Cold War II: NATO jets intercept Russian warplanes

marine1

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Allen West , love reading this guys stuff. He should be the next president !!!
Mods apologies if this should be in non news section just thought the interception of the planes was news


http://allenbwest.com/2014/10/cold-war-ii-nato-jets-intercept-russian-warplanes/


Remember in the final presidential debate of 2012 when Mitt Romney identified Russia as our biggest global threat? He was mocked by President Obama with the sarcastic comment, “the 80s are calling and want their national security strategy back.” It was that same type of dismissive manner Obama displayed — as well as Joe Biden in his debate with Paul Ryan — that made people laugh and slap high fives.

Well, are the same people laughing about Russia taking over of Crimea? Are they laughing now about Russian-backed separatists and their operations in eastern Ukraine? Or does anyone find it funny that Putin’s hands are bloodstained with the shoot down of the Malaysian Airlines flight? This is what happens when a nation votes for a cute joke instead of understanding foreign policy – sadly, a residual effect of the sound bite culture of America.

And now, the joke’s on whom? As reported by The UK Guardian, “NATO jets have been scrambled to shadow Russian strategic bombers over the Atlantic and Black Sea and fighter planes over the Baltic in what the western alliance called an unusual burst of activity as tensions remain elevated because of the situation in Ukraine. In all, NATO said, its jets intercepted four groups of Russian aircraft in about 24 hours since Tuesday and some were still on maneuvers late on Wednesday afternoon. “These sizeable Russian flights represent an unusual level of air activity over European air space,” the alliance said.”

We’ve previously reported about increased Russian military aircraft activity near our own shores earlier this year. As well, Russian hackers have gone after White House and Pentagon computer systems. These are hardly the actions of someone adversely affected by sanctions – it’s a show of belligerence and strength to mock the West.

Recently, I had to go in for a checkup, and the nurse who took my vital signs recognized me and wanted to have a short chat. She was originally from Sevastopol (Crimea) and asked me what I thought about Vladimir Putin. Well, y’all know me and I didn’t hold back. I told her Putin was a threat to Eastern Europe as well as to global peace and stability. I told the young lady I believed Putin’s objective was to restore Russian influence and power — and I could tell as I was speaking the young lady was in disagreement. You see, she was an ethnic Russian, and immediately upon my finishing, began to praise Putin for his efforts to fight against the corrupt Ukraine government and protect ethnic Russians. She stated that proof was in the unanimous vote in Crimea to align with Russia — to wit I responded that it’s easy to have a unanimous vote when fellas with AK-47s are looming.

But what amazed me the most was when I asked her opinion of Mikhail Gorbachev — she blatantly articulated her disgust for the man who brought down the wall of the Soviet Union and introduced the movement and concepts of glasnost and Perestroika.

The young nurse — who has been in America some 15 years — admitted the Russian people didn’t understand freedom and were used to strong central government control and that their lives were better because of it. She stated that her impetus to depart was based on the influx of what she saw as corruption, crime, prostitution and as she expressed it, other ills of freedom and liberty.

So, as I listened to the nurse I came to understand what Putin represents to the Russian people– strength. He represents a restoration of the greatness that put them on the map and made them a regarded, respected, and even feared country.

That is a powerful sentiment and was exactly what I saw in the eyes and heard in the words of this Russian nurse. Would she go back to Russia? Probably not. However, she wholeheartedly embraces what Vladimir Putin is doing. We see him as some evil, despicable dictator — she saw him as a liberator. It goes back to that age-old adage of “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”

And so it goes in the airspace near NATO countries. The Guardian reports, “A spokesman stressed there had been no violation of NATO air space, unlike a week earlier when a Russian spy plane briefly crossed Estonia’s border. But so many sorties in one day was unusual compared with recent years. In the biggest exercise four Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers, the 1950s equivalent of the US B-52, flew out over the Norwegian Sea in the early hours of Wednesday, accompanied by four refuelling tanker aircraft. Norwegian F-16s tracked the formation, which eventually broke up, with six planes heading back toward Russia and two Tu-95s flying on south over the North Sea where they were intercepted by British Typhoons. Portuguese F-16s later tracked them in the Atlantic before they turned for home. A Norwegian military spokesman said: “We see Russian aircraft near our air space on a regular basis but what was unusual is that it was a large number of aircraft and pushed further south than we normally see.”

“This week Tuesday German and Danish planes were involved in tracking them as well as aircraft from non-NATO states Sweden and Finland. On Wednesday Portuguese F-16s posted in the Baltic intercepted a similar group of fighters and fighter-bombers.”

Don’t forget, World War II was begun because one person sought to reestablish the pride of the “Fatherland,” – Deutschland — after the embarrassment of the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. The sanctions and economic penalties imposed on Germany were backbreaking. Out of that time of despair of the Weimar Republic — when it took a wheelbarrow of deutschmarks to buy basic provisions — came one Adolf Hitler who promised the restoration of German pride. His will and determination in the face of weak leadership enabled him to build a powerful military machine. Hitler was able to retake the industrial Rhineland base without firing a shot — an emboldening maneuver that surprised even his own generals.

And the excuse used by Putin – the protection of ethnic Russians — was used by Hitler – the protection of ethnic Germans — as Hitler moved to take the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia. The result was the blitzkrieg and the fall of Poland. Similarly to Hitler, President Vladimir Putin has committed to reinvigorating Russia’s armed forces, which had been undermined by the economic troubles that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.

And if you think Poland doesn’t remember this, you’re fooling yourself — as those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Instead of Sir Neville Chamberlain claiming “there will be peace in our time” we have President Barack Hussein Obama who chimed, “after reelection I will have more flexibility.”

Last night I spoke at Cornell University on this very topic — this is serious, and yes, we are back in a new Cold War, make no mistake. It’s not about what we want – it’s about the reality of your enemy and understanding history and its trends.
 
Ive seen Norwegian F16s take off on a crazy pace here in the north. Every single friggen morning they're scrambled when Russian planes near the border. Apparently Russia does this daily to check the Norwegian response times, so even though it's false alarms, Norway has to keep sending planes and at a pace that will deter Russians creeping across the border.
 
Ive seen Norwegian F16s take off on a crazy pace here in the north. Every single friggen morning they're scrambled when Russian planes near the border. Apparently Russia does this daily to check the Norwegian response times, so even though it's false alarms, Norway has to keep sending planes and at a pace that will deter Russians creeping across the border.

very scary indeed but Obama will rather worry about Israel lol
 
Ive seen Norwegian F16s take off on a crazy pace here in the north. Every single friggen morning they're scrambled when Russian planes near the border. Apparently Russia does this daily to check the Norwegian response times, so even though it's false alarms, Norway has to keep sending planes and at a pace that will deter Russians creeping across the border.

They should mix it up a little a shoot some down.
 
NATO REPORTS MORE RUSSIAN FLIGHTS, INTERCEPTS

NATO reported more Russian military flights and intercepts Friday over the Baltics, North Sea and Atlantic, just days after it picked up "an unusual level" of activity over European airspace.

The Russian flights, as previously, included "fighter jets, long-range bombers and tanker aircraft," NATO military spokesman Colonel Martin Downie said.

In one incident, two Russian TU-95 nuclear capable bombers flew west of Britain and down to Portugal, escorted by Norwegian, British and Portuguese fighter aircraft, Downie said.

No violations of NATO airspace were detected, he added.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that the US-led military alliance remained vigilant given the increase in such activity.

"We are not in a Cold War situation but Russia has undermined a lot of trust," he said against a backdrop of continued tensions over Ukraine. "We must keep NATO strong."

On Wednesday, NATO said it had tracked and intercepted four groups of Russian warplanes "conducting significant military manoeuvres" in European airspace the same day and on Tuesday.

"These sizeable Russian flights represent an unusual level of air activity over European airspace," it said.

NATO says that so far this year it has launched more than 100 intercepts of Russian aircraft, three times more than in all 2013.


Source : Sapa-AFP /kd
Date : 31 Oct 2014 20:55
 
And some more F-16 activity reported by fas.org:

Polish F-16s In NATO Nuclear Exercise In Italy

NATO is currently conducting a nuclear strike exercise in northern Italy.

The exercise, known as Steadfast Noon 2014, practices employment of U.S. nuclear bombs deployed in Europe and includes aircraft from seven NATO countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, and United States.

The timing of the exercise, which is held at the Ghedi Torre Air base in northern Italy, coincides with East-West relations having reached the lowest level in two decades and in danger of deteriorating further.

It is believed to be the first time that Poland has participated with F-16s in a NATO nuclear strike exercise.

Coinciding with the Steadfast Noon exercise, NATO is also conducting a Strike Evaluation (STRIKEVAL) nuclear certification inspection at Ghedi.

A nuclear security exercise was conducted at Ghedi Torre AB in January 2014, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of U.S. nuclear weapons deployment at the base.

Steadfast Noon/STRIKEVAL is the second nuclear weapons strike exercise in Italy in two years, following Steadfast Noon held at Aviano AB in 2013.

Italy hosts 70 of the 180 U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in Europe.

.........
 
The UK Guardian, “NATO jets have been scrambled to shadow Russian strategic bombers over the Atlantic

In all, NATO said, its jets intercepted four groups of Russian aircraft


Intercept

to take, seize, or halt (someone or something on the way from one place to another); cut off from an intended destination:

Interceptor

An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent successful missions by enemy aircraft,

The flights by NATO were shadowing the Russian aircraft.

The Russian aircraft in question did not cross into sovereign airspace. They were also not intercepted as per journalist. They were not stopped and threatened with force, unless they turn back.

Once again journalists are using inflammatory words because it makes good copy.

I am not commenting on the truth of the article in general. But rather recognizing a trend in reporting to increase the perception of aggression by other parties.

This biased reporting is creating a fearful world. And this 'created' fear is allowing governments to insitute more controlling measures, in the guise of protection.

Liberties are being lost in the pursuit of protection from imagined forces.

The only people that are benefiting from all this war mongering are the arms dealers.

You cannot get spending on military projects without having a boogie man. OSAMA is dead!
 
The RAF have also been scrambling on a regular basis for months now.

Interestingly, there doesn't appear to be as many by the US. Only Europe. Could just be that is hard to keep quite in Europe because the NATO jets have to fly over more populated areas here.
 
Do I recall correctly or was it George W Bush who was such big mates with Putin ? Can't remember any other US President being so tight with a Russian. And Bush was...a Republican.
 
Do I recall correctly or was it George W Bush who was such big mates with Putin ? Can't remember any other US President being so tight with a Russian. And Bush was...a Republican.

Neocon though.

But McCain was more against Putin.
 
Just shows how out of touch obama is. He is so wrapped up in his anti Israel anti nethanyahu cap he doesn't even see what's happening. Oh but wait petrol is cheap now in the USA. Score.......
 
You cannot get spending on military projects without having a boogie man. OSAMA is dead!

Yep, +1

NATO are desperate to expand and upgrade, and the percieved boogie man is once again Russia.

All sovereign nations , test military capabilities, and fly aircraft either along shared borders or into international airspace.Its their legitimate right to do so.

A few flights over international airspace and "OMG:eek: , the Russians are coming"

Talk about paranoia.
 
obama. Oh but wait petrol is cheap now in the USA. Score.......

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/10/maher-hammers-dems-running-obama-midterms

Maher argued that Democratic candidates’ penchant for distancing themselves from President Barack Obama made him feel more sympathy for the president than his party mates.

“Sixty-three straight months of economic expansion,” Maher said. “A depression averted. A deficit reduced by two-thirds. A health care law that’s working and lowering costs. Two women on the Supreme Court. [Osama] bin Laden’s dead. Stock market at record heights. An unemployment rate that dropped from 10.2 [percent] to 5.9. If you’re a Fox News viewer trying to do the math, that’s less. Gas prices are down. Is it really that hard a record to get behind?”

How funny is that website name.

Thats more than petrol down. I respect Maher, sometimes.
 
Yep, +1

NATO are desperate to expand and upgrade, and the percieved boogie man is once again Russia.

All sovereign nations , test military capabilities, and fly aircraft either along shared borders or into international airspace.Its their legitimate right to do so.

A few flights over international airspace and "OMG:eek: , the Russians are coming"

Talk about paranoia.

As usual it lies somewhere in between, the current NATO vs Russia thing is hardly based on intercepted flights alone. Russia also does its fair share of painting NATO as the big bad wolf in the media. It often takes two to tango.
 
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