Posted on 03/06/2014 9:56:38 AM PST by lizol
17.42 Poland's defence ministry has confirmed that the US military will send 12 F-16 fighter jets and 300 service personnel to Poland next week for a training exercise whose scope was expanded in response to the crisis in neighbouring Ukraine.
Tomasz Siemoniak said the training exercise, centred on the Lask air force base in central Poland, was originally to have been smaller and involved only transport aircraft. He said Poland requested it be beefed up after Russia's intervention in Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
But with no anti-missile system to protect them from a Russian first strike, what is their purpose? Also, a handful of jets within flying distance of one of the largest and most competent air forces in the world? Oh, there’s some good thinking.
Are we nuts or what?? There is absolutely no reason for these fighters except to antagonize.
We must show the world that we are DOING something!! /s
Common sense is not generally to be found in Washington DC. These days, the qualities needed to get elected often preclude the quality of good sense. The conventional wisdom on the Potomac is madness when it comes to foreign affairs.
LOL -- Russian pilots get almost no training.
There are several Patriot AA missile batteries in Poland.
Yep. Complete stipidity on our part to intervene. We don’t want a gayed up and feminized led military to try and take on a “real” army with “real men” who will twist them like pretzels if they engage in limp wrist-to-hand combat
This must be penance for abandoning Poland with our promised missile defense system that was aborted by Obama.
Just what kind of man-ly man would have made a decision like this?
“Russian pilots get almost no training.”
Given the huge investment a fighter represents that’s not likely true any longer. During the early ‘90’s, probably. Russia was broke. But, they’re rolling in oil money now. It would be foolish to have pilots who were not qualified to fight as well as their adversaries.
From what I read about the Patriots in Gulf 1, they just as frequently hit the ejected fuel tanks as the free-falling warhead. They were not nearly as good as the military claimd; the claims being for political purposes rather than military.
The Air Force should throw a few F-22’s into that mix.Or at least make the claim they’re doing that.
The Russian’s would never know untill they got stung.
Are the Russians’ missiles sufficiently trained?
The Patriots are several blocks advanced from where they were in ‘91. I’m not sure if the Pols have any of the ballistic intercept-capable missiles.
That is the reason.
Well, maybe the reason is, that one of your most loyal allies feels threatend by an agressive neighbour?
You know - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, an alliance, brothers in arms (Afghanistan, Iraq), things like that.
Looks like an electronics pod on one of those. Not exactly a sneaky move.
A billion dollars that we pulled out of our ..... is certainly doing something. It’s called REALISTICALLY...a bribe....something forbidden by the 1994 Memorandum.
That’s a good point and I’m afraid (with all the mikes off) Poland shoved it to us on that little item.
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