Posted on 08/17/2007 7:18:31 AM PDT by Aussie Dasher
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin sent 14 bomber aircraft on patrols far beyond its own territory today, marking the permanent return to a Soviet-era practice.
Mr Putin said the resumption of flights was a response to security threats posed by other military powers.
“We have decided to restore flights by Russian strategic aviation on a permanent basis,” Mr Putin said at joint military exercises with China and four Central Asian states in Russia's Ural mountains.
“Today, August 17 at 00:00 hours, 14 strategic bombers took to the air from seven airfields across the country, along with support and refuelling aircraft.
“In 1992, Russia unilaterally ended flights by its strategic aircraft to distant military patrol areas.
" Unfortunately, our example was not followed by everyone.
“Flights by other countries' strategic aircraft continue and this creates certain problems for ensuring the security of the Russian Federation,” Mr Putin said.
Earlier this month Russian air force generals said bomber crews had flown near the Pacific island of Guam, where the US military has a base, forcing US aircraft to scramble into the air to track them.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Ah, the good old days...
Gog and Magog
He is a worry, but my guess is that a lot of his posturing right now is to solidify his political position in his own country, especially with the military who generally think its leadership has gone “soft” on the West. I also think the military misses the “good ole days” when they were a real political force within the Soviet Union.
And if he gets a fellow traveler in the White House.....
Of course, to the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
A threat, yes, but you’ll have to go farther to prove it’s part of the certified Glenn Beck “end of the world” scheme.
Are airplane engines like car engines where, if you don’t use ‘em. the seals dry up and the engines are at risk of self-destruction?
What’s next, will Putin paint “CCCP” on the sides?
I think he may be trying to revive the cold war as a little “pay back” on us.
He thinks he can hurt us economically by making us spend cold war style while we are engaged in an expensive war on terror.
He is mistaken. He’s pissing away his oil funds playing a game in which we will, ultimately, hand him his azz.
He may be a shrewd politician but he obviously can’t count.
Ready for takeoff, Pootie.
He would’ve sent 20, but only 14 started............
I used to loath manning up the first go in my Tomcat squadron if the jets had been sitting around a while. If we could, we would turn up all the systems every couple days even if we were going flying.
Wonder how many will make it back...
“Look at us! Look at us! We are just as powerful as in the Good Old Days when our land holdings were twenty times larger, and not only that, but we have Lenin in a big glass box! Look at us!”
To paraphrase Rush: The only difference between Putin (the new Gorbachev)and all of the other former rulers of the USSR is that he is alive.
POE!
As if they had a choice in 1992. They were so broke they couldn’t fly a hot air balloon.
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