Russia - threadbanned users in OP

But yet for the last 8 years there has been US and Nato troops regularly in Ukraine, whether it be in training/advisor roles of for joint forces exercises right up until the invasion

Important Aviation News:

Apologies in advance. This is a long one, but of extreme interest.

We are witnessing an extraordinary mobilisation of NATO air assets across Europe at the moment. From Belfast, right over and up to Finland, everything from f-16's to Turkish Airforce SIGNIT 737's are currently airborne. To break it down, Here is an overview of ONLY military aircraft ( and just the ones with transponders switched on) airborne over Europe right now:

Let's have a quick look at some of the assets:

Above: 2 x Canadian C-130j's are leaving Belfast.

Above: A flight of F-16's, probably outfitted for SEAD, is leaving UK airspace.

Above: one of many KC-135 on fueling operations.

Above: A second flight of F-16s currently airborne.

Above, here you can see a cluster of Kc-135's airborne over Europe.

Above, one of many USAF C-17's currently on the move.

Above: Almost every ELINT and SIGNIT ( intelligence-gathering) platform in the NATO arsenal is now airborne over Europe. That alone is extraordinary. From Swedish AF Gulfstream monitoring Kaliningrad to a Turkish AF ELINT 737 up near the Baltic Sea.

Above, here we see a very rare Turkish AF Early Warning aircraft on its way towards Kaliningrad.

I would highly recommend watching the skies over Europe over the next day or so and listening in to the various LiveATC streams covering the airspace over and around Polish Airspace.

No official nato exercises due this week ,

Something to watch

@greenpilot Here another one in from brize

This is odd

Oddly enough, I think this sort of action helps to mitigate; NATO can't sit on its hands while the Russians **** around.

They need to know that the first sniff NATO gets of any WMD movement, they are going to get lit up like a Christmas tree.

Looks like Twitter has responded to Chinese pressure and has deleted Jennifer Zeng's account. She broke the story alleging that Xi Jinping had been arrested.

No wonder: https://www.indiatoday.in/news-analysis/story/someone-out-there-doesnt-like-twitter-accounts-critical-of-china-1720221-2020-09-09

JAKE11 currently doing loops of Kaliningrad having trekked back and over along the Estonian Russian border earlier. No doubt casting a long eye in towards St Petersberg.

FORTE10 sitting in the Black Sea for the past 8 hours.

Fascinating to watch the manoeuvring that transponders allow us see.

But I agree EOQTRL, it does have an ominous feel to it.

I just hope this is NATO flexing its muscle but it does feel like stepping things up a notch.

Some people are just baying for WW3 to start I suppose, I don't read too much into NATO airforce manoeuvres/operations. Announced or otherwise. Just NATO showing Russia that it can muscle up a lot of airpower in a very short timeframe. Could be in response to the school shooting warning Russia not to use any excuse to do anything major. I really don't see a great deal to it.

Amongst other things, I think that would put Russian targets, on Russian soil firmly in the sights of Ukrainian military planners, something that they have so far avoided in any meaningful way.

I'd say it more to get visibility if the Russians are going to mass the extra manpower somewhere new to open up a new point of pressure on Ukraine.

It's also useful to remind Putin that every piece of Russian kit and every Russia troop in the occupied territories of Ukraine are "touchable".

Your post reminds me of that urban myth T-shirt of John Lennons last words:

"That's not a real gun"

But seriously, to those who follow aviation over a number of years, what occurring right now is a pretty big deal. Observing and reporting on aviation movements does not presume that those interested in such things are "Baying for WW3".

I would alway be disbelieving of someone who says 'to be honest' or similar like 'I'm not bluffing' , you have to question are they usually dishonest or bluffers, are doing that again?

Any power that seriously threatens nuclear attack leaves itself open to a massive disabling 'first strike' leaving the country devestated and their response much weaker and uncordinated. I'm sure a few specific missiles would target all of Putin's personal living quarters too.

Russiia has lost this and they need to find a way out.

Gatling, I say this with respect and affection: China's lack of denial on the absurd rumours that Xi Jinping is under hours arrest is in no way evidence that he is. That's just not a logical argument. China just doesn't work that way, releasing a statement every time someone on Twitter has a brain fart. It really does't help your overall credibility - and I think you're been a significantly important contributor on this thread - to keep claiming otherwise. All the reports of it have come from dodgy Indian sources, and if you do need "proof of life", the People's Daily today published this:

There's no way in hell that the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party would be publishing such articles about him if he was under house arrest.

Plus all their articles about the National Congress meeting next month put him front and centre.

I don't know, maybe knock this one on the head?

I saw on flight radar a Qatar Air Force plane took off from Leeds and was flying around north east England too. Thought it was weird.

Italian Air Force now in same area