Report: Russia may base bombers in Cuba

Idont know personally how I feel about all of this. My thoughts are that it seems like they are going to do what they are going to do.

Check this out...I was scanning on google...I did a deep search and I found something that is really creepy to read. I dont know if it has ever been posted here before.
The title of the document is..

"Memorandum For The Secretary Of State From the Attorney General in Washington DC October 30 1962"
Anybody out there can shed some light on this document, let me know.
www.gwu.edu...

Well, this comes in the wake of These Russian naval exercises that Venezuela agreed to allow off its shores just a few months ago.
Here are some previous semi-related ATS threads:

Two Russian bombers land in Venezuela-agencies

Russia, Venezuela seal Su-30 deal; US unhappy

Russian Navy ships heading to Venezuela

Russian Ships to Venezuela in Show of Power

I just hope this new development is just a geopolitical maneuver rather than an actual consideration. Russia is constantly testing the abilities of its enemies to detect its bombers on radar.

Russian strategic bombers fly over Arctic Ocean on routine patrol

RAF Jets See Off Russian Bombers (again)

Navy Intercepts Russian Bombers

Yet they got all up in a tizzy about the European missile shield. LOL..

-ChriS

[edit on 15-3-2009 by BlasteR]

Ah, thus the Cold War has resumed. It is a giant game of chess as one member previously stated. The U.S. puts missiles in Poland, Russians threaten to place bombers and naval bases in the West. The recent Economic downturn though, has allowed a new player to join, China. Countries such as Russia, China and the U.S. are testing each other, just seeing what reactions are. Just as the USN Impeccable ship in Chinese waters, or Russians flying blackjack's and bear's over the arctic. Just some friendly pushing is all. Lets all pray and hope someone some where doesn't mess up such as a pilot getting frustrated and make a wrong move.

Well lets see, there was an economic crisis right before WWI, and one right before WWII. We’re in one now, and Obeyme and Co. keep saying ‘never waste a good crisis’. I don’t think this bomber story holds any water, but WWIII is coming and it’ll be the end of the USA as we know it. The USA is slated for the same role and same fate as Germany in WWII. The China Olympics starting on 888 let us know who is planned to be the next world leader. I think we’re staring the sixth trumpet war right in the face, with a Russia-China-Iran axis playing the foil.

reply to post by aspx


I never said that the Russians don't have the right to protect themselves and I never said that they don't have the right to base their planes outside their own country. What I did say was that their military equipment is old and cannot compete with ours. They know this of course. This latest move is posturing pure and simple and it is nothing to get too worked up over.

I do realize that a few nukes landed on US cities would have very serious consequences for the US. My point is that their antique missiles launched by their antique bombers can't do the job.

Russia placing bombers in Cuba?

America placing long rang missiles in Poland....

What's the big deal?

reply to post by Sfen Senterra


Well we are not actually placing long range missiles in Poland. We are proposing basing an anti-ballistic missile system in Poland. These missiles are relatively short ranged. Designed to intercept incoming missiles.

They pose no threat to Russis, China, or anyone else, unless they actually launch missiles at NATO countries. This says much more about Russian intentions than anything else.

Originally posted by Sfen Senterra
Russia placing bombers in Cuba?

America placing long rang missiles in Poland....

What's the big deal?

The missile shield is a proposed plan at this point. It is not in place yet.
I thought I would clarify some of this stuff we're talking about.

The last I heard the missiles in Poland were going to be interceptors guided with the assistance of a new radar station in the Czech Republic.
Interceptors much like we have at the missile defense site here in Alaska at Fort Greely (This system is referred to as GBMD or Ground Based Midcourse Defense). Future missile "kill-vehicle" variants are said to involve not 1 kill vehicle per missile but a kill-vehicle cluster of smaller units that all communicate with each other. For more on the GMBD system see the wiki link here:
en.wikipedia.org...

here is a youtube video on the new multiple kill vehicle (MKV) interceptor:


MKV hover test from December 2008:


But the missile shield infrastructure and silos are not even constructed yet.. It would probably be a few years before the site(s) would even be fully constructed in Poland and who knows how long it will be until construction begins (if ever).

In January, Russia said it would decide to not position nuclear missiles along the Poland border after Barrack obama took office (LOL)!

Russia drops plans to deploy missiles next to Poland after Barack Obama takes office

"The realisation of these plans has been halted in connection with the fact that the new US administration is not rushing through its plans," said a Russian official, according to the Interfax news agency.

Cue the silly circus music..

Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, has arrived at the World Economic Forum in Davos where he was due to speak on the global financial crisis. Mr Putin, both as premier and formerly as president, has led Russia's anti-American rhetoric and policy.

But in a rare interview with Bloomberg Television, Mr Putin said he was "cautiously optimistic" about US-Russia relations under Mr Obama.

President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia is expected to have his first formal meeting with Mr Obama on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in London in April. One possible formula for easing the tension might be for America to defer its missile defence system in return for Russian co-operation in the Middle East and elsewhere.

But then in February, the Obama administration went ahead and decided to deploy patriot missiles to that area to defend against possible Russian strikes (probably not the best move he could have made).

See more on the deployment of patriot missiles to Poland here:
Missiles in Poland split parties in Congress

and HERE .

In November, Moscow threatened to deploy missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads on Poland's border, if the country pushed ahead with the deployment of the US missile shield.

Poland hopes that the Patriot battery, which will involve the first deployment of foreign troops on Polish soil since the end of the Cold War, should be operative by 2012.

In Moscow, the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov brushed off the issue, saying: "There’s nothing to really comment on here.

“If these projects fulfill the norms of international law, we don’t plan on making any commentary.

"What we are interested in is the deployment plans of … missile defence, seeing as these plans affect our security. We are carrying out consultations with our American, Polish and Czech colleagues on this subject.”

The apparentl blasé reaction appeared to reflect Moscow’s readiness to engage with the new US administration if it does indeed follow through on abandoning the Bush administration's missile defence plans.

The patriot system is a network of mobile and non-mobile anti-missile batteries. When I was stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea they were all over the place and all pointed North (for obvious reasons). We even had one right in front of where i worked. It is not designed to be a tactical or strategic "surgical strike" capable system but rather an anti-aircraft and anti-missile surface to air system.
en.wikipedia.org...

The patriot started out as an anti-aircraft weapons system that was later upgraded to defend against tactical ballistic missiles. The missiles have been completely re-designed since they were first upgraded. The PAC-3 designed patriot is much smaller than the originals and 16 can now be mounted on one launcher instead of 4. The PAC-2 missile upgrade was a previous upgrade designed around an anti-aircraft application.

Russian leaders are reeling over this. More will come of this during and after the April G-20 summit.. Russia is absolutely not happy with Obama right now though.

More information on the proposed missile defense complex in Poland can be found here:
en.wikipedia.org...

These kinds of mid-long range missile shields are mostly designed to be a nuclear deterrents and geopolitical tools. They are far less effective than most people would probably assume.. A missile shield isn't going to shield anyone from an onslaught of ICBM's or a nuclear armageddon. It is meant to take out the first "salvo", if you will, to enable America and its allies time to react with a nuclear counterstrike before being blasted into oblivion. The proposed radar system in the Czech Republic would also be capable of detecting nearly any russian aircraft coming over the border into European airspace . The overall system is designed to provide time when it is most critically needed (right before millions of innocent people turn to ash, their shadows burnt into the concrete and their cities turned into self-lit glass parking lots).

It could happen anwyay, but it is not meant to prevent a nuclear armageddon (because it can't) it is only meant to allow us a small time window to fire back. I'm not telling you guys that this is right or wrong. I'm just giving you the facts.

-ChriS

[edit on 15-3-2009 by BlasteR]

This may have been said, but its like the vultures circling the dying.
Metaphors and second lines.

reply to post by loam

Must you always be so positive?

Actually, Fidel and Raul would love to play host to the Russians again.
Take it from me.

reply to post by bad man incorporated


Who are you implying are the dying. The US and the UK. I would like you to expound on your statement please. Because if you are inferring that the America is dying, you are quite wrong sire. It may look bad now. We may look like we are on the ropes. But have no doubt that this country shall rebound and will come out shinning bright out the other side. Many have tried to knock around while we were down and think that they have won. Ask the Japanese who thought they could easily defeat the US after December 7th. But we came through with resolve and purpose, and so shall we come through this. Just because Russia military said they were "thinking" about putting a few bombers to the south of us. Their government said they are not doing it at this time. even if they do, they will be intercepted well before the ever get to striking distance.

reply to post by bigvig316


Don't be offended. Metaphorically, U.S.A. is sick. The vultures always circle the sick.
I don't need to expand on what I said, because you said it.
I agree Russia and China WOULD fail in whatever measly plan they may or may not have against the U.S...I was just pointing out the obvious. U.S. has a weakness. To an enemy, that is opportunity.
Economic weakness to ME, doesn't even come close to saying, that they can't defend themselves. After all, they haven't sold ANY weapons to get out of the crisis. So that means, they still have them.

It was a statement to surpass political rhetoric. In an attempt to relieve people of over thinking the situation.

You'll still be a proud American in the end. Of that I have no doubt. ^^

reply to post by lunarminer & BlasteR


Hey Thanks guys for clearing that up!

I think the Russians are playing a little see-how-far-i-can-go game probably followed by some cat and mouse. I personally do not think that Russia is a threat to the USA. Think they just want some attention....

Originally posted by dgtempe
reply to post by loam

 

Must you always be so positive?

Actually, Fidel and Raul would love to play host to the Russians again.
Take it from me.

You are absolutely right again tempe. Russia has been selling weapons and supplies to countries like Venezuela and China for a while now. They seem to like each other so much that when Venezuela didn't have enough money to purchase the weapons and supplies Russia gave them a massive "loan"...

Russia is looking for any allies it can.. And locations like Cuba and Venezuela are perfect launch sites for missiles and bomb-laden aircraft.

Venezuela and Russia are 2 peas in a pod these days. I'm not so sure about a post-Castro cuba because I haven't read about it a whole lot recently. But I highly doubt that our extremely advanced military would ever allow it to get to the point where we are threatened with nuclear weapons from Cuba (from aircraft or otherwise).

I certainly hope the duck and cover videos never coming back.

This is inevitably all interlinked to the geopolitical scene which includes the fact that Russia is extremely pissed off at us right now over the missile shield we've already talked about to some length. Russia is basically sending a political message that it will do everything in its power to counter what it sees as U.S. aggression (I guess building defensive missiles is aggression these days).

And If Russia breaks its nuclear arms treaties we would probably follow suit. We might just see a whole new generation of nuclear weaponry too if that happens. There's no way to know what would happen. I highly doubt that World War 3 will be a cold war.. It will be a war of nuclear holocaust and immense human suffering but that just makes it the shortest war in human history (quite possibly the last war). Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail as they did during the cuban missile crisis.

I don't even know how many times we have come right to the brink of all out nuclear holocaust. It's a half dozen, easy.

The bigger question to ask is whether or not nuclear weapons really act as a useful deterrent. In some ways they do.. In some ways they don't. Some might say they've averted entire wars because of the deterrence factor. But you could also say that because of nukes we've come right to the brink of all out nuclear holocaust multiple times and have barely come out of it without someone pushing the button. We've been extremely lucky..

-ChriS