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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Seven Russian Warships Are Doing Something Weird Near Hawaii |
| 2021-06-23 |
| [PopularMechanics] A large Russian Navy task force, including the flagship of Moscow’s Pacific Fleet, is cruising pretty far from home: just south of Hawaii. The U.S. government, meanwhile, appears to be preparing for a major missile defense test. It sure seems like the two incidents are related The Russian fleet consists of the guided missile cruiser Varyag the frigates Marshal Shaposhnikov and Admiral Panteleyev, and the Steregushchy-class frigates Sovershenny, Gromkiy, and Aldar Tsydenzhapov. The tip-off to the Russian task force’s presence is the Marshal Krylov, an unarmed missile range instrumentation ship. The 692-foot-long ship is designed to sit downrange of a long-range missile test and observe with its Ship Globe (NATO nickname) missile-tracking radar. The Krylov also boasts balloon and surface/air search radars, the Tayfun-2 satellite communications system, and the Shtorm communications suite. As of press time, the Russian ships’ last publicly known location, 35 nautical miles south of Honolulu, is 4,100 miles from their home port of Vladivostok. The Russian fleet rarely sorties this far east in strength; in fact, Varyag last traveled this far when it visited San Francisco in 2010. This visit hasn’t gone unnoticed. As the satellite images below purport, there are three Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers escorting the Russian flotilla, as well as a Sentinel-class Coast Guard cutter We also know now the Russians were responsible for the two times in the last week the Pentagon’s Pacific Air Forces command scrambled a pair of F-22 Raptors from Hawaii. In both cases, the scrambles were in response to Russian Tu-95MS "Bear" long-range bombers flying to the vicinity of—but not actually toward—Hawaii. The bombers were likely flying from Ukrainka Air Base in eastern Siberia. What’s prompting the Russian fleet’s visit? Marco Langbroek, a highly respected Dutch space watcher, has pieced together geographic information from international governments’ Navigation Warnings, which tell mariners to avoid certain areas—defined by latitude/longitude coordinates—for a set period of time. The information Langbroek has assembled suggests the U.S. government is conducting a missile defense test involving a simulated ballistic missile launched from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. This test will also coincide with a launch, likely of an interceptor missile, from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific. The intercept, if successful, would take place northwest of Hawaii. A number of U.S. missile test and support ships are operating in the central Pacific. M/V Pacific Collector and M/V Pacific Tracker are two ships designed to observe missile defense tests at high altitude, collecting data to support further research. The identity of the Sovereign is unknown. Another ship in the line above, the USNS Worthy, is a missile range instrumentation ship based at Kwajalein Atoll. The southernmost ship, the Coast Guard Cutter Frederick Hatch, is a Guam-based, 154-foot-long fast response cutter and one of the newest in the Coast Guard. Here’s Pacific Tracker, whose location unknown, but is likely near its home port of Portland, Oregon. Note the large domes designed to protect radar from the elements The Russian task force is unusually large, and is probably meant to send a message to the relatively new Biden Administration. That message? As much as the rapid buildup of the Chinese Navy and China’s aggressive foreign policy generates worries, the Russians want to remind everyone they’re also a major naval power in the Pacific. As for the test, we’ll likely know within the next 48 hours what exactly happened—and whether or not it was successful. Related: Russian Navy: 2021-02-26 Russian corvette ‘Stoic’ begins anti-piracy watch in the Gulf of Aden Russian Navy: 2020-11-17 Putin ordered the Ministry of Defense to conclude the agreement with Sudan on setting up a Russian Navy logistics base Russian Navy: 2020-10-13 Unmanned |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #13 How to taste Russian-Californian fusion cuisine on the drive to Fort Ross (former Russian Fort in Russian America, now California) |
| Posted by: Creack Lumplump9063 2021-06-23 21:07 |
| #12 Hello Hawaii ! We are back, did you miss us ? We are here to Liberate Hawaii, Joe said we could after meeting with Putin couple of weeks ago... Just a bit of history first... In 1815 Kaumualii, King of the northern Hawaiian Islands of Kauai and Niihau, asked Russia to give his kingdom protectorate status and aid it in the fight against Kamehameha I, the king of the other islands of the Hawaiian archipelago. Kaumualii promised Russia land for a trading post and settlement. The Russians built three military forts and began exploration of the valley of Hanalei in Kauai. However, in 1817, under pressure from the Americans, Russian settlers were expelled from the islands. Fort Elizabeth, whose ruins were declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1966, is a reminder of the Russian presence in Hawaii. So, since Joe has been revisiting "old, bad U.S. history", he thought it over and decided to tell Putin, in his "secret letter @ G7".... 'Nasty what we did to Russia back then, treated Slavs like Slaves, we need to square things up, You drop your Naval Fleet by the Hawaiian Islands after the summit, and we we "pass the place back over to you"... reperations for 'swindling you out of Alaska.' We are just so happy we can help Joe out. More surprises on the way |
| Posted by: Creack Lumplump9063 2021-06-23 20:44 |
| #11 ^ funny.. that don't look like Hawaii |
| Posted by: Ebbereting Squank6048 2021-06-23 18:14 |
| #10 Russians Are Doing Something Weird |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2021-06-23 16:51 |
| #9 Simulating the "Occupy Oahu" battle plan. |
| Posted by: Ebbomoger Speaking for Boskone4589 2021-06-23 08:28 |
| #8 3dc -- why hover? Aim for center of mass and go in ballistic! |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2021-06-23 08:02 |
| #7 I would suggest exploitation through continued safety announcements followed by frequent, last minute cancellations. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2021-06-23 05:55 |
| #6 It appears the test should be postponed until the Russian spy ships retreat back to their base. Maybe it will be necessary for unexplained work place incidences (like the ones happening to Iran) to occur to their ships to get them to turn back home. It appears future tests must occur without safety warnings to reduce spying opportunities. This is why the US warned Turkey against deploying and operating S400 air defense system near Syria and Iraq. The Russians and the Chinese should be kept from opportunities to practice and to improve their systems by tracking and observing our systems. |
| Posted by: boomerc 2021-06-23 05:48 |
| #5 So if they do the same for SpaceX's Starship test, which will end in the ocean around Hawaii, will we see a Starship vertical on it's Raptor engines hovering over a Russian or Chicom spy ship and melting it? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2021-06-23 05:43 |
| #4 The important question is how many will need a tow home? |
| Posted by: Lemuel Black3983 2021-06-23 01:59 |
| #3 Andrei - you've lost another submarine? |
| Posted by: Raj 2021-06-23 01:01 |
| #2 |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2021-06-23 00:29 |
| #1 Nah, Tisn't serious just some  |
| Posted by: Jiper Shomock6839 2021-06-23 00:27 |