I can't say that I'm an expert on the issue, but if the U.S. is still doing what Putin's hinting they're doing ("In 1992, Russia unilaterally ended flights by its strategic aircraft to distant military patrol areas. Unfortunately, our example was not followed by everyone," Mr. Putin said, in an apparent reference to the U.S.), then Russia is more than justified making this move IMO.

It's sad that Russia has made so many accommodations to the U.S. - militarily, economically, and politically - but instead of reaching out and grabbing Russia's extended hand, the U.S. is trying to chop it off instead.

Breaking the ABM treaty to neutralize Russia's nuclear deterrent, encircling Russia militarily through NATO, promoting domestic strife, giving moral support to Chechen terrorists, corruptly taking over Russia's natural resources in the 90s and creating a socioeconomic crisis, etc. etc. etc. and apparently still flying practice strategic bomber sorties are all actions that raise eyebrows and pose deep questions.

America's behavior has been shameful and Russia's reaction to strengthen itself, surely what western pundits will sheepishly write is a "return to the Cold War," is completely justifiable.

Both the Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear) and the Antonov An-22 use the contra-rotating propeller engines.

Many times I hear some western scoff at such systems, but these kinds of systems are extremely efficient (yes, I know, efficiancy is not an America virtue). And as energy becomes an issue for the US and the EU, they are now designing aircraft and have developed prototypes that use such systems. Jet engines have more marketing appeal, but contra-rotating systems have a longer rang, less maintenance, longer MTBF (mean time between failure), and far less manufacturing costs.

I'm sure as the Tu-95, Tupolev Tu-160, Tupolev Tu-22M and various refueling tankers and Sukhois (such as the Su-34) start testing EU and US radar systems and measuring response... the western "experts" will judge this like they judge "business in Russia", "peak oil", "intel on Iraqi wmd programs", the search for Bin Laden, and the state of levies in New Orleans.

The Tu-95 will be put to sleep eventually, but the US will be very antagonized as Russia forces the US to scramble fighters again and again. With each trip, Russia will test new phased array radar and other high technologies while measuring US response... for the sake of knowing your opponent's strengths and weaknesses...

And now, for a little sarcasm...

...isn't this all good for democracy? It's not war, but if America does it, AND IT DOES to this day, then it must be for peace and democracy.

I'm sure eventually Chavez will want a missile defense system in Venezuela, and maybe Nicaragua will get such a system as a Russian and Venezuelan investment, all for democracy. Seeing a squadron of Tupolev and Sukhois 90 miles off of the tip of Florida should also enhance global democracy, since the US likes them in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

I'm sure the noble neocons at the Whitehouse believe slaughtering children in Iraq is somehow good for world peace, but I think we can all rest that the New Russia will never resort to that extreme. But all the other stuff like the Tu-95, so long as energy and economic recover continue for Russia, yup, all options are on the table.

All of this will get very entertaining as I firmly believe 2008 is the year of $100 / brl oil and the higher oil goes, the more the table turns and democracy becomes stronger in Russia and her allies. And anyway, Russia is also designing the next generation of fighters and bombers... the more bombers and fighters the more peace and democracy, right Mr. Bush? And US strategic "stealth" bombers will soon be powered by corn ethanol.

Did anyone else notice the slide-rule used by the radar(?) operator?

Vladimir,

Slide-rule ?
Well first, the movie is old as heck... I guarantee the inside of the Tu-95 looks nothing like that today.

There has been a lot of changes to avionics computers, weapons computers, missions computers in Russian military (and commercial) spheres that in many cases surpasses US standards... They don't even use western RTOS software anymore. And chances are, the new US F-22 stealth fighter uses the same Chinese made mil specs or COTS semiconductors found in Russian Sukhoi fighters.

In the US, whoever writes the avionics software so US pilots don't need a slide-rule, chances are, the guy writing that US software has an H1-B visa.

And the funniest part of all this Russia bashing is that no matter how many times Russia tries to show the west that it is recovering, Western opinion prefers to under estimate Russia. If you run a business, underestimating your competition is terminal, it's grave to your position. Russia doesn't need to send out false, misinformation or confusing messages, the US does a better job by BSing itself. After all, how many geniuses still believe there is at least 1 gram of wmd in Iraq.

And this is the typical problem in the West. We (in the west) tend to erase education of fundamentals while CIS nations continue to teach their students the basics where the automation and eye candy become a tool, not a means, and it comes near the end of the education. Turn off the power in a Soyuz as it reenters and it doesn't need computers to land... Turn off the Space shuttle's computers while it lands and we have another funeral... All these laser guided bombs, GPS tracking system, infrared night visions UAV systems, data mining of the Iraqi radio airwaves and none of it has done diddly squat against the Iraqi insurgency. The US lost the Iraq war years ago because we gave up fundamentals... Fundamentals are like common sense, both come from the basics, and it's why so much fails today in the US.

Anyway, our US soldiers can't get good health care and many use food stamps.

I note with amusement the suggestion the US has been conducting patrols over Russia.Does anyone seriously believe such patrols would have gone unremarked ?

I also note-with grimmer amusement-the usual USA bashing comments-coming from career bashers.

I seriously doubt Russia's planes pose a threat to the US , but might scare some sense into the Chechen idiots.

mrmeangenes,

Get your English right, the US hasn't been "conducting patrols OVER Russia"... not since the U2. Not unauthorized at least...

What the US and USSR efforts were about was to patrol air space NEAR US/USSR boarders...

It's a cat and mouse effort, you loiter around, then penetrate and push a little and then watch a bunch of fighters scramble... and then come back the next day or next week, adjust electronics, change the paint on the aircraft to see if it's a little more radar absorbing and so on... both sides need to burn money with this stupid game, money that can go into levies or health care.

Russia stopped in 1992... the US never stopped...
Therefore, Russia must restart and wait till oil goes to $200 / brl in 2009, at that point, America start to rethink her priorities... Russia would prefer not to do this silly thing, but 15 years of a peace offering to America is ENOUGH.

Too late... The great game is easier for Russia to win...

The logic is simple, if you want to be virtuous like America, be like America and patrol people's boarders, build missile defense, search for none existent wmd, then you are a democracy and can ignore your mortgage banking crises and energy inflation...

Since this is about energy, let's all patrol each other's airspace boarders and keep doing it until someone runs out of JUICE.

Russian energy & aviation to have big changes

Recently on an interview with Financial Sense, Matthew Simmons alluded that Russia and many other oil exporting nations will PURPOSELY LOWER oil exports for the sake of maintaining oil field longevity and health. It's not political, it's just good environmental stewardship.
http://www.netcastdaily.com/broadcast/fsn2007-0818-2.mp3

Coming out of the MAKS 2007 event, Russia has started designing a coaxial type helicopter for commercial transportation that will be able to carry about 75 passengers.

A new video of the Ka-50 demonstrating coaxial technology:
http://www.therussiansarehere.com/flashvideo/main.trah?file=Ka-50.flv

Between the commitments of Putin to the commercial aviation industry and the new necessity for military production including military aviation, we are going to see many new designs and production coming out of Russia over the next decade - new bombers, fighters and stealth. The Russian oil economy was spilling out to the consumer sectors and now continues to recover areas such as aviation and military.

Luther,

Thanks for providing the link to Matthew Simmons. Whether Russia will reduce oil exports because of environmental concerns or because of its reluctance to attract international investment to keep up production is an interesting point.

However all countries want more money. Governments are coming under popular pressure to continue providing public services at at least the same level as before, for increasing numbers. Not just those who are energy exporters.

How governments will respond to this pressure is an interesting question.

IJ,

This is the paradox that breaks the pure market model. When you say whether Russia reduces because lack of investment or environmental... this is a paradox because the peaking of anything flips, or inverts the model. The normal market model states more supply, higher volume equals bigger profits - until oversupply... This new model says lower supply equals higher profits for the supplier.

Peak oil is very much like cancer raging in a body, where the bodies energy is sapped, we will find that REST is the better solution, REST as in contracting economies, as in recession. And in that context, the global economy is feeling energy supply crunch like a case of bad cancer.

So no matter what Russia does, energy supply is going to fall short, and prices will rise dramatically.

This is extremely good for energy exporters and allies of them.
It's absolute hell for anyone that has a society designed where it needs massive amounts of energy (US is # 1).

Russia could simply lower exports to increase price - think about it... if this were a simple market then someone else would just increase supply, but everyone is peaking too - or near peak where some small additional supply will NOT flip the model back...

To that, Russia will invest in energy infrastructure, but it will be easier at $100 / brl, it's in Russia's best interest to lay low.

So my point IJ is that in the world of price fixing, all suppliers get together in a back room warehouse and collaborate and pull (some) supply off the market together, thus fixing prices high. Price fixing is more complex than that, but supply shortage is part of it...

But in this case, it's mother nature that is setting the trend to remove supply... And any exporting nation will simply make more money with their competitors by consuming more oil internally, becoming environmental stewardships, and adding a little beurocracy to it's export regime.