WW III just around the corner for the holidays .

[bob q]

Thanks biden and harris , or who ever is really in charge . ICBM's are really a step up .

[usabaker]

Executing the Navigation Plan
This Navigation Plan drives toward two strategic ends: readiness for the
possibility of war with the People’s Republic of China by 2027 and enhancing
the Navy’s long-term advantage. We will work towards these ends through two
mutually reinforcing ways: implementing Project 33 and expanding the Navy’s
contribution to the Joint warfighting ecosystem.

https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Chie...-NAVPLAN-2024/

[Sapper740]

Not ICBM's, Russia is launching IRBM's (Intermediate Range) but yes, definitely a step closer to Dubya Dubya 3.

[bob q]

Same difference , just the range . They still have MIRV that are nuc capable , which is the point they were making .

[Aragorn243]

You have to wonder if Putin is that crazy or not. I just don't know. I've heard a lot of rumors about him but I don't put much stock in rumors. I do understand the Russian paranoia. They want a buffer between them and their "enemies" even though they are the ones creating the enemies in the process of establishing it.

[usabaker]

A wounded and isolated Russia remains dangerous. Russia’s illegal and unprovoked
invasion of Ukraine drew global condemnation and prompted Finland and Sweden to
join NATO. On the battlefield, however, Russia has demonstrated operational learning,
adapting technologically and tactically to Ukrainian innovations. Moscow, Beijing,
Tehran, and Pyongyang have strengthened their linkages and are actively targeting
the U.S., our Allies, and our partners in the information domain. Damage to undersea
pipelines and cables underscored how seabed infrastructure has become targetable.
Despite Black Sea losses, Russia’s fleets retain combat power in the High North and
Atlantic, Mediterranean, Baltic, and North Pacific. The Kremlin also holds the world’s
largest nuclear stockpile. We must continue to support credible deterrence alongside
Allies and partners in the Euro-Atlantic area.
Highly interconnected threats make peace brittle. Hamas’s 2023 assault on Israel
required a Navy presence across the Middle East to deter attacks by other Iranian proxies
and reduce the risk of a wider conflict. Emboldened by Hamas and armed by Iran, Houthi
forces target merchant shipping along the Bab al-Mandeb, a key chokepoint in the Red
Sea, exposing our Sailors to the most persistent hostile fire we have faced since World
War II. Iran, which is also supplying arms to Russia, further launched hundreds of drones
and missiles at Israel, bringing the entire region to the verge of war. These events prove
how quickly the security environment can shift through seen and unseen linkages, and
how essential our Navy is to providing flexible response options to our Nation’s
decision-makers.

[bob q]

There is a lot more to the war than stated above . It was not unprovoked , Putin has the backing of his people , it is just where the fighting is at , not who really is involved . Nato did attack Russia with personal and missiles . Compare that to the Cuban missile crisis .

[Surpmil]

We could argue about the causes, but we can probably agree on the effects?

[Sapper740]

Nato did attack Russia with personal and missiles.

I guess I missed that. When did NATO personnel attack Russia? Are you referring to Ukraine's use of American ATACMS? In any event I tend to agree with former Admiral Stavridis, who led the NATO Alliance in global operations from 2009 to 2013 in that it is not a bad thing to keep Russia tied up in Ukraine. Many complain about the billions of dollars in aid sent to Ukraine, and rightfully so but as a Chess player I tend to look several moves ahead and having a non-NATO country as a buffer between Russia and a NATO country such as Poland or Slovakia is not a bad thing. As for those concerned about the cost of supporting Ukraine, t'is a pittance if things get kinetic between Russia and NATO. At least American servicemen aren't dying in Ukraine.

[Aragorn243]

Everyone missed that because NATO has not attacked Russia and their invasion was unprovoked. Russia clearly started all of this whether by themselves or their proxies in Ukraine. I don't even think Putin has the backing of his people, they don't want war.