NATO F-16 trying to approach Russian defense minister’s plane over Baltic. Unprecedented!

a reply to: Flanker86

NATO called that interdiction “routine,” claiming that the Russian planes had failed to respond to air traffic control.

Plane failed to respond. They sent a fighter up to see if everything was ok.

Not weird at all.

a reply to: Flanker86

Wait a minute. I thought you said like four days ago that NATO forces in the area were going to come under massive Russian attack and be destroyed. You even gave pretty specific time frames too.

More BS as usual.

Does the F16 not have a 20mm Vulcan gun?

a reply to: oldcarpy

Yes, but they don't usually carry more than maybe 200 rounds, if that much. About the only reason they carry that is for ballast.

a reply to: Zaphod58


Ok - thanks.

A long time ago when I was little I got talking to a EE Lightning pilot which I think were tasked to rapid climb and interception of Soviet bombers.

When I asked what armament he carried he said something like "Aden cannon, 4 Firestreak missiles and if all else fails 45,000lb of scrap metal doing mach 1.5" (can't remember exactly but that was the gist of it).

a reply to: oldcarpy

The alert aircraft carry a full load of missiles, but honestly, other than ground attack, the gun is almost next to useless. There hasn't been an air to air gun kill since not long after Vietnam IIRC. Even in Desert Storm, when the ROE included almost no BVR targeting there wasn't one that I recall off the top of my head.

US sold F-16 around the world. I wouldn't be surprise to see a copy and paste F-16 shoot down Russian jets to cause WW3 instantly. Just like Israel.

The baltic states have recently begun to behave as the leading edge of EUro currency-induced self-destruction and promotion of oligarchical pedophilia-based control of the state institutions and politics ...