Did world war 3 just start?

[Cygnus]

Surprise DNA test confirms Putin is heir to Russian royals!!

I knew he had that regal flair.......

 

[BugI02]

I knew he had that regal flair.......

I would have thought a common heritage with Stalin to be more likely

 

[T.Lex]

Here's something interesting:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...cb4252-6c4d-11e5-91eb-27ad15c2b723_story.html

Short form:
Putin tells his military to sign a deal with Belarus to put an airbase there. Only problem is, Belarus didn't actually offer an airbase to Russia.

Lukashenko said that he knows nothing about plans to set up a Russian air base in Belarus and added that his nation doesn’t need it, according to state news agency Belta.
“I feel surprised and, to some extent, angry and annoyed by that,” he said.
The Belarusian leader’s statement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to his government last month to sign an agreement on a Russian military base in Belarus.

 

[T.Lex]

This is interesting.

Putin's military officials anger over RAF go ahead to shoot down Russian military jets | UK | News | Daily Express

It emerged last night that RAF fighter pilots have been granted permission to shoot down Russian jets if they come under attack while completing missions over Iraq.
Pilots were given the shocking order as UK ministers wanted Russia is making the situation in the Middle East "much more dangerous".
RAF jets will be armed with advanced short range air-to-air missiles and British and Nato pilots have been told to fight for their lives if they are fired upon by Vladimir Putin’s air force.
Senior defence sources said it is likely British fighter jets will become embroiled in a deadly air battle with Russian aircraft sooner rather than later.

By the way, check out this image from the article, which I'm nearly positive is from a video game. And not even a recent one (DX7 or so, I'd wager).

 

[avboiler11]

That article is full potato, right up to and including proofreading.

"Shocking order" to shoot down Russian jets "if they come under attack while completing missions over Iraq"????

I'd certainly hope RAF pilots would defend themselves if any Russian pilot was reckless/stupid enough to engage them.

 

[T.Lex]

Yes, but part of the deal is that now they will actually be armed to be able to do so.

The other... undiplomatic... part is specifically calling out the Russians. That's hanging a label on them of "The Enemy."

ETA:
Russia Times (RT) is reporting that the British MoD is denying the reports.
https://www.rt.com/news/318342-british-fighter-jets-iraq/

 

[avboiler11]

Yes, but part of the deal is that now they will actually be armed to be able to do so.

It is doubtful the RAF would send tactical aircraft into Indian Country without an ASRAAM or two on the rails...even before Russian involvement in Syria.

 

[T.Lex]

It is doubtful the RAF would send tactical aircraft into Indian Country without an ASRAAM or two on the rails...even before Russian involvement in Syria.

I couldn't find anything with quick googling, but I recall reports that US F-16s (and A-10s) were sortied without A-A at different points of time over Iraq and Afghanistan when there was really no legitimate A-A threat. That may be based on conversations with guys who'd been over there, though. I'll keep an eye out.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Iran buying billions in arms from Russia and China - Business Insider

 

[pudly]

Well, they have to do something with all that money Obama & Kerry have released to them.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

If Putin is digging up the Cold War, should the West resurrect the policy of containment?

 

[T.Lex]

Russia retreats to autarky as poverty looms - Telegraph

Standard & Poor's says the budget deficit will balloon to 4.4pc of GDP this year, including short-falls in local government spending and social security. The government has committed a further $40bn to bailing out the banking system.

Deficits on this scale are manageable for rich economies with deep capital markets. It is another story for Russia in the midst of a commodity slump and a geopolitical showdown with the West. Oil and gas revenues cover half the budget.
"They can't afford to run deficits at all. By the end of next year there won’t be any money left in the oil reserve fund," said Lubomir Mitov from Unicredit. The finance ministry admits that the funds will be exhausted within sixteen months on current policies.

Hmmm... Daesh has cash on hand. And a Syrian partner could be very advantageous.

 

[T.Lex]

Here's an interesting one.
Russia shrugs off US anxiety over military satellite - BBC News

A Russian military satellite which parked itself between two US Intelsat satellites did not put them at risk, a Russian space expert says.
...
Intelsat General Corp. operates about 50 satellites, some of which are used by the US military, including for drone missions and communications with "remote military outposts".
...
"It's now parked next to another Intelsat satellite," he said.

I'm much less interested in the "danger" of the sats bumping into each other. Frankly, I think this is more an effort to intercept our transmissions - both encrypted and otherwise.

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

No one fears the USA because Obama.

I hope we will be able to recover someday.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Here's what'll kick off WW3.

Russian presence near undersea cables concerns U.S. | Miami Herald
US fears Russia could sever undersea internet cables | The Verge

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

This may compound things, too.

Beijing summons US ambassador over warship in South China Sea | World news | The Guardian

 

[BugI02]

We sail one destroyer into China's pre-fab territory. The Chinese put up a fuss. Obama apologizes and the Chinese respect us even more! Win win!

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Russian bombers fly near US carrier off Korea, White House says

Edit.... nevermind, not removing it. I don't know what thread to post this stuff in anymore.

 

[T.Lex]

Russian aircraft approach USS Ronald Reagan, prompting US fighter jet scramble - Pacific - Stripes

The USS Ronald Reagan scrambled its fighter jets earlier this week after two Russian naval reconnaissance aircraft flew within one nautical mile of the U.S. aircraft carrier as it sailed in international waters east of the Korean Peninsula, according to 7th Fleet officials. In the latest in a series of incidents involving Russian aircraft, two Tupolev Tu-142 Bear aircraft flew as low as 500 feet Tuesday morning near the Reagan, which has been conducting scheduled maneuvers with South Korean navy ships.

Wow. 1 nm @ 500 ft is pretty aggressive.

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

They don't have anything to worry about. Obama is chicken **** (not salad).