RAF's Tornado base in Cyprus fears retribution from Russia for Syria airstrikes

Russia, which holds a position just 300 miles to the east, has missiles capable of striking Akrotiri from the Syrian coast.

Akrotiri is a sparse place, home to radio communication towers and a nature reserve. Mood on the airbase was said to be relaxed.

But it has been a tense few days. There was, and still is, the fear that a strike launched from here could attract retribution by Russia, which holds a position just 300 miles to the east. Its missiles are capable of striking the base from the Syrian coast.

It is possible that this action was a one-off - a warning to Syria to think twice about using chemicals weapons.

But anything is possible in these unpredictable times.

RAF's Tornado base in Cyprus fears retribution from Russia for Syria airstrikes

Russia has vowed retaliation of some sort before the western coalition strike on Syria this morning. Whether Russias steadfast to its promise it could be possible the RAF Akrotiri could be within in sight. I hope that won't be the case and Russia isn't stupid enough to play that piece.

originally posted by: deviant300

Russia, which holds a position just 300 miles to the east, has missiles capable of striking Akrotiri from the Syrian coast.

Akrotiri is a sparse place, home to radio communication towers and a nature reserve. Mood on the airbase was said to be relaxed.

But it has been a tense few days. There was, and still is, the fear that a strike launched from here could attract retribution by Russia, which holds a position just 300 miles to the east. Its missiles are capable of striking the base from the Syrian coast.

It is possible that this action was a one-off - a warning to Syria to think twice about using chemicals weapons.

But anything is possible in these unpredictable times.

RAF's Tornado base in Cyprus fears retribution from Russia for Syria airstrikes

Russia has vowed retaliation of some sort before the western coalition strike on Syria this morning. Whether Russias steadfast to its promise it could be possible the RAF Akrotiri could be within in sight. I hope that won't be the case and Russia isn't stupid enough to play that piece.

"The fear is" That's the statement in the link. No quotes, whatsoever. Just the opinion of the author. You make a thread out of it??

Any military unit would be prepared for the worst case scenario, that's their job. Constant alertness.

Even Putin isn't supid enough to hit a third nation as a form of retaliation. The gloves would come off and he'd end up slobber-knocked.

a reply to: deviant300

The strikes last night had no reported casualties.

I'd bet every dollar I have they aren't going to risk WWIII by killing royal airforce personnel.

Bs stories like this that try to instill paranoia in people are clearly propaganda, i mean why the contradiction on the mood? it says the mood at the base is calm then it says it has been a tense few days?

i'd argue the mood is just fine, that whoever wrote this is either a bot, a fearful coward or a Russian collaborator trying to foment panic in people, because if it was actually attacked it would be a direct act of war against the United Kingdom and NATO, Russia will not attack an RAF base over Syria and cause WW3, they aren't idiots.

a reply to: deviant300


Ummm...nope...I’m sure one of it’s satellite kill vehicles will wander astray during a test and...ahem...accidentally impact some western intel sat or the Xb 37...

Or some other plausibly deniable accident...







YouSir

originally posted by: namehere
Russia will not attack an RAF base over Syria and cause WW3, they aren't idiots.

Agreed. Only brown people will die in this proxy.
That is the tragedy.

Does anyone know where our type 45 destroyers are?.
Nowt will get past them.

originally posted by: testingtesting
Does anyone know where our type 45 destroyers are?.
Nowt will get past them.

Then there's the NATO base next door in Turkey and the carrier in the Med for Putin to contend with taking on Cyprus.

originally posted by: nwtrucker
"The fear is" That's the statement in the link. No quotes, whatsoever. Just the opinion of the author.

It looks like these days the UK likes to spread fear, just before Easter they said that Portugal could be the target of terrorist attacks during the Easter holidays.

originally posted by: CornishCeltGuy
Agreed. Only brown people will die in this proxy.
That is the tragedy.

What a racist way of thinking this would spread out. What a weird statement in general...

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

tragedy? it's not a tragedy if it prevents more people from being gassed in the future, less than 10 people to save hundreds or even thousands is no tragedy if you ask me.

you can't protect everyone.

a reply to: nwtrucker

Carrier won't be there until at least the 22nd. There are several Burkes and at least one Ticonderoga in the Med right now.

originally posted by: testingtesting
Does anyone know where our type 45 destroyers are?.
Nowt will get past them.

hmmmmmm

i wonder where....

originally posted by: 1337Kph

originally posted by: CornishCeltGuy
Agreed. Only brown people will die in this proxy.
That is the tragedy.

What a racist way of thinking this would spread out. What a weird statement in general...

I was being factually blunt. It is true that the whole proxy war for the last however many years has pretty much only killed brown people. The US/UK/France/Russia involvment is contrived and based on geo-politics and money more than the lives of faraway brown people.
If you think that indicates negative racist thoughts in my head you would be incorrect, just an acceptance that Russia and 'the west' kill 3rd party populations in proxy wars, brown people usually.
Think Vietnam if you disagree.

originally posted by: namehere
a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

tragedy? it's not a tragedy if it prevents more people from being gassed in the future, less than 10 people to save hundreds or even thousands is no tragedy if you ask me.

you can't protect everyone.

You know they were gassed then yeh?
Did you know the "45 minutes away WMD" claims before Iraq was bull# as well, or did you believe that?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: nwtrucker

Carrier won't be there until at least the 22nd. There are several Burkes and at least one Ticonderoga in the Med right now.

This came down without a carrier in the Med?! That is a surprise!

a reply to: nwtrucker

Yep. They used a Ticonderoga, three Burkes, and a Virginia in the Med, along with the manned assets out of the UK, Italy, France, Cyprus, and Qatar.

a reply to: deviant300

Russia won't hit any NATO airbases, that really would be paramount to war.

Which without resorting the use of tactical nukes, Russia would lose.

First in the air, then at sea, and then the rest of there targets of opportunity on land could be destroyed at NATOs leisure.

But long before any land battle happened someone would be bound to unleash a nuke or two, in an attempt to forestall defeat, which is why it will never happen, because the result would be unthinkable.

No spoils of war to be had from such a conflict nor monies or power to be accumulated.

a reply to: andy06shake

A conventional war against Russia would be far from a cake walk. NATO would be hard pressed to win an offensive war against Russia, and would get hammered in a defensive war.

I think most of our destroyers are broken and in port lol but I have just read we will be ordering our third aircraft carrier.
Why because Russia .

ukdefencejournal.org.uk...