Ease up. He’s still 100x better than most Russian posters we get here.

Yes, I believe that the Moskva will shoot down any aircraft that approached Latakia, especially if they were Turks. I think they would be more careful against US aircraft than Turkish, but they also know Obama wouldn’t threaten Latakia. Shooting down Turkish aircraft over Syria would be very different from shooting…

I was going to make the same point. I don’t think the Russians or rebels or whomever did it intentionally. On the radio afterwards they spoke of shooting down a Ukrainian bird, so I don’t believe it was intentional.

Still wish the Russians would bomb the same people we are, but I find myself mysteriously drawn to those videos.

...except Tyler has already pointed out that they actually are.

I suppose it is possible. It was still launched from territory controlled by Russian rebels, with Russian help, though.

Putin is not going to order the Moskva to shoot down Turkish aircraft over Turkey, though. It’s a defensive show of force. I don’t think he wants Russian fighters shooting down Turkish fighters over Turkey, either, because he could rapidly lose more aircraft than he wants to replace. He’ll probably also order his…

I think you’re overestimating Russian nuclear weapons. The Soviets never weaponized the Tsar Bomba, and it would take more than two Russian bombs to wreck the US — unless you’re just going to knock out Washington/New York and Los Angeles. I would still be safe. ;-)

The US didn’t do anything in Ukraine except encourage the pro-western government. Obama even refused to send guns to Ukraine.

LOL. No, I agree, I don’t think the Moskva has enough S-300s for all 300 Turkish F-16s. The Black Sea Fleet has a lot more ships than the Moskva. But I do not think Putin is interested in using the Moskva to attack Turkish aircraft unprovoked. It would be a large escalation that I don’t think Putin wants. I would even…

Yeah, civilians that were fully trained in operation of the Buk...

Now, I don’t know what a typical Su-24 air to ground loadout looks like. Typically US aircraft on air to ground missions will still carry a pair of Sidewinders for self-defense; I haven’t noticed Atolls or anything else on Fencers taking off in video released by the Russians, so that may not be common Russian practice.

Whether he spoke Turkish or English or not, I can’t imagine the Su-24 pilot would’ve simply not noticed his RWR after the F-16 locked him up. They likely just didn’t expect the Turks to actually do anything about it.

Every Su-24 is also equipped with a 23mm cannon, so in theory, it should still be able to defend yourself.

Airbus A321, not Boeing.

It doesn’t look great, but it’s also understandable. You’d expect an older A-10, F-111 (yes, I know they’re retired), or possibly even a dated F-15E to have trouble against, say, an Su-33.

Is Russia REALLY “helping” France against Daesh, though? Or are they only pretending to, as usual?

In Turkish airspace? Russia only has 8 “modern” fighters at Latakia. Turkey has ~300 F-16s. I don’t think they’re worried.

Ahhh, so they have the same goals as Assad and Russia then.

I haven’t heard anything about it..