Posted on 08/11/2008 10:01:29 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
The new imperial Russia seems to have much in common with the weather: Everyone talks about it, but no one ever does anything.
Ground forces are out of the question, of course. Naval power has little to offer in the Black Sea.
But there’s a 12,000 foot runway in Erzurum, Turkey that’s just 125 miles from Georgia’s southern border and 200 miles to CAP stations overhead the Georgian capital city of Tblisi. There are 122 F-22 Raptors in the USAF inventory, against whom no aircraft could stand - especially those launching ground attacks on the undisputed territory of a democratic US ally. Who have no defensible reason to be there.
We remember how to fly out of Turkey. And we remember how to enforce no-fly zones.
Now, then: Who wants some?
Global reach, global power, baby.
So my military experience is sort of dated on current matters.
Would someone be so kind as to take some time and clue me in on what the USA could really do and if we did that what would be the consequences of those actions?
Is Putin crazy enough to start a nuclear war if we whipped his butt with conventional weapons in Georgia?
It wouldn’t be the first time. The Russians sent their best pilots, WWII veterans, in Migs with North Korean markings against US pilots in the Korean war. American pilots in Sabre jets smoked them at better than 10-1.
Obscene monies have been appropriated for the NRO, NSA, CIA, DIA et cetera, yet this invasion was apparently not foreseen.
Thus far the president's response is to say the Russians have been damaged in their standing in the world.
The Turks were so helpful in 2003 allowing us to open another front--oh, no, wait. . .I am such a fool.
In 2001 the PLA knocked down and seized our PC-3 and crew; now this complementary bookend of Putin Czar of All Russias slicing and dicing our new friend his estranged battered wife.
This is consistent with taking an inept DCI and making him SECDEF, all the while knowing he coauthored with that great champion of Carter diplomacy Zbigniew Brzezinski the CFR paper (2004) Iran: Time for a New Approach (Negotiations).
Neville Chamberlain will be handling this aggression.
In the meantime the centrifuges spin beneath the baby milk factory at Natanz.
Oh, and China trembles at our response.
My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes. - Reagan
We aren’t going to attack Russians now anymore than we did in Afghanistan. It would be a proxy war.
And this sir, is the answer to that problem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-216-Y6Cac
My guess is he would go nuke in Georgia without a doubt.
Its a dicy game.
Thats my unqualified take anyway.
Only time will tell.
You mean the TU-22M or the TU-26, because the TU-22 has been retired for a good while.
Can’t do a thing with the F-22. It’s to advanced to loose one over russia or china controlled area - that’s also why they can’t earn money through export.
There are also far to few to replace F-15s to protect the US in a big war.
Control the skies and you stand a better chance of destroying ground forces.
Lots of other countries have purchased M1s. Why not “lend” some to Georgia? Perhaps a Patriot missile battery or two to protect Tiblisi?
I agree but I think it's way to late.
We have to be able to react a lot quicker next time and we should have seen this coming. The Russians had been playing War Games in the area all summer.
You mean like they granted us permission to invade Iraq from the north through Turkey in 2003?
” But war with Russia? That’s where we will end up.
I’ll be surprised if it happens. How far Putin will go is hard to say, though.”
War with Russia? No big deal.We would just blow each other up and start over.
After a few hundred million dead it would stop.
Yo-yo, all normal nations act in there own interests. The Turks have traditionally assisted any effort aimed at the containment of Russia. Really, don’t you understand that?
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