Quarrels Arise in Ukraine, France, Russia

[JOHN THURSTON]

Hi You Bunch of silent folk:

I imagine you are partially not responding because John Thurston is often out of touch. A valid point. Nevertheless, I will do what, when, where and as much as I can. I apologize to all. I was down for nearly 18 months due to two complete (well as complete as they can be, I saw the x Rays of before and after.) but it is only respectful to explain and apologize.

!. Check you e mail new where picture of "the Malaysian aircraft" are shown. Two unnamed bodieds of experts say: a. Evidence points to Russia as downing the aircraft and/or b. Evidence points to the Ukranians as downing the aircraft. I will attempt again to learn how to imbed pictures in the posts. Kind of 'Bland' doing it without pics.

Who can fail to suspect the Russians. They shot down a US RB-47 and a KAL flight during cold war 1. Now It seems, as I may have eruditely noted (joke after about 2 or 3 millions folk had come to the same conclusion.) the KAL shoot down prompted Ronald Reagan's famous "evil empire" speech (known as Ronald Rayguns to, among other, Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane on a Live Cut) I wonder if they still bear the same opinions. I think they should not, but that rarely means anything.

However some hypothesized that this admonishing speech on and of pure Reagan bravado, did somber the Russian people to reconsider the "humanity and fairness" of their own government, then sliding from "perestroika" thru "Glasnost" to disintegration.


2. Russia states that there self imposed deadline for the two "Mistrale" helicopter carriers, about the size of an Essex carrier of WWII, but with the mission choice similar to the "illustrious" "thru deck cruiser" helicopter and harrier capable class that played a pivotal part in the retaking of the Falklands. They are reputed to also be capable of matching the Mission of the 4 "Nassau" type US amphibious assault ships. Note that this class followed another smaller class. I will add comment below.

Russia also deployed ships of the "Moskva" (Moscow) class helicopter/missile/stoval capable ships during Cold War 1. They where of Approximately 18,000 tonnes loaded displacement and thus smaller than (mea culpa) an Essex.

Based on information of the age and genre the Moskva could operate the Yak Forger. You could call the forger "cold dead meat" against convenient aircraft launched from land or sea based assets of the UK or US at the time (I refer to the height of the cold war days so to speak.

The picture I have of is was taken by two shadowing British "Nimrod" maritime surveillance aircraft used in the same role as the TU-20 "Bear" (Russian) the US P-3 Orion and and the French "Breguet Atlantique and much smaller "Alize' which falls well short of the US S-3 which, like the Hawkeye, may still be in service.

The Moskva and Leningrad struck me as very very capable ships for their displacement. Just to analyze the ships Cold War1 missile batteries would take me a while. The ship of that class also sported 10 21inch torpedo tubes, presumably for ASW work.

The correct name of the US class mentioned was the "Tarawa" class, displacing 39,000 loaded tonnes. The one I actualy encountered off Race point, heading for the open sea was deceptively fast at 24 knots, and we, in a fairly fast and seaworthy Bertram could not overtake her. I believe the one I encountered was the Nassau itself, bearing the Hull Number 4.
The other US amphibious assault ships of the time were considerably smaller and I will mention these perhaps during the planned "Carriers in Review" post.

The acrid atmosphere between Russian and the Ukraine and France seems like a scenario vitriolic enough to produce a hot war.

I will attempt to get more info on the (note the lack of press coverage during the building stages, somewhat like France's deal to build the Osirak reactor, for which they were paid, and which the Israeli's obiligingly destroyed.

Post war combat aircraft air categorized in "generations" (like Corvettes Fred has a C-3, which, a 1969, I also owned. I rely only on the last pictures that crossed my desk. Mine is a C (or generation) 5.

Probably it is a fair guess to say that the F-22 was the first generation five aircraft and the previously noted Shenyang product as the latest. I am some what unsure where to place many aircraft, but I guess that can be discuss (sic) in a later post.

JOHN