SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Korean air 007 should it have been shot down?

kelawi · 11-17-05, 04:27 PM

Going back to the original point of the thread... let me play Devil's Advocate...

Put yourself in the position of the Kremlim. You've been fighting a series of proxy wars for a couple decades. Your primary adversary is the USA. You have made clear to everyone that airspace violations can and likely will result in a shoot down. One dark night a plane flying from the USA violates your airspace near a very sensitive and secret defense installation. You believe that the plane has just gathered some piece of intelligence and is heading for international airspace again. This intelligence may give your adversary an advantage in the ongoing "cold war".

You have only about 30 seconds to make a decision because it needs to be done before the plane leaves your airspace. What would you do?

Gen. Anatoly Kornukov upon orders from the Kremlin ordered the shoot down. As I see it, he had two options:

#1 Let the plane go placing not only himself and his family at risk, but potentially weakening his whole nation IF it was a spy plane.

#2 Shoot the plane down. Possibly killing several hundred innocents but possibly protecting millions of Russians IF it is spy plane.

I can't say I agree with the decision that was made, but I sure do understand it.

11-17-05, 04:27 PM	#81
kelawi Swabbie Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 10 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Going back to the original point of the thread... let me play Devil's Advocate... Put yourself in the position of the Kremlim. You've been fighting a series of proxy wars for a couple decades. Your primary adversary is the USA. You have made clear to everyone that airspace violations can and likely will result in a shoot down. One dark night a plane flying from the USA violates your airspace near a very sensitive and secret defense installation. You believe that the plane has just gathered some piece of intelligence and is heading for international airspace again. This intelligence may give your adversary an advantage in the ongoing "cold war". You have only about 30 seconds to make a decision because it needs to be done before the plane leaves your airspace. What would you do? Gen. Anatoly Kornukov upon orders from the Kremlin ordered the shoot down. As I see it, he had two options: #1 Let the plane go placing not only himself and his family at risk, but potentially weakening his whole nation IF it was a spy plane. #2 Shoot the plane down. Possibly killing several hundred innocents but possibly protecting millions of Russians IF it is spy plane. I can't say I agree with the decision that was made, but I sure do understand it.