– Pentagon Admits Russian Fighter Flew Within 30 Meters Of US Spy Plane (ZeroHedge, May 3, 2014):
While Russia’s “Top Gun” drills were underway on the borders of eastern Europe, it appears the Russian air force was practicing “unusually close flying” in another continent. As Bloomberg reports, the U.S. RC-135U Combat Sent electronic intelligence plane was “conducting a routine mission off Russia’s east coast near Japan on April 23 when the Russian fighter flew within about 100 feet (30 meters) of its nose. Asked why the Pentagon didn’t disclose the incident until it was reported today by the Washington Free Beacon, spokesman Army Colonel Steve Warren said, “I don’t have a good answer for you.” China and Japan did a similar “Top Gun” move in May.
International waters… but 90% surrounded by Russia…
A Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet intercepted a U.S. surveillance plane off Russia’s east coast near Japan in April, flying unusually close, as tensions rose over the Ukraine crisis.
The U.S. RC-135U Combat Sent electronic intelligence plane made by Boeing Co. was conducting a routine mission over the Sea of Okhotsk north of Japan on April 23 when the Russian fighter flew within about 100 feet (30 meters) of its nose, Rear Admiral John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said today.
Asked why the Pentagon didn’t disclose the incident until it was reported today by the Washington Free Beacon, spokesman Army Colonel Steve Warren said, “I don’t have a good answer for you.”Warren said he wasn’t aware of any other close encounters since “this incident” between Russian and U.S. aircraft in the region.
Russian Air Force spokesman Igor Klimov said he couldn’t comment immediately when reached by phone today.
Pentagon officials have expressed their concerns about the intercept to the Russian military, Kirby said.
This is not the first such “close flying” episode recently…
Japan and China on Sunday accused each other’s air forces of dangerous behavior over the East China Sea, with Japan saying Chinese aircraft had come within a few dozen meters of its warplanes.
With wars now being fought on stock exchanges, perhaps they just wanted a polaroid…
Reminds me of the incident in the North Sea in the ’80’s when a Lightning intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane & photographed the rear gunner waving with a can of coca cola.
Unfortunately, the US is behind most of the strife and pain around the world. If they cannot galvanize a direct war, they get some so-called ally to play for them, paying them with our money.
Problem is manifold. First, the money is gone, the US produces nothing but debt. If one looks at the market for the past 30 days, $45 billion is printed and put into the market to keep the debt afloat, the balance is by corporations buying back their own stock. Neither strategy causes any growth. Debt is reduced by the greedy corporations, and increased by the endless printing of the FED
The FED is a privately held bank, it does not serve the best interests of the US, it simply keeps the debt current. $45 billion is a far cry from the $85 billion it was putting in 90 days ago.
Fact is that less than half the world uses the dollar any longer, and they had to cut FED funds by half. It will get worse, the former leader of the KGB isn’t fooled by these other small nations attacking them………it is from and for the corrupt and mendacious USA. Putin is a master chess player, and his moves continue to make it very obvious…..the world is growing to despise the US, along with millions of Americans who cannot recognize this mad system as a result of what we once were.
Putin and his growing allies will continue to dump the dollar, and the FED position will become more weakened.
The real war has been going on for four years, it has been economic, and the US is losing at every turn.
All growing and emerging economies are going east, and abandoning the west. The US cannot be trusted, and their markets are almost as corrupt as China’s.
If you look at credibility and respect, Putin holds all the cards, the US has none left. The only half way credible nation to still support the US is the UK, and that is because they walk to the beat of their own drum, nobody else’s.
Everyone else has abandoned the US save for cash payments.
The US has been trying to work up a war with Russia since Putin quietly and effectively stopped Obama’s mad pursuit of Syria. He said if the US hits Syria, he will hit back, and sent ten warships and an aircraft carrier to make his point. Obama turned tail and ran. Ever since, he has made an absolute ass of us by pushing for a war with Putin, and nobody will play.
No nation can win a war without a strong coalition and purpose, the US has neither.
If I were 20, I would emigrate to Russia. That is where the action will be for the next several decades.