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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Another Russian Bomber -- Different Carrier, Different Sea |
| 2008-03-06 |
| U.S. and South Korean fighter jets scrambled to turn back a Russian bomber that approached a U.S. aircraft carrier during training exercises, South Korean and U.S. officials said Thursday. The Russian plane flew close to the USS Nimitz in waters off South Korea's eastern coast Wednesday, but retreated shortly after the fighter jets approached, an official at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said on condition of anonymity, citing policy. The official refused to provide details of the fighter jets involved. Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified military official as saying two F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters from the carrier and four South Korean F-16 jets were deployed to intercept the Russian plane. The Russian navy confirmed that a Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft flew over the American carrier, calling it a routine mission over the open sea. "Attempts by U.S. officials to portray almost every flight of the Russian military aviation, including our naval aviation, over the world ocean as some sort of breach are appalling," Igor Dygalo, assistant to the navy commander in chief, said, according to Russia's Interfax-AVN news agency. In February, U.S. fighter planes intercepted two Russian bombers — one directly flying over the Nimitz in the western Pacific ocean. In Washington, a defense official downplayed the significance of the latest incident. "We don't view this activity as threatening or of concern," the official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The official said it was standard operating procedure for Navy aircraft to escort a plane flying near its ships. To get close to the U.S. carrier, the Russian plane intruded into a South Korean-controlled air defense zone above the open sea, Yonhap reported. The zone does not belong to South Korea's aerial territory but was demarcated by the U.S. military a year after the Korean War broke out in 1950 as part of efforts to prevent accidental aerial clashes among regional powers. |
| Posted by:Angereger Snereling3468 |
| #6 Everybody is still twiddling their thumbs to see iff the escalations between "anti-lame duck" Dubya + 'Iran will never stop" Moud will hit the fan and turn mil vv ANTI-US MULTI-FRONT WAR SCENARIOS - iff not this May-July, then to wait again in the Fall while the USA is heavily preoccupied wid the 2008 elex. The colder the better for tech-poor North Korea [Taiwan?]. A ME EVENT(S) MAY BE THE ORIGINAL CATALYST, BUT IRAN DESIRES TO BE INVADED BY THE US/US-ALLIES VV ASYMMETRIC PEOPLE'S WAR, WHICH LEAVES ANY GROUND/CONVENTIONAL "OFFENSE" MAINLY TO THE NOKORS??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-03-06 21:22 |
| #5 Really. Don't the Korean's owe them one? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-03-06 21:05 |
| #4 "To get close to the U.S. carrier, the Russian plane intruded into a South Korean-controlled air defense zone" I have an issue with that does anyone else? |
| Posted by: The ghost of Larry McDonald 2008-03-06 20:22 |
| #3 More interceptors please. |
| Posted by: DK70 2008-03-06 20:11 |
| #2 The Rooski Bear drivers may want to line their underpants with tinfoil to prevent glow-in-the-dark testicle syndrome. I'm guessing every target acquisition and fire control radar in the neighborhood is turned up to 11. This is basically cheap political theater. Bears are dangerous a couple hundred miles out. If there was a real threat, they would be dealt with there. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2008-03-06 17:47 |
| #1 Seems like they want to poke the american eagle with a sharp pointed stick, then whine about their missing fingers. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-03-06 17:17 |