days. But it certainly means that our “warm” relations with Russia are no longer warm....I know...understatement.
I think Putin is trying to scare the American people to keep the dems from winning the election...;))
Wouldn’t it be cool if we equped those planes with a large container of pink paint and sprinkles? We release the paint in the ruskie plane, then coat it with sprinkles. Think about it...
as those who were in the navy during the cold war can testify, this is nothing special in and of itself in terms of close approach. The fact that close flights have been resumed is *FAR* more significant than the flights themselves.
The Rooskies have a deal with India for a carrier which they can no how, no way deliver. The U.S. is offering the Indians the carrier USS Kitty Hawk IF they, the Indians, will use state of the art U.S. fighter jets. The Indians are very interested.
The Russians stand to lose a fortune plus any influence over their former client for MIG hardware. The story was on the Belmont Club recently. THAT one fact alone could explain their “distress” with the U.S. and its carriers.
Knock ‘em down with a drone.
We were practicing.
Does Iran still "owe us" for USS Vincennes shooting down Iranian Air Flight 655?
“large container of pink paint and sprinkles? We release the paint in the ruskie plane, then coat it with sprinkles”
Perfect for Easter! “Happy Easter, Comrade!”
and, let's see. international supporter of terrorism's plane gets shot; terrorists who are known to mask their activities behind innocents...
No, I really don't see any equity there.
btw, wikipedia makes people look really amateurish.
Ships operating in international waters can be overflown. We overfly their ships far more than they overfly ours. It is far better that we reserve the right to continue to do that, then to get our panties in a twist over this.
Well, I hope his scam works!
Nah. It’s not that bad. As long as we are buddies with all the former soviet block in eastern europe, who really cares what russia says or does? If we get missiles in ukraine and belarus and a few of them join nato, I’m ok with russia being angry.
You’re probably closer than you think.
LOL! So you deny the incident happened? Questioning the source when the facts are not in doubt makes you look like an idiot who just is trying to misdirect the argument. "Faux News reported that so it must not be true!" "Exxon funded that research so it is a lie." Either it happened, or it didn't.
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