14 Sep. 07, Assoc. Press report. Russian bombers invade NATO air space. Russia becoming Militarily aggressive?

Question

Too much evidence is piling up indicating Russia is developing greater military might, new weapons and better delivery systems as well as the will to misuse them to intimidate.
What is your view of this trend?
Is it legitimate or is the news misleading?
Would Russia try to pull off a sneak attack?
Against whom, and why?

News article:
http://tracking.military.com/cgi-bin/outlog.cgi?url=http://images.military.com/NL_WK/1,14845,4953,00.html&code=070910WDQHTMLLINK&eml=d6f9b4df1ea5f4484abaa3d4612f3ca0

Answer 1

The Russians are getting more aggressive because they see an opportunity to regain some of the prestige and power which they lost with the break up of the Soviet Union. Americans are bickering among themselves and with our allies, no unity or solid front is being placed to the world and with the Russian Mutual Defense treaty with China they have additional resources and money to play with. Russia wants to regain the dominance they had as one of the two super powers and they fear that the European Union will over shadow then and they will fall even further behind. They cannot do it economically or politically so they will use the military to try to intimidate. There military has been side lined for lack of funding but with China helping financially to research advanced equipment and buying current equipment and plans it frees up cash for the military to engage in the exercises they have began again..

Answer 2

"Too much evidence is piling up indicating Russia is developing greater military might, new weapons and better delivery systems as well as the will to misuse them to intimidate."

Of course the Russians are building up their military. They have the money now. Why would any sane country neglect their military? A strong Russia isn't necessarily a bad thing for Americans — Russia could be the USA’s most important ally on many issues — but Russia could also your worst enemy if your politicians insist on putting that missile shield in the Russians' backyard. Instead of trying to continue to encircle the Russians with NATO-friendly countries (which makes them Russia's potential enemies) and missile shields, how about you leave them alone for a change? Can you really blame the Russians for acting the way they are? It doesn’t take a great stretch of imagination to draw some parallels with the Cuban Missile Crisis.

By the way, Russia has never invaded anyone's air space. Russia has flown over international waters, and the closest they've gotten to anyone's air space is a few hundred miles or so. Russia is simply training its pilots, probing NATO air defenses, seeing the reaction time of NATO air forces, and other standard military practices. But they have NOT VIOLATED ANYONE'S AIRSPACE, which would be an act of war. And neither NATO nor Russia wants a war among themselves.



The answer some blatant stupidity from other users’ answers…

"They appear to be conforming to China's leadership, and the technology China has was sold to it under the Clinton administration."

China has not sold Russia anything. The Russians have at least a decade or so on the Chinese when it comes to advanced tech and weaponry. In fact, most of the advanced things the Chinese have now they have purchased from the Russians or reverse-engineered. It is the Chinese buying from the Russians, not the other way around.

"It will never do this, because it would most assuredly prompt nuclear holocaust."

Merely the act of Russia declaring that they are the new "badasses," as you put it, will mean their nuclear annihilation? Wow, well I can't say I'm surprised. I mean, after all, when it comes to blatant and pure unrestrained violence and mass destruction, the U.S. easily takes the cake in that category, having been the only country to actually use nukes and all...

By the way, since you don't realize it yet, let me explain a simple concept; as soon as any nukes leave the United States heading for either Russia or China, your politicians and generals have already signed your death warrant.

"It will test the waters in remote ares like Chechnya."

Cechnya is a remote area? Wow, you really have no clue what you're talking about, do you? Chechnya is IN RUSSIA, it's a Russian republic. Why doesn't Russia have the right o fly planes anywhere on their territory whenever they want?

"feed weapons and technology to rogue countries like Iran and Syria"

But the U.S. has never made any weapons deals with other "rogue" countries such as Suadia Arabia, probably the most authoritarian regime in the Middle East, in the past, right?

"It's biggest adversary is the US, a country that never backs down from a fight. The US is the bully crusher and Putin knows this. At this point and time it will continue to bark orders from under a rock."

When has the U.S. ever fought a coherent air force and navy with modern technology, such as the Russians? Not in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Panama, Yugoslavia, Somalia, or anywhere. The pattern has been consistent, since WWII the U.S. has invaded and fought countries which are virtually defenseless, and where U.S. air and naval superiority is guaranteed.

Why did the U.S. choose to invade a country such as Iraq instead of North Korea, which has proven to be the more imminent threat? Oh yeah, because the Koreans actually have a decent military. The U.S. administration knows any invasion of N. Korea would be the costliest war since the previous Korean war; so they’d much rather pick on the weaker kid to show off their "might." You can keep reveling in your fantasy of the "bully-crushing and moral U.S.," but unfortunately the reality is that the U.S. is a cowardly bully itself, and would never attack a country which has even a remote chance of defending itself.

Answer 3

Russia is the school yard bully. It will test the waters in remote ares like Chechnya, invade air space in far reaching countries like Denmark, feed weapons and technology to rogue countries like Iran and Syria, but it is yet to stand up and declare that it is the new badass in town.

It will never do this, because it would most assuredly prompt nuclear holocaust. It's biggest adversary is the US, a country that never backs down from a fight. The US is the bully crusher and Putin knows this. At this point and time it will continue to bark orders from under a rock.

Certainly Russia and China is developing new weapons. Certainly the cold war is back with a vengeance, it just hasn't been officially re-named. Most certainly the Pentagon has a model of every future attack, by every potential adversary, as well as an in-kind response to these potential assaults. Certainly the US has weapons that could or would destroy these adversaries in record tome, should they ever be deployed. And, our adversaries know this, too !

Answer 4

Russia is certainly flexing its muscles, having just exploded the biggest non-nuclear device in the world (bigger than US MOAB) but that is to be taken more seriously on a diplomatic level, not to militarily take on Europe and certainly not the US.

Answer 5

Can you provide the link please?. And by the way, NATO is not a country, so what do you exactly mean by NATO airspace?. It's the same as saying UN airspace, which doesn't really make sense.

Answer 6

nah, i don't see them "attacking" anyone. they're just strutting their stuff. letting others know, communism may be dead, but russia is not. people everywhere are getting sick of the excesses of the single super power. there is no balance anymore.

Answer 7

They appear to be conforming to China's leadership, and the technology China has was sold to it under the Clinton administration.

Answer 8

I think they just want to make more money by selling those stuffs