Russian bombers fly patrols over Pacific

[Kshasty]

Source: RIA Novosti

Two Russian Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers have carried out a routine patrol flight over the Pacific Ocean, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"Two turboprop Tu-95 MS bombers, which took off from the Ukrainka airbase, have successfully completed patrol tasks over the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific Ocean," Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik said.

The bombers spent about 20 hours in the air practicing instrumental guidance flights over neutral waters and in-flight refueling.

Russia resumed strategic bomber patrol flights over the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans in August 2007, following an order from then-President Vladimir Putin.

All flights by Russian aircraft are performed in strict compliance with international law on the use of airspace over neutral waters, without intruding the airspace of other states.

Read more: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100121/157635925.html

[Xipe Totec]

1. COMMUNISTS AT U.S. DOORSTEP

On June 21, 1988, the following item appeared on page 3 of the daily Bloom Beacon, sandwiched between an article on the plummeting price of cow tongue and "Dear Abby":

COMMUNISTS AT U.S. DOORSTEP

by Milo Bloom, Investigative Reporter

Today it was discovered that after years of aggressive expansion, the Soviet Union has stretched its borders to within a mere 12 miles of American soil. The State Department has no immediate comment.
...which wasn't particularly surprising since the State Department had been aware for some time that the easternmost tip of Siberia comes within a polar bear's whisker of Alaska, but who cares since it's too damned cold to worry about. But the vast bulk of the Beacon's readership had no such knowledge and a subdued rumble of patriotic consternation coursed through the local population like some frightening new flu virus. The consensus was that something ought to be done.

"SOMETHING," bellowed Steve Dallas at a hastily called town meeting, "SHOULD BE DONE!" He pounded the table, looking properly drunk with nationalistic fervor. Eunice Annanburg suggested CIA assassinations of most of the Kremlin, but she was soundly overruled in favor of a more moderate response. A letter would be dispatched to the President informing him of the crisis. (Years later, Caspar Weinberger would write in his memoirs that he had been sent to the White House to reassure Mr. Reagan that it wasn't necessary to send the Sixth Fleet to investigate this new business. We were pleased our letter had attracted the attention it deserved. The President was a fave-rave in Bloom County.)...

From the Best of Bloom County

http://www.highwaygirl.com/archive/000007.html

[Sherman A1]

2. Hardly an issue

2 aircraft on a training flight over international waters? Not exactly a huge resurgence of the once mighty (or maybe not) Russian Military.

[Blue_Tires]

6. laugh at your own peril...we could have been looking at the reverse Dr. Strangelove

:silly: :crazy: :scared: :nuke:

[Sherman A1]

8. Yeah,

flying 2 of 56 of their 1950's vintage aircraft in international airspace is something that I will lose sleep over....


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-95

[Blue_Tires]

9. holy damn...they've gotten a lot of mileage out of that design...

[Arctic Dave]

3. Yawn..... When are they going to roll out their newer stealth bomber?

[and-justice-for-all]

4. The US does not own the Pacific, unless I missed something...nt

[NJGeek]

5. Putin REARING his head ya'know

[closeupready]

10. :D Sarah Palin is monitoring him, I'm sure, since it's Alaska

they come into first, and she can see Russia from her house. :rofl:

[Hassin Bin Sober]

12. They wouldn't pull this shit if she were still Governor!

Sarah, COME BACK!!

[chrisa]

7. Kind of a strange news story.

Congrats, Russia... I guess...

Don't most countries conduct aerial patrols? I would guess the US at least does it.

[AlphaCentauri]

11. They are spying on the chinese n/t