Good post Gollevainen.

Is it really that dumb?

1. Bears buzz the US East coast.
2. US stocks up on weapons, here: F-22.
3. Russia still not at risk of being invaded anytime soon or going to war with NATO/US. Other countries are and might perceive this threat to be growing with the US’ military might growing even more.
4. These other countries spend more on defence. Where do these countries listed on the US sh**list usually buy?
6. Russia sells planes, tanks, ships, weapons, licenses and maintenance to newly/increasingly interested parties that are willing to spend more on defence than before.

Summing up that’s:

1. Buzz USA.
2. Sell more equipment.
3. Profit!!!

Pendulums don’t just swing one way.

I hear the cash register at Rosoboronoexport ; Chaching 😀

Thats the first thought that came to my mind aswell , I bet Stevens and LM are very happy now !!

I am smelling something here….

Maybe Stevens and LM are paying the Russians to do these flights:diablo:

RASTRUB (SSN-14)

I found this Russian documentary about the KRIVAK type frigates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7-lOzvuTrA

At around 2:50 detailed explanations (with graphics) about this anti-submarine / anti-ship system.

Of memory (read it somewhere), the sticker price for the ANSAT recon helicopter is $ 2.5 mil only.

I have not seen this helicopter fitted with anti-tank missiles (ATAKA or KORNET). If it can be equipped, than it will be a poor man’s Mi-28.

I read somewhere that the Soviets at some point had plans to develop specialised versions of the BLACKJACK, including a Tu-160R and – indeed – a Tu-160P.

Well, the Soviets are no longer here 😉

The Russians ended up with a total of only 15 of these valuable and expensive bombers. Their main task was strategic (as nuclear cruise missile carriers). They are now also carrying conventional cruise missiles for long range, stand-off precision strikes.

Blackjacks are too few and too valuable to be used for Wild Weasel style tasks. There are other more suitable platforms for those kinds of missions.

Why not? It may be called upon to penetrate defended airspace and the capability could be called upon.

As I said earlier: In theory, yes. In practice, not likely.

Why would they be called upon to penetrate defended airspace when they have the luxury of firing their PGMs (cruise missiles) from thousands of kilometers away?

I believe these new version Kh-58s (with folding wings to fit in internal bays)are for future aircraft meant to penetrate the defended airspaces you are mentioning.

IMHO, the stealthy PAK-FA and UCAV programs under development are the more logical recipient platforms. They need to carry the missiles internaly in order not to compromise their stealth. Hence the new version of the Kh-58.