Posted on 02/10/2017 9:39:29 AM PST by drewh
Russian President Vladimir Putin has again scrambled his jets in a snap military drill meant to prepare his air force for a "time of war."
"In accordance with the decision by the Armed Forces Supreme Commander, a snap check of the Aerospace Forces began to evaluate readiness of the control agencies and troops to carry out combat training tasks," said Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, according to Russia's state-run media.
"Special attention should be paid to combat alert, deployment of air defense systems for a time of war and air groupings' readiness to repel the aggression," continued Shoigu.
Russian snap exercises on the border with NATO happen often, without warning, and they often come with menacing overtones. For some time now, Russia has held a numerical, qualitative, organizational, and timing advantage over NATO forces in the Baltics.
In 2014, Putin said he could take Kiev in two weeks. In 2015, a Czech general said Russia could take the Baltics in two days. The US and NATO have responded to Russia's rising aggression steadily but slowly, most recently by stationing 80 tanks in Poland.
But according to a presentation made at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia by Senior International Research Analyst Michael Johnson of the RAND Corporation, Russian tanks outnumber NATO tanks at about 480 to 80.
In Air Power, even with a US Navy carrier battle group in the mix, Russia could muster up fully one-third of their air force to the fight, according to Johnson.
Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of US F/A-18s can't currently fly due to budget cuts that lead to a backlog on maintenance and sourcing new parts, Defense News reports. The Marine Times reports something similar — more than half of the Marine Corps' planes couldn't fly in December.
Even with the US's ship-based aviation crippled by age and budget cuts, the bigger problem is Russia's advanced anti-air systems.
In October, Dr. Igor Sutyagin, an expert on Russian and US air power and air defenses at the Royal United Services Institute, said even the US's best, stealthiest jets and pilots would have to be "operationally, tactically brilliant" to cope with Russia's advanced S-400 air defenses.
Legacy fighters from the US and NATO would have their work cut out for them in a battle of the skies and against missile defenses, leaving few planes left over for close air support. Essentially, US troops would fight without total air superiority for the first time since World War II.
Additionally, by the time US and NATO reinforcements reached the Baltics, the Russians would have long ago established themselves, possibly with more air defenses. US troops would have to go from fort to port, 5,000 miles across the sea, land outside of Russian missile range or air space, and then make their way to the Baltics. The whole ordeal could take up to 6 months, according to Johnson.
US President Donald Trump has often called NATO "obsolete," though the current challenges from Russia would argue that the alliance now bears more relevance than any point since the end of the Cold War. Trump, and Obama before him, have both called on all NATO states to pay their fair share on defense, but the US must still lead the fight.
"There are more police officers in New York City than there are American soldiers stationed in Europe today. So while bipartisan presidents have always called on Europeans to do more, I think we can also look to our own situation in Europe now," said Johnson.
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Bring it, Vlad.
But wait a minute... isn’t that the job of a nation’s armed forces ALL THE TIME?!?
Soros and ZBig are cut from the same orange cloth. Probably it'll will end the way every Jesuit cluster frack ends - With the "revolutionaries" in the farm house sleeping in beds, "wif sheets" and emptying the liquor cabinet...
They are, after all, the brainworks of the farm. It is for our benefit they eat all the apples and drink all the milk!
You ever wonder who invented Islam in the first place?
"Islam did not rise except through Ali's sword and Khadijah's wealth,"
Why should Russia put it’s foot in a steaming pile of Islam anyway?
It is - but we had a “president” who thought otherwise.
You misunderstand - we would be replying to Russian use of nukes - it is their policy that when attacked even with conventional weapons to reply with nuclear as well.
There would be no Europe to blame anyone for anything. It would be gone.
“How ironic that less than 40 years after Brzezinski’s super genius Cyclonic brainstorm - the Islamic invasion of Europe provides the pretext for the reoccupation of Poland. “
I’ve been thinking something close to that...but not a pretext, rather an INVITATION, just as happened in Ukraine, particularly in Crimea. The people there, nearly all ethic Russians, simply HAD ENOUGH of their new fascist government in Kiev and demanded Moscow’s intervention and annexation.
For Western Europe it will be somewhat different. The people there will be facing their own left-wing fascists (which they already have) who are enabling the flooding of the country by invaders, and then will support Sharia. At that point, I would not be surprised if they call for Russia to swoop-in and do the dirty work needed to fumigate the place. After that they’ll have to live with the consequences of the Russians maybe not wanting to go back home...but even that’s better than living under Sharia.
I will probably be dead by the time this happens but if things don’t change in Western Europe. I could see an Eastern European coalition led by Russia & Poland coming into save European civilization. Due to NATO we might end up on the side fighting for the Islamization of Europe.
However once you bring in the bear the bear might not want to leave!
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