Russia Sends Bombers To Test Fire Missiles In Bay Of Biscay
Little man with quadriplegic military must flex atrophied muscle to compensate for inferiority.
WTF is Vladimir doing? I have my own ideas on the whole thing.
From an article in Times Online:
Russia has sent two long-range bombers to the Bay of Biscay, off the French and Spanish Atlantic coasts, to test-fire missiles in what Moscow billed as its biggest naval exercise in the area since the Soviet era.
Firing missiles off the coastline of two Nato members is the latest in a series of Kremlin moves flexing Moscow’s military muscle on the world stage.
Russian bombers joined aircraft carriers, battleships and submarine hunters from the Northern and Black Sea fleets for the Atlantic exercises, which come as the country enters an election campaign to choose a successor to President Putin.
“The air force is taking a very active part in the exercises of the navy’s strike force in the Atlantic,” the Russian air force said in a statement reported by Reuters. “Today, two strategic Tu-160 bombers departed for exercises in the Bay of Biscay, which … will carry out a number of missions and will conduct tactical missile launches.”
There was no immediate comment from Nato about the exercise.
Bay of Biscay.
Mr Putin has used military manoeuvres, including controversial North Sea overflights, to revive domestic and international respect for Russia’s armed forces which were shattered by the chaos of the 1990s.
He has also boosted military spending, renewed long-range bomber missions and approved a plan to upgrade Russia’s nuclear attack forces, which he said was needed after Nato built up its forces close to Russia’s borders.
But some analysts note that while the sabre-rattling is popular at home, Russian military spending in absolute terms is substantially lower than that of China, Britain or France and less than a tenth of that of the United States.
Discipline is also still a major problem for Russia’s armed forces, which rely heavily on conscripts and outdated equipment.
Russia last month said it would begin major navy sorties into the Mediterranean, with 11 ships backed up by 47 aircraft, that would then travel to the Atlantic for exercises.
The Tu-160 launching a Kh-55SM cruise missile.
The navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, the Soviet-made Admiral Kuznetsov, was leading the fleet in the Atlantic where Nato were trying to keep a close eye on Russian movements, Russian media reported.
“This is the biggest exercise of its kind in the area since Soviet times,” a spokesman for Russia’s navy said, adding that more details would be released later. There was no further
information about where in the Bay of Biscay, which lies off the west coast of France and the northern coast of Spain, the missile tests were due to take place.
Russia’s air force said turbo-prop Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers, codenamed “Bear” by Nato, would join ATO, would join the exercise on Wednesday “From January 23, the aviation component in the zone where the exercises are going on will be widened and the following planes will take part: Tu-160, Tu-95, Tu-22 M3, Il-78, A-50,”, the air force said.
(TimesOnline)
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
I general, fascist states need a bogey man (or a cause celeb like global warming in the west) as a rally point to keep the people stirred up and receptive to the total control of their lives. Putin thinks he can make the US that bogey man … and hence him dictator for life.
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:30 amI’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Russia (the entire country) has the same GDP as New York state. That should give you some perspective at the disparity between the west and Russia. Bill-tb is right, this is a play to make pootie more popular at home. I read the other day that pootie poot had amassed a fortune of 45 billion during his time at the helm of Russia. I’m pretty sure that he supplemented his salary!! LOL Seems to me that he’s a bully and a thief. All the bluster about military strength is just that, bluster. We need to start doing some long range missile testing on the eastern border of Poland.
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:51 amI can’t find any interesting article in our papers that relates these missiles tests
well, seems that they still are in international waters
otherwise the land that borders Atlantic in Aquitaine is a military play-ground for our army tests ; I am sure if something wrong would have been checked, there would have had a response
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:25 am…and France immediately surrendered.
Sorry, old habit. Go Sarko!!
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:37 amRussian elections are coming up and this Sabre Rattling is meant as nothing more than a diversion tactic meant to raise national pride and divert the public from the reality that is Russia.
A population of over 100 million and the GDP is less than Gotham? Plunging birth rates so bad that they have to give away free cars?
Moscow is the most expensive city in the world to live in making it impossible for something like 98-99% of the country’s population to live at western standards of living? (most of those that do live there and aren’t in govt/mafia are still in soviet era tenements)
It seems that Putin’s state takeover of the oil/natural gas exporters has, instead of improving the lives of his citizens, done nothing more than pad the pockets of himself and his fellow ex-KGB chronies. I guess we can throw Glasnost and Perestroika out the window.
Any bets on when the next Russian Revolution will happen? I’ll start the time frame at 40 years (I think that’s been their average).
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:59 amKBar
“Candles always make a nice gift… that’s where you lie back and blow the shit out of you… ”
Buffalo Bar thought
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:45 amFranchie, I’m with KBar, Go Sarko!!!
Viva la France (even those stupid transportation strikers!) : )
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:20 pm