Russian Bombers stationed on Cuba ??

[SAR-EMT1]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/03/14/russia.cuba.bombers/index.html

Looks like we might be seeing a return to the good old days. Of course this might just be a test to see what kind of reaction they spark from Obama.

[Gunner C]

I just saw a report this morning that Venezuela is offering use of an island for bomber ops.  That's taking us back to the same problem we had in Grenada where the Soviets were going to use Cuba, Grenada, and Nicaragua for bomber bases to control the Caribbean Sea.  I see another combat jump for the 82nd and the Ranger Regiment in the not too distant future. 

BACK TO THE FUTURE!

[AlphaSigOU]

I just saw a report this morning that Venezuela is offering use of an island for bomber ops.

Wouldn't take too much of a stretch to refurbish Isla La Orchila into a bomber base, as the article mentioned. It's already a Venezuelan military installation, though more on the lines of a resort for military and their families. The presidential compound is like the Camp David of Venezuela.

Last numbers called at Hugo Chavez's bingo game: B-1, B-2, B-52... 

[♠SARKID♠]

Mr. President, we must not allow a mineshaft airfield gap!  Seriously, I know I live in Wisconsin, but its getting really cold lately...

[hatentx]

I just saw a report this morning that Venezuela is offering use of an island for bomber ops.  That's taking us back to the same problem we had in Grenada where the Soviets were going to use Cuba, Grenada, and Nicaragua for bomber bases to control the Caribbean Sea.  I see another combat jump for the 82nd and the Ranger Regiment in the not too distant future. 

BACK TO THE FUTURE!

Haha good luck with the 82nd they are more than often deployed and I believe on the rotation to go again soon.  Two wars plus Korea and the Balkins.  I couldnt imagine another place to get a paid vacation to.  at least there we would have the beach and not all the sand right??

[RogueLeader]

Haha good luck with the 82nd they are more than often deployed and I believe on the rotation to go again soon.  Two wars plus Korea and the Balkins.  I couldnt imagine another place to get a paid vacation to.  at least there we would have the beach and not all the sand right??

82nd to be going to A-stan in the not too distant future.  20th En Bde, and 27th En Bn (C)(Abn) are still here and not deploying for a while though. 

[PHall]

Big whoop. All that's going to happen is that the Russian aircrews get to fly a lot more then they will at home and someone else will be paying for the gas.

And escaping the Russian winter won't exactly hurt either.

[PaulR]

Haha good luck with the 82nd they are more than often deployed and I believe on the rotation to go again soon.  Two wars plus Korea and the Balkins.  I couldnt imagine another place to get a paid vacation to.  at least there we would have the beach and not all the sand right??

82nd to be going to A-stan in the not too distant future.  20th En Bde, and 27th En Bn (C)(Abn) are still here and not deploying for a while though. 

Nothing like keeping OPSEC!!!!

[Smokey]

Cuba isn't that far......maybe CAP can get back our bombing mission like in WWII!!!

[BillB]

Last I heard Cuba was not in the Southeast Region. So you would need the Region Commanders approval to take a corporate aircraft out of SER to bomb Cuba

[JohnKachenmeister]

Cuba isn't that far......maybe CAP can get back our bombing mission like in WWII!!!

No way!  The Cuban Air Force is very experienced in shooting down unarmed private Cessnas.

[hatentx]

Haha good luck with the 82nd they are more than often deployed and I believe on the rotation to go again soon.  Two wars plus Korea and the Balkins.  I couldnt imagine another place to get a paid vacation to.  at least there we would have the beach and not all the sand right??

82nd to be going to A-stan in the not too distant future.  20th En Bde, and 27th En Bn (C)(Abn) are still here and not deploying for a while though. 

Nothing like keeping OPSEC!!!!

This is readily available information.  The Army times puts it out,  the local news puts it out.  Shoot last time I found out from the local news paper where exactly I was going before the unit put it out by three weeks

[heliodoc]

Have to agree with hatentx

get on nearly any website or listen to National news  they'll have the PAO snippet


For all you OPSEC gurus....... check it out and then beller OPSEC OPSEC OPSEC

and you'll be calling it on the RM

[PaulR]

heliodoc,

What is that supposed to mean?   Last time I listened to the national news, it did not say that a certain unit was going to a certain destination in the near future.  Sure, we all know that there is going to be a large influx of personnel being sent over there, but to detail specific units is pushing that line.

I am   RM with a clearance. I was briefed that such details were not to be placed onto public forums. 

[BuckeyeDEJ]

This is readily available information.  The Army times puts it out,  the local news puts it out.  Shoot last time I found out from the local news paper where exactly I was going before the unit put it out by three weeks

Oh, blame the media. Is it our fault? Nope. We ask the experts and authorities and they tell us.

[heliodoc]

You know , Paul

I held a lowly Secret clearance for the Army And ARNG in an aviation unit, and I, like you know what is and is not.... let get over this

I made a mistake..... THE LOCAL news puts it out on a regular basis of units departing for the sandbox

Look at YOUR local news.....most of these press releases are from the TAG office of each State

I am not arguing with you at all

Just pointing out CAP's OPSEC craaaaaziness for all things OPSEC is getting pretty nearly borderline ABSURD

I WAS RM and ARNG cumulative....21 years  

Paul,  thank you for service and enlightening me for and to things OPSEC

[PaulR]

I was not trying to stir trouble at all.  My post was based upon what I was instructed by the unit's Classified Information Custodian a few years ago.(perhaps my instructor was a bit more zealous than he should have been).   The way I see it, it is better to be over cautious than not cautious enough.

You have much more time in service than I do.  I only have 18 years AD between the CG and the USMC. 

However, there is no such thing as a "lowly" clearance.  Information contained in even a "Classified" clearance can do significant harm if the wrong person got a hold of it.  But...then again... I am just a Medic.

Like you, I dont want to argue.  We are all on the same side of the fight!!

Heliodoc,

I appreciate your service as well!    

[MIKE]

What was this thread about again?  Also, I am moving this to a slightly more relevant venue.

[MajFitzpatrick]

Is there any alluding to if they are going to be Tu-95 Bears, Tu-22 Backfires, or Tu-160 Blackjacks? Runways that large could support any of those strategic bombers.

[PHall]

They usually send Tu-95's on these "Caribbean Cruises".
They have enough range to fly non-stop from Eastern Russia to Cuba without aerial refueling.
The Tu-22's and the Tu-160's would require tanker support, something the Russians are pretty short on these days.

[bosshawk]

If I remember correctly from my days in a different world, the Backfire and Blackjack have no where near enough range to make it to Cuba and the idea of using tankers is pretty remote, since the few tankers that they have do not have the range needed, either.  The Russians don't have a lot of friends in this hemisphere who would be willing to allow their tankers to land and refuel, either. 

TU-95s are the only choice and they have flown nonstop from Russian bases to Cuba for years and have been intercepted by US and Canadian fighters every time that they come this way.  The past few years, the Russian AF has had big problems and they haven't been coming to Cuba.

My knowledge of the issue goes back to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  How many of you folks can name the year of that incident?

[SarDragon]

I was in high school then, but don't exactly recall the year, but 1962 comes to mind. I'm too lazy to look it up tonight.

[jimmydeanno]

The Tu-22's and the Tu-160's would require tanker support, something the Russians are pretty short on these days.

Russia is pretty strapped for cash these days too.  They're making deals with China for loans in exchange for oil.

[tarheel gumby]

October 1963 ? My father was serving on DDG 4 the USS Larwence, that was his first cruise.

[bosshawk]

The date is around Oct 23, 1962: I could be off a few days.  I was a 1/Lt in the US Army and I kept getting messages from the Pentagon to ship all the 60 ft flatcars that I might have at my post to Ft. Hood, Texas.  Seems they were shipping an Armored Div to Florida to prepare for the invasion of Cuba.

I got transferred to the Army Intel School right after that to attend the Imagery Interpretation Officers Course and the first day of school, we were told that some of our instructors were still at an AF base in Florida, where they were interpreting all of the low level photos taken during the Cuban Crisis.  When they returned about a month later, they had some interesting stories to tell.

At that time, the Russians had some IL-28 Beagle bombers in Cuba: medium bombers that had very short range.  In later years, the Bears(TU-95s) made the nonstop trip from Russia to Cuba very regularly.  When the USSR folded, they quickly ran out of money and the trips stopped.  Now, they seem to be interested in starting them again.  The Bear is the only thing that has the range to make that flight.  The Backfire and TU-160 simply don't have that kind of range and there aren't too many countries enroute that would allow them or tankers to land to refuel.  Based on past experience, I wouldn't get too exercised about the possibility of the Russians basing bombers anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.