TU-160 Blackjacks - Chavez offer base for Russian bombers
 

I bet most libs would never have expected to have to worry about this crap ever again. They think the whole world would be gay and peaceful from now on, except for the damn Arabs! Too funny.

http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14870420

-S

Chávez denies offering base to Russia

Pick your preferred bad guy to trust.

"Chavez proposed to us a whole island with an airfield that we can use for temporary basing of strategic bombers," said Major General Anatoly Zhikharev, the chief of Russia's long-range aviation staff.

So where is the denial? And considering it happened, how can he deny it after the fact?

-S

Did you follow the link?

I see your link. Sounds like a neutral standing to me where he did and didn't offer the airstrip. Anyone with half a brain can see that he is allowing as much as the Russians want. Chavez needs the Russians in his own pea brained mind. Makes him feel like he has strong allies.

-S

Its a great bomber but only with a nation with the equivalent of SA-2s

Its just Chavez wanting more power even if its fake power.

I think his intent is pretty much to try to get the Russians entangled in the mess he is making and force their involvement if war breaks out between him and his South American neighbors.

I wouldn't put it past him to even stage an attack on Russian military assets in the country and try to frame the US or Colombia for it to bring Russian in. The guy is certainly dumb enough (and crazy enough) to try such a stunt given the past crap he has done.

If Russia was wise they would stay the hell out of that mess, as it almost certainly won't be worth the price (aside from increasing US Russian tensions).

Hugo was probably just shooting his mouth off at a meeting with some Russian brass.

I think the Russians will be smart enough to keep a guy like Chavez at arm's length. They'll be friendly towards him, but they won't get into bed with him (BAD METAL IMAGE!).

Anyways, as somebody who flies from the US to South America pretty often (looooong flight!), a Russian base in Venezuela doesn't really scare me a whole lot. I'm sure the Canadians will be thrilled though.

As far as the impact a Russian base might have on a US invasion, the only person who thinks an invasion is a possibility is Chavez himself. He really, really, really wants to be important enough to be invaded, but he's just not. He loves shouting "THE US IS GOING TO INVADE ME TOMORROW! I'M REALLY DANGEROUS TO THEM! I HAVE OIL!" but in reality he's just not worth it.

So in conclusion, let windbags be windbags. They're fun to laugh at.

What is the big deal. So Russia will occasionally base bombers there. No different from B-52s in the UK or anywhere else within in striking distance of Russia.

Exactly .
Its just more backround noise from the political deal that is being done over the missile shield and Iranian arms deal

Spot on,

You can't just point a gun at an armed person expecting that he won't do the same thing to you.

HunterICX

Like I said, that's not what's worrying me so much. Its where they are thinking of basing, and who the dictator is there (and he has been stirring up a lot of trouble with his neighbors, particularly Colombia).

Such lovely spin, noone could have expected that.

I think Xabba is correct here. Ultimately no big deal. And if worse comes to worse, and things get tighter, we can always base a detatchment of Air Defense fighters closer in Florida on constant alert, put a carrier group right up Castro's rear 24/7, and make sure that at least 2 Aegis destroyers are sitting just 12 miles off the coast. These bombers truly aren't a big threat if you deal with them realistically. For now, this is an empty gesture by Russia for the USA's actions in Eastern Europe and Asia. Plus it makes Russia have to commit alot of their resources to base and supply them logistically overseas where there is no real strategic interest for Russia. Let them waste their time and money.

This is a political move more than a military one. The blackjack has a range of roughly 9,400 nautical miles and it's roughly 5000 nautical miles from Murmansk to Caracas. The point being the blackjack can fulfill its mission from home bases without the risk of basing them where the US could easily destroy them if a conflict developed.