Nuclear Armed Russian Sub Headed for Syria

originally posted by: Aloysius the Gaul
a reply to: JonStone

Russia's (USSR's) naval base at Tartus since 1971, and folded all it's other med bases (from Egypt) into it in 1977.

This is not an escalation - this is business as usual.

Do you have a source showing it's business as usual to conduct live fire exercises off the Syrian coast? The timing seems odd, so I'd like to see it if there is one.

a reply to: JonStone

The only thing unusual about this exercise is that the Chinese are there.

In previous years they have had live fire exercises with all sorts of navies - including Israeli and Cypriot.

Why would you think a live fire exercise for any navy is anything other than business as usual? How do you think they train??!!

originally posted by: JonStone


Do you have a source showing it's business as usual to conduct live fire exercises off the Syrian coast? The timing seems odd, so I'd like to see it if there is one.

The Russians have been conducting live fire exercises and drills in the Eastern Med and off Syria for years now. Absolutely nothing unusual in seeing such live firing exercises after the re-establishing of the Russian deployed Mediterranean Fleet. It is business as usual for navies operating in waters that they deploy in. How on earth do you think that they keep equipment and personnel combat ready?

originally posted by: Aloysius the Gaul
a reply to: JonStone

The only thing unusual about this exercise is that the Chinese are there.

In previous years they have had live fire exercises with all sorts of navies - including Israeli and Cypriot.

Why would you think a live fire exercise for any navy is anything other than business as usual? How do you think they train??!!

The Russian's have even held exercises, with their carrier, within Greek airspace, of course after lodging the paperwork with the Athens FIR authorities, and getting approval for their exercises. I think they've also trained with the Greeks as well.
Cyprus doesn't really have a navy..

The Chinese are starting to pop up in places they've never been before.
Like off the coast of Alaska, and a year or two ago in the northern approaches to Australia between Indonesia and Australia. Now in the Mediterranean. They also deployed to anti-piracy missions in the Indian Ocean.