That’s one of the problems with this situation. We can’t get an aircraft carrier into the black sea. We don’t have any clear path for our planes to fly through except maybe Turkey and that might be dicey to get permission to fly through their airspace.
If we wanted to do air support type of stuff (for combat missions), we would have to get their permission to fly through their airspace and probably do it out of Incirlick. Of course, if Georgia was a part of NATO, Turkey (a member of NATO) would have to give us permission.
WSJ ^ | 081308 | YAROSLAV TROFIMOV and LOUISE RADNOFSKY
Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 3:56:40 PM by Fred
President George W. Bush announced the dispatch of a U.S. military aircraft carrying medical supplies to the Georgian capital of Tblisi on Wednesday morning, warning Russia that he expected it to be allowed to deliver its aid by air and sea.
I am an AF type for sure, I understand the capability and the limits of air power, but now I am confused about “aid by air and sea”. Perhaps some of you Navy types can help clear up my confusion here. It has been stated and I believe it now that getting a carrier in to the Straits is not possible, so what is meant by “sea” in this statement?
Thanks
AR