The Most Revolutionary Act

The Russian PAK-FA (T50)

Below an interesting article from the Australian Business Spectator provides an intriguing analysis of the global positioning behind Russia’s stand on Syria. One Americans won’t find in the US business press.

Among the issues highlighted is the fact that Russia is fairly debt-free, a definite advantage in modern day global politics, and the vast superiority of the Russian/Indian PAK-FA (T-50) over the American Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). According to Robert Gottliebsen, the editorial’s author, the former gives Russia clear air superiority over NATO. Gottliebsen also mentions that Russia, not the EU, will be bailing out Cypress, in their pursuit of a presence at the island’s deep water port. The Russians are determined to maintain naval access to the Mediterranean, in case the Syrian civil war forces them to abandon their naval base at Tartus in Syria.

“Russia might have lost the cold war but as a low debt country it is coming back with a vengeance.

The return of Russian power is among the long-term security ramifications caused by the convulsions in Europe and the Middle East plus the mistakes of the US.

More ramifications will start to emerge in the next 12 months.

But over the weekend the ‘Russia is Back’ syndrome hit the headlines in two events. First, the Dutch parliament rejected the American Joint Strike Fighter. The Netherlands are coming close to an election and whether the rejection will follow through to action will depend on the outcome. Nevertheless, the Netherlands are facing the same problem as all other JSF partners – in tough economic times the aircraft’s costs are ballooning. And they will rise even further as more countries pull out.

More seriously, it is now clear that the JSF will not be able to match the Russian/Indian PAK-FA T-50, the aircraft giving Russia air superiority in Europe.”

Read more here: Russia’s New Muscle