MOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territories of Estonia and Finland under the international Open Skies Treaty starting from Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “As part of implementing the international Open Skies Treaty, a group of Russian inspectors on board an An-30B aircraft are planned to conduct surveillance flights over Estonia and Finland from July 14 to 20,” the statement reads. The takeoffs will take place from the airports of Tartu Ulenurme (Estonia) and Helsinki-Vantaa (Finland). The Russian plane will cover a maximum distance of 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) and 1,400 kilometers (870 miles), respectively. “The Russian observation aircraft will perform its flight in accordance with the previously agreed routes, and Estonian and Finnish experts on board will oversee the proper use of surveillance equipment and compliance with the treaty’s provisions,” the ministry said. It will be Russia’s 21st and 22nd observation flights this year under the agreement. The Open Skies Treaty, which entered into force on January 1, 2002, establishes a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of its 34 member states to promote openness and the transparency of military forces and activities. Russia ratified the deal in May 2001. Under the treaty, each aircraft flying under the Open Skies program is fitted with a sensor suite including optical panoramic and framing cameras, video cameras with real-time display, thermal infrared imaging sensors, and imaging radar. The image data recorded during the observation flights can be shared among all signatories to support the monitoring of compliance with existing or future arms control treaties. http://en.rian.ru/world/20130714/18...y-Inspectors-to-Fly-Over-Estonia-Finland.html
Yeah...a Russian Aircraft did a flyover of the U.S. and as well so did we flyover Russia. The thing is we have been overflying Russia for Decades as aircraft overflights allow us to catch the Russians moving Weapon systems at the times they know a satellite isn't flying over. We used to do this with the U-2 and SR-71...by the way the SR-71 has had over 5000 Missiles launched at it during flyovers around the world. The SR-71 was too fast for the missiles to intercept. We used to use the F-117's back in the 80's before anyone knew they existed as these were developed from the Have Blue Program that Lockheed and the U.S. Air Force and CIA were running out of the Groom Lake Facility. Now we have so much High Tech Recon stuff it's hard to tell what they are using at any one moment. AboveAlpha
The Military Budget is ridiculously large and should be cut. Right now the U.S. Military has the ability to fight a war against every single nation upon Earth...and WIN. That fact alone tells me the budget is way too high. AboveAlpha
No doubt US has the strongest army in the world. However the world’s changed when the nuclear weapon came into the world. In my view the war between nuclear powers is the suicidal move for both sides. Now it’s better to fight against any Bantustan ‘cause you can screw it quick and easy. The sort of the small victorious war.
That fact alone tells me that the budget is NOT TOO LOW and has served exactly the purpose it should: DUH. Guess what? The budget may be too high! Oh my...
Baltic officials said regional security had been weakened as Russia led military exercises on their doorstep involving almost 12,000 troops. A week of land and sea maneuvers dubbed Zapad 2013, or West 2013, began today as part of biennial exercises with Belarus, Russias Defense Ministry said on its website. Troops in both nations tested coordination in destroying illegal armed formations, it said. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which regained independence in 1991 after half a century of Soviet rule, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2004 amid Russian opposition. NATO has held exercises in the Baltic region since 2010, while Russia has opened new military bases and deployed more troops on its western border in recent years, according to the defense ministers of Estonia and Latvia. While Russia calls todays maneuvers an anti-terrorism exercise, they suggest an escalation into a conflict with NATO member countries, Estonian Defense Minister Urmas Reinsalu said yesterday. An exercise of this nature is certainly negatively affecting the security environment in the region. Russia, whose Kaliningrad exclave borders Lithuania, has boosted its presence on the Baltic regions borders to almost 100,000 troops from 16,000 in 2009, Reinsalu told journalists. Jet Fighters Its also put a landing strip for jet fighters in Belarus, near Lithuanias border, and a helicopter base in Ostrov, near the Latvian border, the Latvijas Avize newspaper cited Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks as saying today. Recent activity is worsening the strategic and tactical balance, he was cited as saying. Lithuanian Defense Minster Juozas Olekas said today that Russia should provide its neighbors with more information on drills of this kind, as NATO does about its own operations, the BNS news service reported. Calling this an anti-terror operation sounds a bit strange, as theyre using tanks and heavy aviation, he said, according to BNS. Were closely watching whats going on. A Russian exercise this year simulating an air attack on Sweden was a wakeup call for the whole Baltic Sea area, Swedens Svenska Dagbladet newspaper cited Estonian President Toomas Ilves as saying Sept. 16. Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that NATO had broken promises to ex-Soviet leader Mihkail Gorbachev not to expand beyond the eastern border of the former West Germany. Other former communist nations that are members of the alliance include Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. There sure was talk of it -- Gorbachev was directly promised it, although it was never documented anywhere, he said at the annual Valdai forum. And where is NATO now? Where is its border? We were fooled, that was it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...es-on-baltic-border-spark-security-fears.html
Granny says, "Trump suckerin' Putin in so's he can give him a bloody nose... Four U.S. Army Abrams tanks, 15 BFVs reach Estonia Feb. 6, 2017 -- Four U.S. Army M1A2 Abrams battle tanks and 15 Bradley Fighting Vehicles arrived in Estonia on Monday as part of NATO's Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Just a note the Fin's have kicked the S#!T out of the Soviet's and Russian's every time they have made incursions into Finland. AA
