Saturday, June 7, 2014

Is The Russian Military Spoiling For A Fight Against The U.S.?

In this June 2003 file photo, a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 jet fighter releases a flare during a show in St. Petersburg, Russia.Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters/File

Russian Flyby Of US Spy Plane: Is Its Military Spoiling For A Fight? -- Anna Mulrine, Christian Science Monitor

The Russian pilot maneuvered the jet to flash its weapons, US military officials speculated this week. But defense analysts doubt that Russia is readying for a confrontation.

It seemed like a “Top Gun” encounter from a bygone cold-war era, when the Pentagon revealed this week that a US reconnaissance aircraft had been the target of a “reckless intercept” by a Russian fighter jet.

In one of the Russian jet’s more-provocative moves, the pilot maneuvered to flash the aircraft's underbelly to the US pilot – possibly in an effort, US military officials speculated, to show its weapons and signal that the jet was armed.

So does this mean Russia is spoiling for a fight with the United States? Probably not, defense analysts say – but the move was unusual, even in cold-war days.

Read more ....

My Comment: Strange .... I just read a few days ago a Russian article where the commentator was wondering the exact opposite .... is the U.S. spoiling for a fight against Russia?

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