Russian strategic bombers reportedly practice nuclear missile strike against US

A pair of Russian bomber jets reportedly practiced cruise missile attacks against targets in the United States last week, according to a report published on Monday in the Washington Free Beacon.

Bill Gertz, a writer for the Beacon, reported that two Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers were tracked flying over the Labrador Sea last week in the northern Atlantic Ocean near Iceland, Greenland and Canada as part of a recent training mission.

“Analysis of the flight indicated the aircraft were conducting practice runs to a pre-determined ‘launch box’ — an optimum point for firing nuclear-armed cruise missiles at US targets,” Gertz wrote, citing unnamed defense officials he described as being familiar with intelligence reports.

Russian strategic bombers reportedly practice nuclear missile strike against US

Shocker?

Not really, considering Russia and America's past, doesn't really surprise me at all. If this is true though, it's pretty ballsy, even for the Russians. Of course it seems Russia (as of late) doesn't care about the consequences of their actions. Russia wants the U.S gone so they can do whatever they want and no will stop them.

-SAP-

a reply to: SloAnPainful

All ready posted and being discussed here FYI.
...

No different than what both sides were doing for almost fifty years.

I love slow news days.

Its like being a child again, I think im going to sleep with the light on now. Mummy I'm scared

I'll just leave this here..

a reply to: Firefly_

Do you have a school desk to crawl under?

It seems Putin has a death wish these days. I wish there was a world court in which leaders who appear to be unstable could be removed on medical grounds and the country proceed with elections to choose a new leader. I know I probably have watched too many episodes of Star Trek but I think it could work if everyone was to give it a try.

a reply to: Wirral Bagpuss

How is this a death wish? It stopped for about ten years in the nineties, but has been going on since the 1950s. It just doesn't get reported unless it's a slow news day.

They fly over in Europe very often for years and years with fighter jets scrambling and flying near it,then they return to Russia again.

Here is a more detailed link from the 2008 exercises.

www.spacewar.com...

They use an airborne holding pattern of fuel efficient turboprop aircraft loaded with Kent 15's.

Probably have standing orders to fire the cruise missiles if the TU 95's are fired on.

a reply to: Cauliflower

If it was a real shooting war. They generally don't fly near other countries armed on these flights.

Apparently they have stepped up their sub patrols too.

Tensions between the US and Russia are quite high right now, few Americans realize this.

a reply to: jrod

No higher than they were in the 70s and 80s, and other periods.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: jrod

No higher than they were in the 70s and 80s, and other periods.

Funny people think this is new isnt it? I think it has alot to do with Americans had come to think of Russia as just another western country. Turns out i guess that assessment was wrong and it seems they are much closer to a dictatorship.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
No different than what both sides were doing for almost fifty years.

I love slow news days.

Nothing like Western news outlets fear mongering the public to further hate the Russians

originally posted by: Agent_USA_Supporter

originally posted by: Zaphod58
No different than what both sides were doing for almost fifty years.

I love slow news days.

Nothing like Western news outlets fear mongering the public to further hate the Russians

Do Russians really need the help they seem to be doing ok on their own. When the international community starts turning on you because their actions this is the result stupid reports to boost ratings. If Russia wants to stop the bad press simple stop trying to prove how tough they are its really kind of sad. Putin is just trying to remind everybody he has Nukes waiting for the Putin t shirts with him wrestling a bear in front of a nuke.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: jrod

No higher than they were in the 70s and 80s, and other periods.

I agree with everything else you've said, and this shouldn't really be considered to be much more than a continuation of the status-quot, but there is a ramping up of military drills and exercises from all sides, and primarily for nothing more than posturing.

I think this is basically what is meant by use of the terms "increased tensions" and "most volatile relations since the Cold War".

originally posted by: Zaphod58
No different than what both sides were doing for almost fifty years.

I love slow news days.

I think it is quite a bit different.

With Norad's Cheyenne Mountain being reduced to 'standown' ie closed for the most part.

The nuclear triad we use to have is no longer there in the numbers..

Of course there is the whole nuclear arms reductions of the past 6 years while Russia has been modernizing theirs.

And building new ones.

Hell how is the b52 now ?

With the advancements in missile technology today they aren't much of a go to weapon system anymore.

a reply to: neo96

No its not were you aware the US has been upgrading its nuclear arsenal as well in fact 2007 started producing new war heads. As far as b52 very few nuclear bombs remain less than 200 but bombers arent effective and although B1 and B2s could penetrate Russian airspace they are slow for retaliation. The fast response is the SLBMs off the Russian coast giving them minutes in fact if Russia launched Moscow would be gone by the time their ICBM reached American airspace. Currently its estimated Russia has around 460 hard points (areas needing to be destroyed to take out their nuclear capabilities). The key is how many of these sights can they get before Russia could launch than you pray the missile defense systems can pick up the rest. Though unlikely you at least try to minimize the damage. Even Russian generals are fully aware of the vulnerabilities of the Russian arsenal. Than there is another problem they face do to poor maintenance just wasnt enough money into the budget Russia is going to have a high failure rate even some testing shows could be as high as 60 percent. So what im saying is nothing new both sides have started putting money back into the nuclear arsenals and we have a new cold war.

Interestingly the sanctions are going to severly curtail Russian efforts to modernize their military since most critical parts are produced by western nations such as guidance systems. Russia cant even build a Mig currently without foreign parts. so it will be interesting to see how Putin tries to increase the Russian manufacturing base.

a reply to: neo96

Have you bothered to look at Russian delivery systems if you're going to comment about the B-52. The Bear is as old, the Backfire and Blackjack are in tiny numbers and desperately in need of modernization.