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Air Force F-22 and F-15 aircraft were scrambled to meet four Russian Tu-95 Bear H bombers this week in what Russia claimed was a “practice bombing run” off the west coast of the United States. (I bet it was a practice bombing run, too.) NORAD spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis shrugged off the entire incident, stating that the US “assess[ed] this was part of training. And they did not enter territorial airspace.” I don’t always practice bombing runs, but when I do, I practice them less than 50 miles from my nemesis. –Vladimir Putin
Oh, okay. Less than 50 miles from the coast of California is no big deal, we’re told, because according to 19 CFR 122.49b, “territorial airspace” only extends 12 nautical miles from the coast. Keep in mind the following:
The Tu-95MS Bear H is capable of carrying six KH-55 Granat (Nato designation AS-15 Kent) nuclear-armed long-range cruise missiles with a range of 3,000km.
For the record, that’s 1619.8 nautical miles. In other words, a bit more than 12. Other versions of the plane are equipped with sensors and intelligence gathering equipment, and have a range of well over 9000 miles without refueling. These planes, however, had tanker support.
Maybe the intel sensors don’t matter so much. Our own government is spying on us; Russia can just pile on too, right?
Naturally, the administration is downplaying the incident (‘pay no attention to the huge, noisy bombers directly off the coast, nothing to see there…oh look, Kim Kardashian burped!’), claiming that the bombers “acted professionally.” Considering how these fools define the phrases “honor and distinction,” “minor scandal,” and “bumps in the road,” however, red flags should be going up.
“Again we see the Obama administration through their covert — but overt to Mr. Putin — unilateral disarmament inviting adventurism by the Russians,” [former Alaska commander for the North American Aerospace Defense Command] Gen. McInerney said in an email.
“At the height of the Cold War, I do not remember them getting this close. Mr. Putin had to approve this mission, and he is just showing his personal contempt for President Obama right after meeting him in Normandy less than a week ago,” Gen. McInerney said.
Gen. McInerney said no American president has been treated with such disrespect in U.S. history.
“A sad day indeed, and at the same time Mosul and Tikrit [Iraq] fall to radical Islamists after the Obama administration’s failed Iraq policy,” he added. “He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory yet again.”
Never mind that Russia is blatantly putting long-range, nuclear-capable bombers off our coast, using their military to flip us a very big bird (pun intended). That’s not important, sheeple. The all-powerful government will protect us, right, comrades?
Catherine Wilkinson says: I’d make a joke about California already being Communist, but that would be unfair to a fair number of conservatives trapped there. If this keeps up, we probably WILL get to see that Putin/Obama wrestling match everyone jokes about.
Eric says: In fairness, these planes are old, as in *really old*, like 1950’s vintage. As such, they’re easy to shoot down. Chuck Yeager flying a WW 2 propeller plane could probably do it. It’s not like they’re flying Stealth Bombers (a technology they apparently haven’t mastered yet).
Eleanor in Hell says: Better get these out and dust them off…
http://www.blackdogaccessories.com/images/APS55.jpg
GWB says: Yeah, they’re slightly older than the F15s that intercepted them. So, we’re all good with that.
Oh, they’re also the same age as our B-52s. Don’t count out old fogies when the SHTF.
They can hit the US with a nuke from 3500 km out. Doesn’t matter how old they are if those tubes still fire. 😉
Catherine Wilkinson says: I agree Eric…but it’s the symbolism….Putin punked Obama.
Chris in N.Va. says: “…acted professionally…”
Well, THAT is surely a relief. A highly-trained assassin, casing his victim’s abode, activities, etc., is no doubt also “acting professionally” in every sense.
Worthy of note concerning these “old” bombers and the ease with which they can be shot down….is that before or after they’ve launched missiles? Consider that John Hinckley used a paltry .22 caliber handgun in his assassination attempt of President Reagan, yet he was able to inflict a considerable amount of injuries before he was quickly taken down by Secret Service personnel.
That’s like saying the SS “acted professionally” while greeting the Jews getting off the trains and telling them they’d be reunited with their families soon.
Chris in N.Va. says: True ’nuff.
Just like Il Duce made sure the trains ran on time.
Heckuva job, Bennie!
F.D.R. in Hell says: “Please don’t let it be said that we fought World War II for naught.”
🙁
GWB says: This is not as huge a deal as some are making out, but it certainly is a much bigger deal than the administration is saying. This was the sort of thing done regularly during the Cold War. And, we played the Cold War game for 50+ years.
Why this is bigger is that there was a feeling at one point that we WON that war. It’s not a big deal that it happens, it’s a huge deal that it is happening after we defeated these turkeys the first time!
Of course, we also won the war in Iraq. Look how that’s going. *sigh* How long did it take us to get over Vietnam? Double that this time……..
It IS a big deal; it’s literally flying in the face of the US because they know Obama won’t do a thing about it. Systematic destruction. That’s all that’s going on here.
Ron Deveaux says: Are you really so ignorant?
We do the same damn thing and have since the end of World War-II. We test their readiness, they test ours.
Notwithstanding also is that the Bear is a slow and fat bomber that cannot get out of it’s own way. Our Fighters did as they have been trained: met them in the air. Had we chosen to we could have sunk them then and there (and no, the ordinance would NOT have exploded). They would have sunk to the bottom of the Pacific.
Relax.
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