The American Spectator

Several points:

* “together their entire operationally capable force of strategic bombers — fourteen 1950s era turboprop-driven Tupolev-95’s” — their entire operationally capable force consists of far more than 14 Bombers — it consists of 64 BearH6 and BeraH16 with addition of 15 Tu-160 Blackjack — 78 planes combined.

* The Bears that Russians are using were built between 1984 and 1991 and thus they are actually considerably younger than average B-52 (whose original design actually predates that of Tu-95) of USAF.

* By the way, if Mr. Wittman thinks that usage of the design that dated back to the middle of the previous century is something to mock, I wonder what are his thoughts on continued usage of “Stratofortress” by USAF the original design of which goes back to 1948.

p>* “These cops are all heavily armed with the latest modern weapons and are quite combat ready and experienced — which the Russians certainly are not. ” And how exactly should one acquire experience if not by flying the plane one was assigned to operate? br> — Oleg D. Bochkis /p> p> George H. Wittman replies: br> Mr. Oleg Bochkis can delude himself about the obsolete and obsolescent nature of the aircraft he describes, but the vastly superior nature of the American strategic air force is well accepted internationally. However, more important is the fact that all phases of the USAF have considerable combat experience, an invaluable asset. That Mr. Bochkis wants to pretend the Russian air capability remains as it once was is exactly the point I was making. I am sure that the Russian Air Force will regain its status as a premier force, but like the Russian Navy it is not even near that today. Why pretend except to overcome a national sense of inadequacy? Again, this was what I wrote about. It’s time for the great Russian nation to believe in itself and get on with the hard work of building a democracy and not with looking backward in admiration of a self-exploitive and deadly period in their history. /p>

Anyone interested in the order of battle of the Russian Strategic Air Force can look it up in Jane’s Fighting Aircraft or simply Google the subject. By the way, to quote an acknowledged authority on Russian politics, Lilia Shevtsova, senior associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: “This all fits into the Putin doctrine of keeping the west as a partner and as an opponent. Mr. Putin is thinking of his legacy. He wants to strengthen the image of Russia as a strong power….This is not a goal in itself. He wants to consolidate Russia politically on the basis of anti-westernism.” In other words, Mr. Bochkis, we know what’s going on and have known it since at least the late 1940s when we had to mount the Berlin airlift to overcome an aggressive act of what once was an ally.

p> BIG PLANS