Watching Russian Air & Sea Activity

[AdamG]

Heh. Ya don't say?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The commander of U.S. air forces in the Pacific is reporting a significant increase in activities by Russian planes and ships in the region.

Gen. Herbert Carlisle linked that to the situation in the Ukraine. He said Russia was demonstrating its capabilities and gathering intelligence on U.S. military exercises.

Carlisle said there had been long-range Russian air patrols to the coast of California and a circumnavigation of the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. He said a U.S. F-15 fighter jet intercepted a Russian strategic bomber that had flown to Guam.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-russian-pla...dTahwAWzvQtDMD

[AdamG]

Sailors on board HMS Dragon are still keeping a watchful eye on Russian naval vessels, after a seven-strong task group has entered the English Channel.

The Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer has been monitoring the movements of the group, which is being led by the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

As well as the Kuznetsov, the task group includes: the Kirov-class nuclear-powered battle cruiser Pyotr Velikiy; tankers; Segey Osipov, Kama and Dubna; one ocean-going tug Altay and the landing support ship Minsk.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/def...roup-1-6047308

[wm]

Interesting story on the Admiral Kuznetsov from War is Boring https://medium.com/war-is-boring/c4ed4afff987 I also understand that the ship was scheduled for major refit this year. Perhaps it is on the way to Sebastopol for that purpose. Any insight as to what aircraft may be on board?

[AdamG]

Stopped by to post the following, oddly related to the Kuznetsov.

Wikipedia (FWIW) say the Kuznetsov has 41–52 aircraft.

Fixed Wing;
14 × Su-33 fighters (current)
28 × MiG-29K fighters
(planned after refit)
4 × Sukhoi Su-25UTG/UBP aircraft
Rotary Wing;
4 × Kamov Ka-27LD32 helicopters
11 × Kamov Ka-27PLO helicopters
2 × Kamov Ka-27S helicopters

Washington (AFP) - US officials voiced concern Thursday at the sale of French warships to Moscow as they mulled tougher sanctions on Russia for the political upheaval triggered by the Ukraine crisis.

The first of two Mistral warships is not due to be delivered to Russia until later this year, and France has so far resisted pressure to suspend the controversial $1.2 billion contract.

The Mistral is an advanced helicopter assault ship and France's 2011 agreement to sell them to Russia already triggered protests from the United States and other NATO allies.

The first, named the Vladivostok, is due to be delivered in October, while the second, "The Sebastopol" is to be delivered in 2015 and stationed with the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea -- annexed by Moscow in March.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-voices-conc...181201334.html

[AdamG]

Time to update your OOBs, kids.

MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Black Sea Fleet will have a sophisticated network of naval and airbases in Crimea following the region’s reunification with Russia, the country's chief naval commander said Tuesday.

*
According to Chirkov, Russia will deploy warships not only in Sevastopol, but also in Feodosia and Donuzlav, while stationing combat aircraft near Yevpatoria and in Belbek.

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/731456

MOSCOW, May 13. /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian Black Sea fleet will receive 30 new modern warships of various classes and support ships under a naval construction programme in the next six years, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, said on Tuesday on the occasion of the 231st anniversary of creation of the Russian Black Sea fleet.

“This is not the case of any ungrounded naval buildup. These are the long-standing needs of the Russian Black Sea fleet which has not seen renovation for years,” the commander-in-chief told journalists.

The Black Sea Fleet will receive more than 86 billion rubles (around $2.3 billion) for its development by 2020, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu earlier said.

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/731456

See also
http://defendingrussia.ru/upload/ima...72e02d13ff.jpg

[AdamG]

"We have always been at war with Eurasia... EastAsia... EastAsia and Eurasia."

China and Russia started a week-long naval exercise in the politically sensitive East China Sea yesterday.

Chinese and Russian units taking part in the Joint Sea-2014 drill will be combined rather than operating separately during the exercise, the first time the Chinese navy has worked so closely with a foreign maritime force, according to Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie. "The mixed confrontation and drill means the exercises will operate more like a real battle," said Li. "It shows the two countries' strategic partnership has entered a high level of cooperation and coordination, even though both Beijing and Moscow insist they are not military allies."

Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Dong said China and Russia had learned from the example of Western countries' joint naval drills, including Nato, where forces were mixed together. It indicated that trust between Beijing and Moscow was increasing.

The drill, in the northern part of the East China Sea, ends on Monday. Forces including 14 ships, two submarines, nine fixed-wing aircraft and six shipboard helicopters will take part, according to a report on the PLA Navy's website.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/artic...naval-exercise

[AdamG]

On May 8, Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, passed through the Netherlands' exclusive economic zone. Although the Dutch Navy had spotted the Kuznetsov days earlier, it was unable to provide an escort for the Russian warship as it passed through their territorial waters, David Cenciotti wrote for Medium .

Just as it is common practice for NATO air forces to scramble and intercept intruding aircraft, non-NATO vessels are supposed to be escorted as they pass through a member state's territorial waters.

Ultimately, the Dutch Coast Guard resorted to deploying a Dornier-228 aircraft to shadow the Russians through the Netherlands' territory. But the aircraft lacks the equipment necessary for comprehensive electronic or photographic intelligence gathering.

Since 2002, the Dutch have retired their entire fleet of dedicated patrol aircraft. The Royal Netherlands Navy has also shrank due to years of military budget cuts.

This failure of the Dutch to escort a Russian ship through its own territory underscores a wider failing within Europe to maintain a state of military readiness. NATO members are meant to spend at least 2% of their GDP every year on defense spending, although only four member states reached that goal in 2013.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia...195206098.html