Article

2007-08-09 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by mrp 2007-08-09 12:38|| || Front Page|| [11138 views ] Top

#1 The Tu-95 is still flyable? Who knew?

Posted by Mike 2007-08-09 13:36|| 2007-08-09 13:36|| Front Page Top

#2 I have to wonder what would happen if we were to start buzzing the Russians with B-52 bombers. Putin is a nutbag.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2007-08-09 14:30|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2007-08-09 14:30|| Front Page Top

#3 In the event of a real war they will have a short, exciting life.

Posted by DoDo 2007-08-09 14:33|| 2007-08-09 14:33|| Front Page Top

#4 Get familiar with your targets. That is what our airmen are getting out of this.

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2007-08-09 14:45|| 2007-08-09 14:45|| Front Page Top

#5 My bet is that they didn't get within a hundred miles of Guam. If they did, somebody was seriously asleep at the switch.

Posted by tu3031 2007-08-09 15:30|| 2007-08-09 15:30|| Front Page Top

#6 The Tu-95 is still flyable?

Both of them, apparently.

Snarkiness aside, as I understand it, the Bear is a venerable and proven airframe. (someone that actually knows something feel free to chime in!) They operate a bazillion versions of it. Think if it as a rooski B-52 but with better gas mileage.

Posted by SteveS 2007-08-09 16:25|| 2007-08-09 16:25|| Front Page Top

#7 Our guys get to practice real intercepts on live targets, works for me.

Posted by Steve">Steve 2007-08-09 16:28|| 2007-08-09 16:28|| Front Page Top

#8 Wonder if they will be buzzing those 8 new Raptors sitting in Alaska?

Posted by Sherry">Sherry 2007-08-09 16:40|| 2007-08-09 16:40|| Front Page Top

#9 I wonder how much thoe pilots were laughing? "You want me to intercept what? Say again I thought you said a Bear? Come on give me something worthy of intercepting" FYI when they fly in pairs like this one is an intelligence bird and the other acts as a tanker.

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2007-08-09 17:15|| 2007-08-09 17:15|| Front Page Top

#10 Actually, the Tu-95 is what the B-29 would have become if it had been updated and given turboprops. And considering that Stalin interned and never returned over a dozen B-29s doing bomb runs on Japan {while he was supposedly our ally}, a lot of the initial work and research had been done by us. But then in the 1950s, when the Soviets were having a bunch of problems with their jet engines, they developed the Tu-95 as a stand-in for a jet bomber. It has swept wings and 2 contra-rotating props on each engine, and can carry a load for a good distance. Sort of like crossing a B-29 with a C-130. Not particularly elegant but functional.

Posted by Shieldwolf 2007-08-09 17:17|| 2007-08-09 17:17|| Front Page Top

#11 As I understand it Russia still has the bird in limited production to replace worn out airframes. To locate one you really don't need radar. It's supposed to be about the loudest plane ever built. Also the original Boeing proposal for the B-52 was a swept wing turbo prop

Posted by Cheaderhead 2007-08-09 17:27|| 2007-08-09 17:27|| Front Page Top

#12 Oh, here's the deal. Exercise Valiant Shield.

Posted by mrp 2007-08-09 17:40|| 2007-08-09 17:40|| Front Page Top

#13 FREEREPUBLIC > NATIONS ARMING [and REARMING] FOR COLD WAR. Global + likely Multipolar.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-08-09 20:48|| 2007-08-09 20:48|| Front Page Top

#14 Well, I for one am glad to see Russia buzzing our bases and airspace.

There are a lot of younger pilots who've never locked radar on a Russian plane. It's always good to give them a chance to gain familiarity with real targets.

Posted by lotp 2007-08-09 20:54|| 2007-08-09 20:54|| Front Page Top

#15 Click for a Bear-h1 image
(to wide for this format)

Posted by 3dc 2007-08-09 23:38|| 2007-08-09 23:38|| Front Page Top

23:54 Zenster
23:54 CrazyFool
23:38 3dc
23:27 Sherry
23:09 whatadeal
23:09 Old Patriot
23:08 James
23:02 whatadeal
22:56 crosspatch
22:51 whatadeal
22:30 whatadeal
22:23 Zenster
22:17 Zhang Fei
22:15 Zenster
22:05 Zenster
21:58 wxjames
21:43 DMFD
21:43 BA
21:42 JosephMendiola
21:40 Pappy
21:25 BA
21:20 Pappy
21:15 lotp
21:14 Pappy