But it’s not really a concise strategy as much as it is a series of operations. Part of Obama’s strategy has to get everyone on the same page. Russia bombing the rebels we support is actually helping ISIS, which I suspect has been Assad’s plan all along. He wants to wipe out the moderates that do exist and leave the…

Keep it in your pants Russia. If you don’t violate other people’s airspace they will have no reason to shoot at you.

Here in Chicago, we call that a low turnout election.

The An-124 was contracted by the USAF due to “Torque Deck” issues and reliability with the C-5A/B at the time. Since then with the new Engines and avionics the C-5M would outfly and out lift the An-124 no problem, and doesn’t guzzle the fuel on the AN-124. I will say I would rather take a C-5 A/B/M with the…

Lulz that you think it’s more robust. I’ve been TDY on more than one occasion where we’ve donated hydraulic fluid and other maintenance items to keep An-124’s going on their way.

And the biggest economy in Europe, Germany, the worst of all...

I'd have to say the C-5M is up there too.

Except for the C-5

There will be as Raptors either maximize their RCS or engage in BVR 3v1 duels.

...and every ISIS bomb that goes off in a European city makes that wake-up call louder, as does Putin cutting off their gas in winter so they have more time to talk about defending themselves while shivering in their long coats sipping espresso and nibbling on scones hoping their pipes haven’t burst when they get back…

It’s a nice show, but the European powers don’t even meet their NATO minimum spending obligations. They’ll need to go way beyond that before they can seriously stand on their own two feet. Or even balance on one foot for more than five minutes.

c5m supergalaxy begs to differ

In the long run I think the west will keep Ukraine independent and slowly bring them to the west. Russia is going to take territory from them, and I think there are a couple decades of strife, but Russia looses this round.

The C-5 can carry heavier loads.

Your argument is invalid. Russian/Soviet turbofans are decades behind the western ones, and the civilian avionics are stuck in the 80s. There is no talk about different design schools, it’s simply a modernization effort of a superb plane. If you fit it with more powerful and economic western turbofans and avionics…

Interesting; I didn’t realize Antonov was based in Ukraine.

That was 25 years ago, before Russia was militarily intervening in the affairs of its neighbors. If a country wishes to join NATO, that’s between them and the alliance. Russia gets no say.

Wear that tinfoil hat proudly.

You should go on and read some more statistics then.

Protip: Russia and China don’t have 5th gen fighters.