Shocking fighter jet interoperability! With the Russians!

The Conservatives, egged on by the defence industry, keep telling us we need to ignore that looming deficit and pressing social needs (such as family home care and pension reform) and instead drop $16 billion we don't have on sole-sourced stealth fighters because:

a) We need to keep ourselves safe from 50 year old turboprop Russian bombers, and

b) Only by buying the same jets that fewer and fewer of our allies are buying can we "interoperate," which is totally important.

Meanwhile, in a land not far far away...

A first-of-its-kind hijacking exercise involving the U.S., Canadian and Russian militaries went so well that a similar drill is planned for 2011, an American officer said.

Jet fighters from Russia and the North American Aerospace Defence Command pursued a small passenger jet playing the role of a hijacked jetliner across the Pacific and back during the August exercise. The aim: To practice handing off responsibility for a hijacked jet between Russia and NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canadian command that for decades devoted its efforts to tracking Soviet forces.

Officers reviewed the exercise in November at NORAD headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. The verdict: It "was pretty much carried on flawlessly," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lee Haefner, who was the lead planner.

NORAD and Russian officers will meet in Russia in February to begin planning a second exercise, Haefner said.

But how could this happen, you ask? (Happen again, actually) We're cooperating with the Rushkies? What about their ageing bombers and the red menace that Peter MacKay wants us to be scared of? Haven't they seen Red Dawn?

And we were able to hold this joint exercise with the American and the Russians, even though each country was operating different airplane types? But how could they interoperate, and what not? It's a miracle they didn't all fly into each other with those totally different types of airplanes they were flying. Didn't they know Stephen Harper says that's impossible!

Doesn't this example of a joint military exercise gaming exactly the sort of threat we expect our next-generation fighter interceptors to meet, and done cooperatively with our American allies flying different aircraft, and even with the Russians, pretty much negate the Conservative argument for why we need to drop $16 billion in this uncompetitive, un-tendered F-35 deal?

Only if you want to let facts enter into the debate, I suppose.

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The Ruskies are coming! Conservative talking-points for stupid people

It's amusing to see the Conservatives attempt to spin the routine intercept of ageing Russian turbo-prop bombers by our young-by-comparison CF-18 jets as proof we need to drop $16 billion without tender or a needs analysis to buy F-35s. Because in fact, when you think about it, these intercepts prove a number of cheaper alternatives may do the job just fine.

The intercepts do show we need a fighter capability. That's not really in doubt though, at least not by anyone likely to be governing any time soon, so let's accept that as a given and move on.

First of all, the fact is these intercepts are routine, and have been ably met by our boys in blue with our current CF-18 force. If the Russians were flying circles around us, flying over Glace Bay with impunity while we were able to do nothing but shake our fists at them, maybe the Conservatives would have a point that we need super-expensive stealth fighters to stop them.

But no, the CF-18 did just fine, thanks. Now, we are going to have to replace them. They're approaching end-of-life in the medium term. The incidents the Conservatives trumpet though illustrate that, having met the threat with current-generation technology, any number of next-generation alternatives cheaper to the F-35 could easily meet this same threat: the revamped F/A-18 SuperHornet, for example (The US Navy is buying them). Or the Eurofighter Typhoon (being bought by the Royal Air Force). Or even the next generation of the F-15, the Silent Eagle, a plane purpose-built for this sort of air superiority mission. All would do this mission, and all would do it cheaper than the F-35.

Contrary to the Conservative talking-points, MacKay and company have actually underscored the Liberal position by creating this drama: the F-35 may well be over-qualified to meet our primary threats, we should do a proper competitive analysis to ensure we're finding the right plane to do the job, and we should put it to public tender to make sure we're getting it at the right price.

And by the by, something that hasn't gotten enough notice: the government hasn't signed a contract yet to buy the F-35s, and won't for a few years. Seems that dog and pony show a few weeks ago was just about getting MacKay's picture taken in a fake jet, and doing some PR for the Pentagon. Which means, the next government can put this thing to a proper tendering process without any penalties or problems.

P.S. I found this very amusing, in a death of my profession sort of way:

The TU-95 bomber, known as the Bear, is capable of carrying nuclear weapons and may have been loaded with warheads on this trip. One military analyst tells QMI Agency the Russians have been known to fly with nukes on board just to flex their muscle and prove to the world they are still a powerful country.

Yes, nukes! They might have had nukes! Build a bombshelter in the basement of your condo, Chad and Buffy! We have no information that they did have nukes, but we won't let that stop us from speculating baselessly, because that's what good journalism is all about.

Also, the Bear might have had a cargo of angry, rabid bears. Or cute, cuddly kittens. Or, NUKES! We. Just. Don't. Know.

Fox News North. We speculate, you decide.

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Peter MacKay still playing "whose is bigger" with the Soviets, err, Russians

Our defence minister, Peter MacKay, must be an aficionado of Cold War-era movies and Tom Clancy novels, because he still seems keen on playing a game of "whose is bigger?" with the Soviet Union, er, with the Russians:

Federal Defence Minister Peter MacKay has issued a decidedly cool response to the Russian military's planned paratroop drop at the North Pole next spring, suggesting Canadian fighter jets would scramble to "meet" any Russian aircraft "approaching" Canada's airspace. "We're going to protect our sovereign territory," MacKay said Friday in Halifax, a day after a Russian embassy representative tried to play down the parachute mission as a "solely symbolic" event aimed at celebrating the 60th anniversary of a Cold War achievement by two Soviet scientists.

I wonder if Peter is aware of the major Arctic military exercise his own department is planning, some details of which began to be revealed last week:

...but media will “likely” have to leave before the meeting ends to transfer to HMCS Toronto to take part in Operation Nanook, an Arctic sovereignty mission...

A reporter asks for more information on Operation Nanook, and is told that there will be a full briefing by Defence at some point before the trip takes place; Peter MacKay will be there, as will some media who are covering the operation in its entirety — again, betting not ITQ — which means there may be some limits for photo ops – one pool, not two.

I'm sure Peter would love if the Russian defence minister held a presser to insist they'll defend their sovereign territory, and maybe channel Kruschev with a little "we will crush you" rhetoric. Then Peter can invite him to Geneva for talks, and then they can invite Superman to throw all their missiles into the sun.

But it's possible though the Russian defence minister has better things to do than shamelessly pander to a domestic audience with empty saber rattling and statements of the obvious, particularly given neither countries' "sovereign territory" is likely to be impacted by either exercise.

Of course, Peter MacKay is no stranger to the Wag the Dog technique.

Good to know Peter will be on the front-line in person for Operation Nanook, hopefully with a C-7 in hand, defending our sovereigty from those dastardly Russians. I want him on that wall. I need him on that wall.

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Does this have anything to do with the Albanian situation?

In the past, I’ve generally been complementary of the Conservative government’s communications strategies, and particularly their ability to drive the agenda and distract attention away from their weak points. Complementary in a professional sense; it’s still all totally evil and what not.

Trying to reignite the Cold War though to divert attention from the economy? That's just lame, and reeks of lack of imagination. The macho chest-thumping this week from Peter MacKay and Stephen Harper last week was just embarrassing:

Peter MacKay wouldn't say whether he thought the Feb. 18 flight of the two TU-95 Bears, long-range Russian bombers, was designed to create mischief for a Canadian security system already stressed by the presidential visit. But he said the response of Canadian pilots operating under the command of NORAD sent a clear message to Moscow.

"I'm not going to stand here and accuse the Russians of deliberately doing this during the presidential visit, but it was a strong coincidence which we met with the presence ... of F-18 fighter planes and world-class pilots that know their business and send a strong signal that they should back off and stay out of our airspace," he told reporters.

In Moscow, an unnamed government official called MacKay's statement a "farce" and said the Russian government was reacting to Canada's objections with "astonishment," news agency RIA-Novosti reported.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in Saskatoon that the incident was a real cause for concern that will not intimidate Canada.

"This government has responded every time the Russians have done that. We will continue to respond. We will defend our airspace."

First of all, the fact that we apparently can’t tell the difference between the turbo-prop TU-95 Bear and the TU-160 Blackjack, a jet bomber, is rather concerning. Yes, they’re both big airplanes, but that’s where the similarities end. They look nothing alike.

Secondly, for those who pay attention to such things, these sorts of flights are routine. They were commonplace up until the fall of the Soviet Union, when they did stop for a time. Under the presidency of Vladimir Putin, however, such flights began again some years ago. The Russians routinely test our air defences, and those of many other neighboring countries. So do the Americans. If we had long-range strategic bombers, I’m sure we would to. It’s what militaries do.

Norad spokesperson Michael Kucharek said it is not atypical to see Russian aircraft engaging in training exercises so close to Canadian airspace.

"This has happened quite often, this is a pattern that we generally see through Russian exercises of this type," he told CTV Newsnet on Friday afternoon.

He estimated that Norad had seen Russian fighters undertaking similar training exercises at least 20 times "over the course of the last couple of years."

Such incidents are commonplace, and are regularly reported on by the media -- usually as little brief items deep in the paper, receiving little notice. Which is why it’s disappointing the media played along with Harper and MacKay to blow this thing up to Defcon-2 to distract attention from other things.

Because I think there’s a few more important stories we should be paying attention to right now. Like the $3 billion slush fund the Conservatives have created for themselves, which they’re insisting have no oversight, accountability, or checks and balances. Or the fact they underestimated the cost of the Afghan War by at least $3.3 billion, and released an estimate that is as much as $7 billion shy of that of their own independent parliamentary budget officer.

Let’s not let Harper and MacKay distract us from the real issues, and their very real failings managing this country and this economy, with fearful tales of the red menance and Cold War rhetoric.

And if the media do want to do some international reporting, I suggest they get serious and look at WHY Russia re-started these sorts of flights under Putin, and the larger trend of how Russia, fueled by oil and energy revenues, is seeking to re-assert its dominance in its former satellite states and on the larger global stage. Mark MacKinnon’s The New Cold War would be a good primer.

However, I’ve seen little interest in such an analytical analysis of what such overflights mean in the larger global picture. Instead, this all just brings another sort of picture to mind…

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I guess Russia has MMP too

Given all the debate about lists and electoral reform and MMP in the blogsphere these days, I got a chuckle out of this story in the Globe:

President Vladimir Putin will head the candidate list of Russia's dominate political party in parliamentary elections in December and may become the country's next prime minister, he said Monday.

Mr. Putin is barred by Russia's constitution from seeking a third straight term in the presidential election in March but has strongly indicated that he would keep a hand on the reins of power.

He agreed to head United Russia's candidate list in the December parliamentary vote, which could open the door for him to become a powerful prime minister leading in tandem with a weakened president.

Probably not the example I'd use when promoting MMP.

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Unfair partisan snark at the day

I continue to be astounded by Decivin' Steven, and it looks like his frosty treatment of the media is even worse than I thought. I mean, when the Putin Kremlin is more more forthcoming with the media than Harper's PMO you have to give your head a shake...

Kremlin says Putin, Harper to meet at G8 summit, but PMO mum

BERLIN (CP) - The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper as G8 leaders gather later Wednesday at a German resort.

There has been no confirmation of the meeting from the Prime Minister's Office.
(more)

BONUS SNARK:

Decivin’ Stephen is making nice with the French? And going on a date with the President of France? Mon dieu, how cute. I can’t wait to read what Harper’s cat blogs about this…

French president promises to play nice with Harper on their first meeting

ALEX PANETTA

PARIS (CP) - On their first political date, a pair of budding allies moved quickly to smooth over two potential threats to their relationship: Afghanistan and climate change.

The newly elected president of France took Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a stroll through the streets of Paris to a fancy restaurant where they dined following their first official encounter Tuesday.

After meeting a fellow conservative who, like himself, seeks to leave his mark on a traditionally liberal country, Harper called French President Nicolas Sarkozy a great friend of Canada.

(more)

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Review: The New Cold War

Been spending a lot of time on airplanes lately, which gave me a chance to read The New Cold War pretty quickly, and it really helped pass the time in an interesting and very educational way.

Written by Globe and Mail reporter Mark MacKinnon, who is now covering the Middle East and was formerly the Globe’s Moscow correspondent, The New Cold War offers a fascinating look at the state of democracy, or the lack thereof, in Russia, parts of the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe.

The book starts in the former Yugoslavia with the revolution that overthrew Slobodan Milosevic, painting a common thread to other successful revolutions in places like the Ukraine and Georgia, and less successful ones in places like Belarus, as well as the deteriorating democratic situation in Russia itself.

It’s an engaging, well written book (as befits a fellow former Charlahack) and, as someone who considers himself at least decently abreast of global events, I was surprised at just how much I didn’t know what was going on in that part of the world.

Just how far Vladimir Putin has gone in rolling-back democracy in Russia is astounding, and troubling. And there really does seem to be a new cold war happening, as Russia uses its natural resources to try to force its former satellites into line, and out of the Western sphere of influence. The way that each successful revolution passes on its lessons to the next was very interesting to read, and the lessons drawn.

And it was unsurprising to learn that, despite the high-minded deals of democracy espoused by President Bush, when U.S. interests are at stake they’re still more than willing to back a despot.

A very enlightening read, well recommended.

A review copy was provided by the publisher to facilitate this review.

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