Washington Examniner
How and why the US must prevent Russia from downing more drones
by Tom Rogan, National Security Writer & Online Editor | March 16, 2023 03:34 PM
Still, the Biden administration cannot allow Russia to hold either a perceived or effective veto over U.S. military operations in international airspace. Doing so would undercut the central contention of U.S. operations in relation to the Taiwan Strait and the near entirety of the South China Sea, which China illegitimately claims as its own. Namely, that the U.S. will operate in international waters and airspace without being intimidated. If the U.S. now suspends these normally daily drone flights, it risks signaling unambiguous weakness to Moscow. The U.S. should instead keep calm and carry on.
The U.S. should send up more drones with the stated expectation Russia will not endanger their operations. If Russia then downs another drone, the U.S. can deploy fighter escorts to defend future drone flights. I have previously argued in favor of such action in response to dangerous Russian intercepts of manned U.S. aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea. But escorts are not unprecedented over the Black Sea.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine last February, the British air force has occasionally deployed Typhoon fighter jets to escort its manned RC-135W intelligence collection aircraft over the Black Sea. Like any U.S. fighter jets that would conduct escort activities, the Typhoons are significantly more advanced, and their pilots better trained than their Russian counterparts.
Put simply, the Russians would be very unlikely to directly challenge these flights because doing so would put them at unacceptable risk. The political ramifications for Putin of an unsuccessful air-to-air engagement between a U.S. and Russian jet, especially in proximity to Crimea, would be very problematic.
Put simply, the U.S. should continue doing what it's doing. Russia cannot be allowed to set the conditions for U.S. flights in international airspace. If Moscow wants to challenge that understanding, it must be restrained.
How and why the US must prevent Russia from downing more drones
by Tom Rogan, National Security Writer & Online Editor | March 16, 2023 03:34 PM
Still, the Biden administration cannot allow Russia to hold either a perceived or effective veto over U.S. military operations in international airspace. Doing so would undercut the central contention of U.S. operations in relation to the Taiwan Strait and the near entirety of the South China Sea, which China illegitimately claims as its own. Namely, that the U.S. will operate in international waters and airspace without being intimidated. If the U.S. now suspends these normally daily drone flights, it risks signaling unambiguous weakness to Moscow. The U.S. should instead keep calm and carry on.
The U.S. should send up more drones with the stated expectation Russia will not endanger their operations. If Russia then downs another drone, the U.S. can deploy fighter escorts to defend future drone flights. I have previously argued in favor of such action in response to dangerous Russian intercepts of manned U.S. aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea. But escorts are not unprecedented over the Black Sea.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine last February, the British air force has occasionally deployed Typhoon fighter jets to escort its manned RC-135W intelligence collection aircraft over the Black Sea. Like any U.S. fighter jets that would conduct escort activities, the Typhoons are significantly more advanced, and their pilots better trained than their Russian counterparts.
Put simply, the Russians would be very unlikely to directly challenge these flights because doing so would put them at unacceptable risk. The political ramifications for Putin of an unsuccessful air-to-air engagement between a U.S. and Russian jet, especially in proximity to Crimea, would be very problematic.
Put simply, the U.S. should continue doing what it's doing. Russia cannot be allowed to set the conditions for U.S. flights in international airspace. If Moscow wants to challenge that understanding, it must be restrained.
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