Russia Conducts Largest Navy Exercise Since Cold War As Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin
 

Russia Conducts Largest Navy Exercise Since Cold War As Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin Meet
By: Darragh Roche - Newsweek News - 06-16-21
Re: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-cond...n-meet-1601107

It figures Putin is putting a show for the US and his people that he can do whatever he wants to - plus show that he is not intimated by the US.
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The U.S. scrambled three F-22 stealth fighter jets from Hawaii on Sunday in an unscheduled flight that may have been in response to the presence of a Russian Navy exercise.

The missile-armed F-22 Raptors were launched from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, according to Honolulu's Star Advertiser, as a Russian fleet carried out exercises in what Russian authorities say is the largest naval exercise since the Cold War.

The exercise comes ahead of President Joe Biden's meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two leaders are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Wednesday in their first summit since Biden came to office.

The Russian navy exercise is taking place 300 to 500 miles west of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, according to CBS News.

It involves surface ships, anti-submarine aircraft and long-range bombers.

The U.S. scrambled the F-22s on Sunday in response to bomber flights but the bombers in question did not enter the Air Defense Identification Zone and were not intercepted.

A U.S. carrier strike group is located around 200 miles east of Hawaii carrying out a strike group certification exercise. It is led by the USS Vinson. The exercise was planned but moved closer to Hawaii in response to the Russian exercise.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command spokesman Captain Mike Kafka issued a statement to CBS News on the matter on Tuesday.

"U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is monitoring the Russian vessels operating in international waters in the Western Pacific," the statement said.

"We operate in accordance with international law of the sea and in the air to ensure that all nations can do the same without fear or contest and in order to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific. As Russia operates within the region, it is expected to do so in accordance with international law."

Pacific Air Forces told Honolulu's Star Advertiser that three Hawaii National Guard F-22s were launched on Sunday but as yet no official explanation has been offered to explain the reason for the launch.

"The 154th Fighter Wing launched two F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam at approximately 4 p.m," Pacific Air Forces said. "A third was launched at approximately 5 p.m."

Air Force command based at Hickam told the Star Advertiser that the Federal Aviation Authority had asked U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to "conduct an irregular air patrol and the situation resolved, prompting the fighters and a KC-135 Stratotanker (a refueling plane) to return to base. We cannot discuss further specifics of the situation."

The FAA issued a statement simply saying: "We have a close working relationship with the military."

Biden and Putin are expected to discuss a variety of potentially contentious issues on Wednesday, including cybersecurity and the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Newsweek has asked the Department of Defense for comment.

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Personal note: I'm sure our satellite's picked up these naval movements prior to this news release.
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Our folks no doubt saw the gathering of these many ships heading our way long before this post.
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Putin is putting on a show or making a statement for his People - saying we Russian's bow to no one.
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It's his way of making an entrance during their meeting. If I were Biden I'd say we already had you
targeted 12 hours before you arrived. Putin is much like Kim - they use show and tell for their People
to think they are ready and capable at any time.
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Show and Tell is dangerous especially if one of the Captain's went rogue and opened up on Hawaii or
US aircraft or our ships as sea. I'm sure the US had our sub's trailing them long before they even knew it.
Our space satellites would have picked up their large movements - so its nothing our military folks
didn't already know about.
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All show no glow! Strictly stupid propaganda for his folks back home.
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Boats