It worries me that Russia is so full of bravado in terms of provoking the mighty US; say with these bomber and fighter sorties close to the North American continent.
It worries me because it gives the strong impression that Russia firmly believes in itself to be able to give the US a fair old whack on the chin.
Is it all just a bluff from political calculation?
Looking at the videos all over the web, Russia firmly has the opinion that it has superior fighter aircraft and electronic missile capabilities.
Then look at the recent exercises conducted in Europe and the Far east by the Russian military and it becomes clear that they have a greater state or preparedness to go with their advanced weaponry.
NATO never does anything on that scale any more.
No wonder then that NATO is steering clear of an engagement. From what I can see it had better get it's act together and quickly before it really falls behind and faces an adversary that it cannot match.
Thoughts?
Well I can't speak for Russian attitudes but in regards to NATO readiness, isn't that partly why the U.S. has kept tactical nuclear weapons in Europe? It to me is essentially a trump card both sides could play, and one that both sides seem to have forgotten about sometimes, especially when people suggest war as a viable option between the superpowers.
I think back to the US Army in Europe following the Vietnam War and how truly deplorable the situation was. Officers wouldn't go into barracks without being armed, with escorts, or both. Or how bad morale was, how many units in the 1970's in West Germany couldn't even get half their units vehicles to the field and the Soviets from our side of the border really did look like an unstoppable juggernaut. But despite this, victory would most likely elude both sides if they ever fought, one side would eventually gain the upper hand, and then that's when we must ask ourselves, "what would desperate men do who also posses nuclear weapons?"
Go back a few years and a lot of what we see in the news today might seem preposterous and abstract, not in the range of likelihood, yet here we are. That's why I love history, you just can't make this stuff up.
General Breedlove, SACEUR, recently spoke about how the U.S. was considering not only halting the drawdown of forces from Europe, but actually slightly reversing it. So that's promising, but not if its the paltry forces like we see today, a battalion of paratroopers from the 173rd Airbourne Brigade spread across three countries won't even slow the Russians down a little. My thought is to give serious consideration to Poland's request for a permanent NATO basing, say the 1st Amored Division since they used to be based in Germany. Plus it'll give the West something to negotiate with, like offering that in exchange for no NATO bases in the east, Russia ceases the support for the rebels. Appeasing Putin I think will only lead to an escalation down the road, I wonder if Putin realizes he is making the West feel backed into a corner where we have no other choice in our response.
