The Russians Are Coming…?

(Possible) Russian submarine sighted off Scotland last week…..surely just a coincidence:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30398114

We’d better send an RAF Nimrod…..ah, um..?

Hi All,
garryrussel,
I think what you said is spot on there matey, just to get off track slightly has there been any further instances of near misses such as the Norwegian incident ? And would you agree that Russia have told it’s forces in particular there Air Force to be more aggressive with such encounters no matter where they be ?

Geoff.

Since the US is the largest force is bound to be the most dominaant, but it will be working for NATO not the US.

The People here are at time asking about NATO support, not US Support and no mention of Portugal who’s fighter are currently overhead…three times the day before yesterday that I know of, patroling/policing the airspace. If anything is said,mostly people just get on with their lives, it is reported that “NATO fighters were scrambled and whatever.”

The US president can not make any deals behind NATO’s back….not legally at least

Now, that’s not to say they don’t get made, but if any are done, then it is, or should be, on behalf of NATO as a whole.

Hi All,
I realise it’s a NATO response to any escalation of the trouble in the Ukraine but you can guarantee that the U.S. president has the lead and being the largest contributor of forces that are in NATO will want to be the I will take point, having said that there is a train of thought that many top U.S officers do not want to get involved in a European war again ? but at the end of the day they are a key player in NATO so I assume their hands are tied in that respect, none the less I still suspect my theory of coarse I am probably completely wrong ?
Only those in the know have a clue the rest is just speculation like mine, the reason why they keep battling at the Donetsk airport if the Ukraine lose control it would open an air bridge for Russia if the war escalates further. That also makes a land route to the Crimea through Mariopol a more likely possibility in my opinion.

Geoff.

This is not a US thing it’s NATO and they are very much watching and making changes.

As it stands it’s not the US getting involved in our area, it’s Portugal. Next year the US will be stioning troops and aircraft in Latvia and perhaps the other Baltic states. The currrent situatioon is four fighters on rotation based in Lithuania.

The US have been, or at least seemed to have been increasing activity off their own back and a quiet way.

But it should not be seen as a US v Russia situation, West v East in effect, yes, but it is a NATO v Russia situtation.

The US is only one of many countries involved of this side.

Hi All,
Mr Putin is just flexing his muscles like any bully! He knows the west will not want to start anything, I am convinced he and Mr Obama have come to an unofficial agreement about Syria and the Ukraine i.e. If the U.S. doesn’t interfere in Ukraine then Russia will not interfere in the Syria and the Is campaign of coarse I am probably completely off the target but very strange that both sides only make verbal comments veiled threats about both ?

Geoff.

I have just looked up what HMS Tyne actually is a RiverClass offshore patrol ship, used for inspect fishing boats –
is this really the best the Royal Navy could manage !!!!!!!!!

I suppose it was lucky that they had anything at all. The other month there was nothing available, no spare capacity; it used to be at least a frigate to stalk any Russians through the Channel and now we are lucky if we have a fishery protection vessel to tag along…

I wonder if the Russians would nick the helicopter carrier Vladivostok. My memory seems to remind me the Israelis did that a few decades ago from the French when they embargoed about half a dozen patrol boats being built for them.

For almost the first time Charlie we must disagree !

The Russians were unlucky to be found. Had they been going the other way like the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, they probably wouldn’t have been seen.

Quite amusing, John, but quite irrelevant!;)

:highly_amused:

Nice one John

The Russians were unlucky to be found. Had they been going the other way like the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, they probably wouldn’t have been seen.

I have just looked up what HMS Tyne actually is a RiverClass offshore patrol ship, used for inspect fishing boats –
is this really the best the Royal Navy could manage !!!!!!!!!

I agree, Gary. Whatever Putin’s ambitions are they are not to confront NATO head on. I have no doubt that NATO is testing Russian defences equally aggressively. Don’t let’s rack up military antagonism where there is none.

It is of concern and the increas is, without doubt.

What i’m against is the media making more out of it than it really is,

As I mentioned, it’s not all over the media here, but there will be an increased NATO force actually based in Latvia in the New year instead of four fighter on rotation based in Lithuania.

I have seen fighters in and out of Helsinki, over the top here as mentioned and a ANG Boeing C-135 in Riga.

This have stepped up to the mark, but, again I stress keep it in proprtion

The classic case was the AN-26 that lost radio contact hyped up as “The Russians are Coming”…implying that it was some sort of Russian i9nvasion. It was a civil freight flight operation from Italy to the UK the carrier being a Latvian airline (RAF Avia). All are NATO coutries.

The fact the aircraft was originally built in Russia is irrelevent. Had it been operated by one of RAF Avia’s SAAB 340’s, that would presumably have been a Swedish invasion on the cards?

Re 9

Don’t nitpick !

A few flights in airspace does not amount to an invasion…

No, I understand that, but it does seem to indicate increased Russian ‘posturing’.

It doesn’t worry me, as I’m sure it is more for internal Russian consumption than it is for intimidation of Europe. Perhaps the best thing that the United Kingdom could do would be to ignor the Russian flotilla completely.

But the recent increased number of Russian military flights ‘towards’ United Kingdom airspace is a fact?

yes, the increase i9n numbers is a fact but is the threat…read again what we are seeing in Latvia, real, but no one is making a fuss about it as it’s just sbre rettling.

If there is a real issue then that’s different.

This is a country that potentially could be invaded, (but highly unlikely) where the UK isn’t. Here they keep things in perprctice, watch, yes, comment if needed, but there are other things to be getting on with so all discussions of this are kept to their correct perpective.

A few flight in airspace Does njot amount to an invasion, yet to listen to the media you’d think so.

Titles are misleading as is the one on this thread, which I understand to be tounge in cheek.

The Russians are not coming, at least not yet

The last time a Russian naval force of any size steamed thru’ the North Sea…

Not exactly sure that that was the ‘last time’ and the Russian force this time is only four ships!

I agree…it’s just media hype…

But the recent increased number of Russian military flights ‘towards’ United Kingdom airspace is a fact?