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BRITISH passenger jets are being endangered by long-range Russian bombers flying secret monthly missions around UK skies, the Government has warned.
The Ministry of Defence fears a catastrophic collision between civilian airliners and Russian “Bear” bombers, which have been heading towards Britain without notifying air traffic controllers.
He said: “If nobody knew the Russians were there, they would be a threat to civilian traffic, but in fact they are monitored right from take-off.
“In fact, it’s good training for our people—and for theirs. I wouldn’t say they are a threat to civilian flights.”
Originally posted by Cadbury
Flying Russians will no longer be tolerated.
The bombers, which the Government concedes do not pose a military threat, have been intercepted repeatedly in skies classified as the UK’s Flight Information Region – a corridor of international airspace 12 nautical miles from the British coast.
...
Andrew Brookes, an aviation analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, downplayed the risk.
He said: “If nobody knew the Russians were there, they would be a threat to civilian traffic, but in fact they are monitored right from take-off.
“In fact, it’s good training for our people—and for theirs. I wouldn’t say they are a threat to civilian flights.”
Originally posted by LifENcircleS
I wonder what the Russians are trying to do here?
Originally posted by maloy
Originally posted by LifENcircleS
I wonder what the Russians are trying to do here?
the Russian world domination will be complete.
Originally posted by spacebot
But it would all for the greater good I suppose if I believed that the "greater good" would indicate that a war between Russia and NATO should start, like some key advisers of Mr. Obama is being repeatedly reported that they believe.
[edit on 14-11-2009 by spacebot]
Originally posted by Now_Then
I wouldn't worry too much about the bombs - it's the cheeky sucker punch delivered by a cruise missile deployed too close to be taken down... Those things can carry a few cruise missile can't they?
Originally posted by LifENcircleS
If a war between NATO and Russia happened I pray for the Russians because we would decimate them poor Russia
Originally posted by On the level
Muscle flexing by Russia, the same rhetoric they have been at for the last 40 years, move along here nothing to see
Originally posted by maloy
Originally posted by LifENcircleS
If a war between NATO and Russia happened I pray for the Russians because we would decimate them poor Russia
What about poor 100+ million people in NATO countries who will be reduced to nuclear dust if such a scenario was to happen? Are you seriously suggesting that there would be any winners in a nuclear war? As far as non-nuclear war goes, US and its allies are having a tough time "decimating" a bunch of ragtag militants in Afghanistan. So your chest-beating is really overplaying the reality factor here.
Originally posted by LifENcircleS
I only said this because after the event in Georgia last year it became evident that Russia's conscript army(for which I served 2 years) is not up to a modern war.
Originally posted by maloy
Originally posted by LifENcircleS
I only said this because after the event in Georgia last year it became evident that Russia's conscript army(for which I served 2 years) is not up to a modern war.
This is off topic, but there were barely any conscripts in Georgia conflict. It was mostly the ragtag veteran militia from Chechnya serving under the GRU who took part in the fighting. Also from the limited scale of operations, the Russian forces were largely successful in achieving their objectives quickly. The Georgian war doesn't really tell much about Russia's military capabilities. Russian forces that took part in that operation are from the North Caucasus military district, which hardly had modern equipment. Also there have been sweeping reforms initiated in the Russian army recently. Truth is that no one really knows the true extend of Russian military capability, since they have not been involved in large scale war since Afghanistan.