"Arctic Battle Between Scotland and Russia"

[phantom power]

"Arctic Battle" seems a bit over-stated. But there does seem to be some, err, "territory marking" going on.

The revelation last week that a Russian attack submarine had attempted to track one of the Trident nuclear fleet out of Faslane naval base on the Clyde signalled a worrying return to an era that many thought had been confined to history.

...

The Russian response has not been confined to Scottish waters and air space. In August last year, the Pentagon
said two Russian attack submarines had come within 200 miles of New York, the first such patrol since the end of
the Cold War. And last month, the Canadians had to scramble two fighters to turn back a pair of long-range Russian
jets that had flown across the North Pole to approach the Labrador coast from the east.

Military expert Francis Tusa, editor of Defence Analysis, said it would be wrong to dismiss the recent increase in
Russian activity as “irrelevant sabre rattling”.

...

“The Canadians have opened a new base in the Arctic to defend their rights, and the Americans, the Danes and the
Norwegians are also taking this incredibly seriously.
“Defence Secretary Liam Fox has said his preferred option for the Strategic Defence Review is ‘Vision 2020’,
looking ahead rather than fixating on the past or on Afghanistan.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/197663/-Arctic-battle-between-Scotland-and-Russia

[EmilyKent]

1. Definitely overstated.

The Canadian Defence minister is trying to buy very expensive fighter planes against the public will, so suddenly 50 year old Russian training planes are an issue.

Even NORAD had to step in to settle him down.

After the Canadian government raised concerns about the Aug. 24 patrol, NORAD issued a statement noting there wasn’t anything unusual about the flight.

“At no time did the Russian military aircraft enter Canadian or United States sovereign airspace,” stated NORAD spokesman Canadian Navy Lt. Desmond James. “Both Russia and NORAD routinely exercise their capability to operate in the North. These exercises are important to both NORAD and Russia and are not cause for alarm.”

Canadians haven't opened a new base in the Arctic. In fact all the countries have been in friendly talks for some years.

[Lasher]

2. Oh but think about all that defnese money that will be rolling in.

You'd just waste it on social services anyway.

Don't think I'll need this but a pre-emptive smiley won't hurt: :sarcasm: