Pavel:

I suspect there is a sense of prestige here for the Russian Navy and Air Force. I’m sure these training sorties are actually “fun” for the air crews too. I don’t think there is a real military advantage to such missions but it helps Russian aviation in the “budget wars” in the Kremlin and, perhaps, in foreign military sales.

Frank Shuler
USA

I very agree with you Frank. For pilots this is “fun”. I think the ultimate objective is quite futile and consists just on made noise both for the internal public opinion (“we are back trailing the US carriers”) and for the foreign opinion (“Russia is reasserting itself”). The military values of these flights are in practice … zero.

Reconnaisance flights have no value?

Then why do NATO countries and Russia/Belarus have this little thing called Open Skies treaty? Do they just get their kicks from flying over each other territory 10-20 times a year in aircraft chock full of ELINT equipment?

I might have understood your comments if you were talking about the Tu-95MSs or Tu-22M3s (those are nothing but silly "gotchas"), but a regular recon surveying of a strategic American asset is not only necessary, but key to Russia's security in the Pacific.

I have to agree. Those are important exercises giving Russian pilots a chance to train in using their equipment in a situation almost exactly that of a real war. In a real war Tu-142s would be the ones looking for US carriers, to guide regiments of Backfires, Bears, and a Blackjack or two; on to target.

Feanor: Even assuming that this "real war" stuff makes sense (which it doesn't), flying over an aircraft carrier at low altitude would be about the last thing a reconnaissance plane would need to do.

> I have to agree. Those are important exercises giving Russian pilots a chance to train in using their equipment in a situation almost exactly that of a real war. In a real war Tu-142s would be the ones looking for US carriers, to guide regiments of Backfires, Bears, and a Blackjack or two; on to target.

- First of all, it's a rather hard task - to find aircraft carrier in the ocean; and pilots needs to be trained well to be able to perform this task.

- Second, these exercises have also an explicit 'military' sense: classical aviation attack on an aircraft carrier includes launch of high-speed (Mach 5) missiles (like AS-16 Kickback) at the distance 150 - 300 km from the carrier:

http://img100.imageshack.us/my.php?image=aviaruas16kickbackkh15srt3.gif

In the peace time, slow (0.8 Mach max) bomber represents symbolically such a missile by itself, making a flight right above the 'target' ship, on the near 610 metres (2000 ft) altitude, like symbolic representation of 'hitting by a missile'.

- Third, Russia and USA have an agreement about 'prevention of incidents at sea', and these 2000 ft (610 m) of vertical distance, - it's an altitude 'clear' from the point of view of international law.

Artjom, reconnaissance flights have value. In facf., if it was decide to track US carries, let’s do it. But overflight a carrier at just 600 m altitude have no military value. It is just for making noise. I am sure the Tu-142, can track CV groups from a far away position, just like procedures indicate.

Russian:

One hears a great deal about the Raduga Kh-15 (NATO AS-16 'Kickback) produced by MKB Raduga. Has this weapon ever been used in combat? I guess I’m speaking to the export version of the anti-ship missile developed under the designation Kh-15s.

Frank Shuler
USA

I think there are a number of reasons for the overflights, but the main one is simple enough - domestic consumption. The Russian media likes to report how the Pentagon is "worried" about Russian "resurgence" or how the Bear overflight "scared the Americans." Silly stuff for professionals, but works magic on the streets.

Other reasons might include raising the military morale, keeping Russia in the international headlines, and, even if in a limited way, reminding the world that Russia can fly aircraft in forward areas to deliver weapons.

Politics...

I guess an overflight proves that Russian planes have approached the carrier undetected. Otherwise carrier's own aviation would be closely escorting Russians and not allow them to do this thing. If this is true, then overflight is a good indication of being able to perform a successful attack against the carrier.

Reko:

I can assure you the approach of a Tu-142 Bear F (or a Tu-95MS) on a US carrier task force was detected. It didn’t just suddenly “appear” over the desk of the USS Nimitz. In fact, there have been hundreds of pictures and videos taken of this event. One would suppose those came from the hundreds of sailors on desk to watch the pass-over. The Bear was being “escorted” by two F/A-18 Hornets and the USS Nimitz didn’t go to “general quarters”. Honestly, this is just another day at sea and nothing special. I continue to be amazed at the media coverage all this has generated.

Frank Shuler
USA

> I guess an overflight proves that Russian planes have approached the carrier undetected. Otherwise carrier's own aviation would be closely escorting Russians and not allow them to do this thing.

- Exactly. That's the 'military advantage', 'military value' and 'military sense' of these 'overflights'.

>I continue to be amazed at the media coverage all this has generated.

"Russia's resurgence" is a topic that gets a lot of mileage in the media. There is simply no question that Russia is a cooler enemy than yet another nameless insurgent in Baaquba. Fox News and CNN love fearmongering no less than any tabloid and a "nukular bomber" gets the public's attention, even if the the substance isn't really there and the plane actually flew some significant distance from the CBG. It wasn't actually so different from Norwegian interceptors following the Russian CBG as it was heading to the Mediterranean, and the Pentagon was fairly cool about the whole incident.

Additionally, as previously noted, it plays in the hands of the more hawkish members of Russian establishment because it inflates their feeling of self-importance (of course, if American media pays attention to them, they MUST be taken into account!). So there you have two groups who stoke each other's fear to further their own domestic standing. It bears quite little weight on either Russian or American defence policy, but it sure is a great fodder for media talking heads.

There may be another aspect to these flyovers: training. Many of the newer generation pilots have never seen US aircraft carrier other than on a picture. Flyovers like these are an important part of training for new pilots. Builds both tactical skill as well as confidence.