Russian bomber "buzzes" USS Nimitz

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/11/russian.bomber/index.html

American fighter jets intercepted two Russian bombers, one of which buzzed a U.S. aircraft carrier in the western Pacific on Saturday, U.S. military officials told CNN Monday.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that there was no violation of flight regulations during the incident. A ministry official said the flights are standard operating procedure for air force training.

One of them twice flew about 2,000 feet over the deck of the USS Nimitz Saturday while another flew about 50 miles away, officials said. Two others were at least 100 miles away, the military reported.

U.S. defense officials said four F/A-18A fighter jets from the Nimitz were in the air.

The Russians and the U.S. carrier did not exchange verbal communications. Watch U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz »

Four turboprop Tupolev-95 Bear bombers took off from Ukrainka Air Base, in Russia's Far East, in the middle of the night, Japanese officials told The Associated Press, adding that one of the planes violated Japanese airspace.

Russian bombers have been making flights over the western Pacific for several months.

There have been eight incidents off Alaska since July. Among the latest, on September 5, six F-15s from Elmendorf Air Force Base, adjacent to Anchorage, Alaska, intercepted six Russian bombers about 50 miles from the northwest coast of Alaska.

Two similar incidents occurred in August, one near Cape Lisburne, Alaska, and the other near Cold Bay, Alaska, west of the Aleutian Islands.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

What does it mean to buzz a carrier?

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

What does it mean to buzz a carrier?

A bomber flying over a carrier at 2000 feet is a buzz. This was obviously an act of defiance and probably instigation. I think Putin is trying to start Cold War II to reempower the Kremlin.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

What does it mean to buzz a carrier?

A bomber flying over a carrier at 2000 feet is a buzz.

Ok. So is the offense primarily symbolic?

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

What does it mean to buzz a carrier?

A bomber flying over a carrier at 2000 feet is a buzz.

Ok. So is the offense primarily symbolic?

Definitely. It sounds to me like the russian bomber was taking a threatening posture.

I really think the Kremlin is behind the incident. A pilot wouldn't be stupid enough to pull that on his own.

[DeadPoolX 9]

In this situation, I would send a warning to the Russian government, stating that in the future, if Russian aircraft purposefully "buzz" the U.S. military, the United States cannot and will not be held accountable for whatever actions it takes in response to this hostile gesture. In other words, we would be telling the Russians to keep their pilots on a much shorter leash.

[john & jean 37]

hmm ya think a bear knows better than to stir up a hornets nest!

[Ban Hammer 14,299]

hmm ya think a bear knows better than to stir up a hornets nest!

bear = old azz plane. a large, slow target.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

In this situation, I would send a warning to the Russian government, stating that in the future, if Russian aircraft purposefully "buzz" the U.S. military, the United States cannot and will not be held accountable for whatever actions it takes in response to this hostile gesture. In other words, we would be telling the Russians to keep their pilots on a much shorter leash.

For sure. Quite frankly, the Nimitz would have been justified in shooting the bomber down when it made the second pass. That obviously would have ignited a conflict, so they showed restraint. Russia is getting out of control again. They're basically trying to keep all of the former Soviet countries from becoming truly independent again. They're walking a thin line with Iran's nuclear enrichment. They've also been flying bombers over US soil, as well as Japan and I'm sure several other countries. Maybe we can get the Taliban to take them down.

[peejay 327]

These provocations bring back memories of incidents of the Cold War days. A buddy of mine was stationed on a US Navy carrier off the coast of Korea in the late 1970's. Soviet Navy cutters had a game of cutting across the bow of the US carriers as close as they could without collision. The US carrier would scramble fighter jets to harass them away by doing supersonic runs over the Soviet ships. Have you ever heard a sonic boom? It's friggin' loud! Especially at close range.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

These provocations bring back memories of incidents of the Cold War days. A buddy of mine was stationed on a US Navy carrier off the coast of Korea in the late 1970's. Soviet Navy cutters had a game of cutting across the bow of the US carriers as close as they could without collision. The US carrier would scramble fighter jets to harass them away by doing supersonic runs over the Soviet ships. Have you ever heard a sonic boom? It's friggin' loud! Especially at close range.

Yeah, this is Russia returning to its Cold War roots of provocation. It's kind of disheartening. I really felt Russia was at least headed in the right direction for a while, but Putin seems to have reversed course and found his Kremlin roots.

[almaty 19]

ia gree, Putin is trying to regain the former soviet status, at least with the russian people, over the week-end he made a speech where he stated factly, that by 2020 ..russia be the #1 world power miltarily and in economics..he stirring stuff up for the march elections...........

[peejay 327]

These provocations bring back memories of incidents of the Cold War days. A buddy of mine was stationed on a US Navy carrier off the coast of Korea in the late 1970's. Soviet Navy cutters had a game of cutting across the bow of the US carriers as close as they could without collision. The US carrier would scramble fighter jets to harass them away by doing supersonic runs over the Soviet ships. Have you ever heard a sonic boom? It's friggin' loud! Especially at close range.

Yeah, this is Russia returning to its Cold War roots of provocation. It's kind of disheartening. I really felt Russia was at least headed in the right direction for a while, but Putin seems to have reversed course and found his Kremlin roots.

Yes...but even staunch conservates like Pat Buchanan readily point out that the US under Bush has antagonized and humiliated Russia by planting NATO on its doorstep, funding anti-Russian / pro-Western movements in countries within their sphere of influence, and generally taking advantage of the situation while Russia was weak after the breakup of the USSR.

How did the USA react to Soviet influence in our sphere in Latin America in the 1980's?

For now it looks like the party is over. You sow what you reap.

P.S.: I'm not pro-Russian...I'm just making an observation.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The Chinese are up to their eyeballs in "our sphere" and what do we do to them? We print more money and give them to our citizens so they can spend them on more cheap Chinese #######.

[Peikko 1,575]

Global politics, not an exact science. I don't think blowing up a few Russian 'buzz' jets is a sound foreign policy whatever the immediate fgf might be.