Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/11/05/russian-fighter-jet-intercepts.html
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Should we care about this?
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WTF??
It’s just that scamp Vovik, testing the limits. This sort of thing happens frequently to remind his subjects of “Russian Greatness”.
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Let’s see. Country from other side of the world starts flying around on another country’s doorstep. Who are we supposed to think is the aggressor here?
ETA: And flying around saying “Na na na na, you can’t touch me. International airspace!” is exactly as mature and non-aggressive as when your big brother torments you with the “not touching” game on road trips.
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So, like, bad vibes?
Looks like it’s a signals intelligence aircraft.
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Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.
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Where’d who go?
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Again?
Y’all know this shit happens all the time? The Chinese do it, too. “What’s a US Navy plane doing over the Black Sea? Let’s let them know we’re watching.”
Same for the China Sea or what have you. It’s a game*. We play it, too. It’s always fascinating to me when people discover that militaries engage in belligerence. Of course they do. Welcome to 2018.
*And for the literalists, use of the word “game” does not make it less serious. It’s called metaphor. Darmok and Jalad when the walls fell.
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As if Russia would not instigate an incident the day before they screw with our voting machines? And you think they have no sense of humor?!
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LOL. Wut?
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I’m not going to argue that we (the US) never engage in belligerence or never act recklessly, but I’m sure you’d concede that not all fighter intercepts are fungible and performing them at unsafe distances in an unsafe manner is qualitatively different than doing so while observing safety norms, right?
Yes. At least a little.
Who lost that loving feeling?
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Just letting us know who’s boss. You expect the President to make a scene?
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This is typical and normal “testing” boundaries.
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No. Why would I concede that? Think about what you’re asking me to argue for: Safe belligerence with million dollar weapons in high tension situations. These things are only as safe as the stakes and level of deterrence being sought.
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Well, this could be Putin sending signals to Trump. Or could just be more typical armed forces posturing.
Yes, total non story. This happens every couple of weeks or so. When the Russians test NATO airspace it’s a Quick Reaction Alert:
This is just the other side of the same coin. Same old Cold War games.
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One of the biggest NATO war games since the end of the cold war just concluded. The Black Sea is a good place to listen to Russia …
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So, Cold War casualties coming up?
Safe er belligerance. I guess I’m surprised that it’s controversial to assume as a premise that a fighter jet cutting across another plane’s path or following it at a distance of, say, 10 km is a much different form of intercept that is significantly less dangerous than cutting across another plane’s path at 50m or engaging in other unsafe practices.
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