Much in the news about the Soviet era bombers again floating around international airspace. Apparently all that windfall oil revenue that is floating into Alberta is also floating into Russia - mention that next time a Calgarian gives you the lecture on the moralnomic superiority of western Canadians - allowing them to spend spend spend on expeditions to claim the Arctic, on joint military exercises with China and send out the long-range bombers. Excellent. So 1975. A reminder that there are scarier things than wingnuts with dirty bombs.
As a lad near the Greenwood air force base, the local military newspaper (was it called The Argus after the submarine hunter?) often had close up pictures on the front page of the Soviet bomber crews waving to their Canadian escorts on the front page. There is even a Russia-Canada hockey series this fall - note all Canadian games are played out west. Expect the minders and "cultural officials" to be taking note of oil well infrastructure locations.
Comments
Gorthos - August 22, 2007 10:14 AM
I dunno, maybe its just me, but I'd rather a semi-ancient lumbering bomber flying the friendly skies in full view of much faster interceptors than a sneaky US based system of space based (as in un-reachable for the most part) weapons platforms.
Alan - August 22, 2007 10:38 AM
That is just you.
ry - August 23, 2007 1:29 AM
Honestly, I think military exchanges with the ChiCom are a good thing. Yeah, it is rather retro. But that doesn't mean it isn't necessary. THeir ideas of how it should be and ours are different. THings that allow us to understand each other is always a step in the right direction. Particularly if it comes in the Mil-Pol arena.
Oh please, people still worry about orbital death stations? Nobody has studied their physics that something on a predictable and fixed path like a satellite(or only a limited amount of manueverability) is a sitting duck(HTK vehicles are a bit complicated but simply littering an orbital track with debris is EASY)? Look up a paper written in the late 60's by a US General. His bright idea was to put structural beams on satellites and simply drop them on targets. On the order of small nuclear device without the radiation. Anyone with a space program can do this---not just the US. But yes, we Americans are the one's to fear. Just remember to speak in humble tones when I stride across your broken and conquered country, gorthos. ;)
If you've been following this at all, the Russians thumping their chests that they are a nuclear power and so need to be taken seriously(as evidenced with three years of nuclear weaps tests---mostly off their subs, and not working) is larger and longer than just the renewed deterence patrolling of strategic bombers. It's geopolitical and on a grand scale, Al, and is about a whole lot more than petrodollars. It's about pride and self image---things people have been known to go to war over. Ooops, gotta run. Mom needs the phone line. See y'all.