From the Usual USAF Source:
Members from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and Russian Federation air force personnel pose for a group photo as a Tu-95 “Bear” bomber prepares to land at Engels Air Base, Russia, July 25, 2012. Col. Andrew Gebara, 2nd Bomb Wing commander, and a team of experts visited the Russian base to determine the suitability of the airfield for B-52H Stratofortress operations. (Courtesy photo) US, Russia Create Bomber Exchange Program: A delegation from Barksdale AFB, La., visited Engels Air Base in Saratov, Russia, establishing the foundation for a US-Russia long-range aviation bomber exchange program, announced Air Force Global Strike Command officials. "We're going to fly B-52s to Russia and they're going to fly Tu-95 Bears to Barksdale," said 2nd Bomb Wing Commander Col. Andrew Gebara, who led the Barksdale group, in an Aug. 8 release. He added, "It's a tremendous opportunity for our two nations to learn from each other to improve aviation technology and skills in our respective air forces." During the July visit, the seven-member US delegation evaluated Engels airfield to see if it was suitable for B-52H operations. "One of the big takeaways from our trip is that while we fly different aircraft and are from opposite ends of the globe, our objective is the same," said Lt. Col. Michael Thompson, 2nd BW director of staff, who was with the delegation. "We all want to have a safe and credible deterrent force." (Barksdale report by A1C Samuel O'Brien)
Oh, my aching ASS. First it was the rumor that the Rooshians were gonna fly at Red Flag, now this... which is no rumor at all. It also looks like those (former) commies are gettin' the better end o' the deal, too, what with goin' to Barksdale. Our guys, OTOH, are gonna be stuck out in the middle o' freakin' NOwhere.
See?
Yet further visible, unequivocal evidence that we indeed ARE being ruled (roughshod, I might add) by certifiable CRAZY PEOPLE. The numbered AF HQ Command of ALL our nuclear forces??? While WE are shown a bare strip in the boonies???
ReplyDeleteKinda like the treaties we negotiate with the bastards.
DeleteSomehow, I read the first line as US, Russia Bomber Exchange Program, which to anyone familiar with the 70's and 80's is something entirely different. That's still hard to shake.
ReplyDeleteI LIVED that 70s - 80s thang, so I know full well what ya mean, marc. Which is also why I get exercised about this whole phenomenon.
Delete>>>to learn from each other to improve aviation technology
ReplyDeleteWTF??!? What the hell we gonna learn from a Bear? It's basically an uglier, noisier B-29!
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Wait a sec...[checks google maps]
One could fly from south Saratov, staying safely over the Caspian, and end up right over Tehran.
Interesting...
It's basically an uglier, noisier B-29!
DeleteAlbeit faster. ;-)
Good point about points south, Inno. I kinda doubt the Sovietskies would let us launch from Engels though. Just a feelin' I have, yanno?
unbelievable. First the space program and now this. The Clear Lake area of Houston (where Johnson Space Center is located) is full of Soviets. Now we are going to let them on a strategic bomber base? That is nuts.
ReplyDeleteNuts, indeed. Makes ya wonder, it does.
DeleteThis after we watched Bears and Backfires buzz Lex's and my CVBG (allbeit escorted by F-18s) in the WESTPAC in the '80s.
ReplyDeleteBuck I'm going to scan a picture from my cruisebook for another view of a Bear from 1985. Watch for it in your g-mail addy from my new rpreese at thingy hughes dot thingy net. For all I know, Lex could have taken the picture, or is in the picture.