“But every war game conducted by the US since 1950 indicates every direct engagement with Soviet/Russian forces results in nuclear conflagration.”
Hate to tell you but we’ve had plenty of direct engagements with Soviet forces and they didn’t end in nuclear exchanges. Both sides tend to write off the losses as ‘training accidents’ but all the same shots have been exchanged on many more than just one occasion and the world didn’t end.
“but all the same shots have been exchanged on many more than just one occasion and the world didn’t end.”
Cite one.
We’ve had encounters at sea and in the air in international space, but neither side has FIRED on the other.
We’ve also had encounters like the U2 shootdown, but that was an unarmed incursion.
But I would be interested to know about any in which flagged US and Soviet/Russian forces exchanged fire. I don’t believe there are any.