So Targan, ready for T2k for real in your own backyard?

[StainlessSteelCynic]

The Daily Fail Australia (oh, sorry, that should have been, the Daily Mail) is reporting that Aussie Prime Minister Tony Abbott annoyed dear old Vlad and now Putie is sending warships to give us a bit of a scare.

They don't specifically say it in those words but the hyperbole is clear enough to read!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2831158/Russian-warships-bearing-Australia-ahead-G20-meeting.html


In an attempt to identify the ship in one of the photos (pennant number 538), I've since found that two of the four "war"ships, the Fotiy Krylov and the Boris Butoma would appear to be support vessels (the Krylov an ocean-going tug and the Butoma a fleet oiler) - so much for the "fleet" of threatening warships sent to intimidate Australia!

In more proof that the newspaper deserves the title Daily Fail, I've found the ID of ship number 538, it's a Type 054A Frigate of the Chinese navy, specifically, the CNS Yantai
I found this by looking at the image URL :eek: YAY for the staff at the Daily Fail! (I hesitate to call them journalists or even reporters).

Daily Fail image
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/12/1415780378023_wps_16_China_s_Yantai_Type_054A_.jpg

Wiki commons image
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/CNS_Yantai_%28FFG-538%29_2.jpg/800px-CNS_Yantai_%28FFG-538%29_2.jpg

Wiki page on Type 054A frigates
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_054A_frigate

[Schone23666]

Hmmmm...would the phrase "Много шума из ничего" (rough Russian translation: much ado about nothing) be appropriate? :p

I think I'm a bit more concerned about this however:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-13/russia-to-fly-bombers-to-u-s-gulf-as-ukraine-worsens.html

Then again, look on the bright side, this will give the Aussie Navy something fun to do. When the Russkies come sailing by, the Aussie sailors can all get up on deck, drop their pants and collectively moon them!

("Moon" is American slang for flashing one's ass at someone as an obscene gesture, for those not in the know ;) )

[Targan]

One of the four vessels is from the Chinese Navy? Odd. Certainly none of the Australian media have reported that.

Not really our back yard though, is it SSC? There's an entire continent between us and the Queensland coast.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Hey Schone, I agree with you completely. The reason (and it's for this reason I say the same) that many from the UK call the Daily Mail, the Daily Fail is because they have been guilty of some exaggeration of stories in the past along with "reporting" news that is not quite correct/factual.
For example, using a picture of a Chinese warship to hype up a story about Russian warships coming to Australia. :rolleyes:

Targan, it certainly would make the scenario more interesting if the Chinese were involved alongside the Russians but no, it's just the Daily Mail doing their usual thing i.e. not checking the facts/providing accurate info.
As mentioned, the "mighty fleet" coming to threaten us is really only four warships and even then, that four is actually two with two support vessels! :confused:

And yeah, I don't think we have too much to worry over just yet, not with approx 4000km of jungle and desert between us and Queensland. Oh that and the fact that the Russians are probably trying to show China that the US isn't the only one in the Pacific (even if the rest of us know the Soviets... err... Russians... haven't had a "significant" presence in the Pacific for years) :D

[Targan]

Targan, it certainly would make the scenario more interesting if the Chinese were involved alongside the Russians but no, it's just the Daily Mail doing their usual thing i.e. not checking the facts/providing accurate info.

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood. So all four vessels are Russian, but the Daily Mail used a stock photo of a Chinese vessel for their article? Sloppy editorial practice.

[Olefin]

Got to love Putin's choice of ships - the Australians could sink those four without working up a sweat - not exactly the Spanish Armada are they

[jester]

Hey! Didn't the ruskies say that one of the reasons was to evacuate Putin if he needed it. After all we all know Oz is one of the most unstable countries in the region....or was it your PMs statement of "Fronting" the threat is there ;)

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Maybe dear old Vlad doesn't trust us because of all those years we were shooting down civilian aircraft, assassinating dissidents, funding and training freedom fighters, guerillas, terrorists, bandits and various other assorted troublemakers...
Oh hang on a sec... that was THEM, not us! :p :D