Looks like the Russians are looking to have access to the United States Escort Service once again.
By IVAN SEKRETAREV, Associated Press Writer
Fri Aug 17, 8:51 PMUPDATED 15 HOURS 22 MINUTES AGO
CHEBARKUL TESTING RANGE, Russia - President Vladimir Putin placed strategic bombers back on long-range patrol for the first time since the Soviet breakup, sending a tough message to the United States on Friday hours after a major Russian military exercise with China.
Taken as an individual vibration in Mr. Putin's propensity lately for saber rattling, this is not too concerning. We've been there done this... And according to data exchanged with the United States under the START I arms control treaty, there are reportedly only 79 strategic bombers remaining in the Russian inventory. What may be of more concern is the growing closeness between two formerly sworn enemies Russia and China. With these two powers growing in influence, the United States will have its hands full, economically and militarily.
The former Cold War rivals [Russians and Chinese] share a heightening distrust of what they see as the United States' outsized role in global politics, and they have forged a "strategic partnership" aimed at counterbalancing Washington's policies.
The United States, Russia and China are locked in a tense rivalry for influence in Central Asia, the site of vast hydrocarbon resources. Washington supports plans for pipelines that would carry oil and gas to the West and bypass Russia, while Moscow has maneuvered to control exports. China also has shown a growing appetite for energy to power its booming economy.
Again, not a complete surprise nor an immediate threat tactically, however... no one likes to play second or third fiddle for too long. Especially proud nations like Russia and China.
The summit concluded with a communique that sounded like a thinly veiled warning to the United States to stay away from the region: "Stability and security in Central Asia are best ensured primarily through efforts taken by the nations of the region on the basis of the existing regional associations."
Also read Bill Gertz over at "Inside the Ring" on a few more troubling pontifications from the Chinese. What is of concern is the final paragraph in the lead article:
Some pro-China officials in the U.S. government, including in the intelligence community, are said to favor the Chinese proposal.
(Chinese military proposal to divide up the Pacific Ocean into U.S. and Chinese spheres of influence.)
But defense officials say such appeasement would be a huge mistake since it would be tantamount to giving China complete hegemony in the western Pacific, a move that would severely undermine U.S. alliances in Asia and threaten the neutrality of vital sea lanes.
Keep an eye folks...
“Star-crossed”
– an apt descriptor for this week’s subject – the F7U Cutlass, also
known by such endearing labels as “Gutless Cutlass” and “Ensign
Eliminator.” How bad was it? Try this – shortly after the Cutlass
arrived at Pax River in 1949 for flight evals, it was taken up for a
formation flight/photo shoot – and had a midair with the photo plane,
causing both to crash with the loss of their crew. At the cusp of a
stall, it had an un-nerving tendency to flip end over end, like a badly
designed paper airplane, before entering a spin. Carrier suitability
testing was nothing short of a disaster - pilot visibility was
unsatisfactory in final carrier approach, wave-off characteristics for
latter stage wave-offs were unsatisfactory and the arresting hook
assembly was
so complicated that its practicability for service use was doubtful.
The Blue Angels reached the point with their two demo birds that when
they diverted to NAS Memphis with maintenance problems, they left them
there, never to fly with the Blues again.
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