While US and NATO warplanes intercept Russian planes in international
airspace on a very regular basis, Russia’s own interceptions are fairly
rare, and the US is always furious when it happens. That was the case on
Tuesday, when a US Navy spy plane started hanging around the Syrian coast.
Russia is very protective of the Syrian coast, and for good reason, as
it hosts Russia’s lone Mediterranean naval base. Having US military
aircraft hanging around that area, even if it is just a spy plane, was
always going to provoke a response.
Russia sent up a fighter jet to intercept the plane. This apparently
didn’t take this first couple of times, because the fighter had to
intercept the same spy plane three different times in the same area
before it finally went away.
Which led to the inevitable outrage from the US military, who say that
intercepting the spy plane was unsafe and “irresponsible” of the
Russians. Russia said their fighter stayed a safe distance from the spy
plane, and returned when the plane changed course. They added that the
whole reason for the interception in the first place was that the plane
was approaching the Russian naval base.
Not unlikely some electronic warfare was engaged in as well, like causing interference and scrambling of any attempt at signal gathering or transmission. Depending on jet, they do have some powerful emitters for that purpose.
This incident is another example of how a small event could trigger the cycle to world war. The nuclear powers are moving towards war on many global fronts. The pattern of history suggests something has to give.
https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
I agree. Too many breakdowns in world power communications, and too many trigger points. The belated attempt at wooing Russia against China, where Pompeo made every effort to make it look like “telling Russia” what to do.
Now, the positions are clear. Xi and Putin had a statement in Moscow, that had all the hallmarks of the new workd order. Xi said, “The two world powers are determined to preserve global leace and stability and protect trade from unilateralism.”. Sounds like US is isolated now.
And in Shangi La, the message to Shannahan, boasting “tooks of coercion “ by Chinese Minister of Defence Weii must qualify as the shortest and ckearest ever. He said:
“Talk?
Welcome.
War?
Ready.
Bully us?
No way.”
For better or for worse, all is clear.
Yet another example of the US holding others accountable to a different set of rules than they apply to themselves.
They really are “exceptional”
Putin has great patience.
This, apparently, is “getting along with russia”. Maybe spanky meant, get alongside of Russia? Who knows, we’ll see what happens.
The plain fact is Putin is a wuss.