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Originally Posted by RN7
In regard to the intervention in Syria by Russia I think we can expect the Russians to be around for a while. There has been some discussion about the relative strengths and limitations of Russian technology and training standards, but there has been little discussion about their capabilities.
The Russian Air Force has capabilities at its disposal that no European or Middle Eastern air force can match. Russian long ranged bomber, ground attack, ISR, AWAC and logistics capability are far superior to any European air force, while Russia's fighter force is BVR (beyond visual range) specialised due to a heavy emphasis on Flanker derivatives. Whatever the training standards of the Russian Air Force are we can be certain that BVR specialised air regiments receive the best of their training, and BVR is exactly the type of air superiority that will be fought over the sky's of the Middle East.
Russian AESA radar, sensors and air-to-air and anti-surface missiles that are used only by the Russian Air Force are very capable, while Russian land based air defence systems are exceptionally dangerous. In the Middle Eastern Theatre the Russian Air Force would only fear Israeli involvement, and that is precisely the reason it informed Israel in advance of its attacks on anti-Assad forces in Syria. There is little prospect of NATO getting directly involved unless Turkish and Greek security is threatened by Russian aircraft, and European NATO air forces with the exception of perhaps the British will be outclassed by the Russian Air Force.
The USAF and other US forces can certainly match any Russian capability and they in fact exceed them, but don't expect America to be doing much while Obama is still in the Whitehouse. In fact the fact that Obama is still president is probably the reason that Putin has sent Russian forces to Syria.
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I'm trying my best not to get too political here but I admit to some I might be getting close. I'll just say that under the current leadership we (The US in particular, NATO in general), we do not have the will or the "oomph" to counter Russia here. Despite cuts, we still have good equipment and people but without the leadership and where that leadership should be wise enough to let the generals take the lead, we cannot do much, nor should we at this point. To start something now will end up in a huge mess. The best we can do is hold the line although I'm dubious on that for now. If this was 1983 or so, we would have the will to show strength here, we do not now.