Posted by
John Robie on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 2:13:59 PM
"Over the past several years, the Russian Federation has taken a posture that is increasingly antagonistic and hostile toward the US and NATO. Recent Russian military activity and the Kremlin’s stances on Iran and Kosovo indicate a potential for confrontation with the West. We assess that the Kosovo situation in particular could be a catalyst for this confrontation."
"Kosovo’s quest for independence from Serbia has been largely ignored by Western policymakers and the media, but this volatile issue could quickly become a global crisis, pitting Kosovo and its NATO allies against the Russian Federation..."
"Russia has resumed military air patrols near Alaska, Scandinavia, and Great Britain. In recent days, Russia’s strategic bombers have patrolled these areas more and more frequently. Today several TU-160 were monitored by NATO jets off the coasts of Britain and Norway."
"These patrols coincide with Russian naval exercises off Europe’s Atlantic Coast, in which Russian bombers test-fired several air-to-sea missiles. Strategic Intelligence Estimates.com believes these missiles were most likely a Yakhont anti-ship missile that has been modified so that it can be launched from an aircraft. The Yakhont is a supersonic, stealth missile that is “deaf” to jamming. The Yakhont is very capable of destroying aircraft carriers and destroyers."
continued at:
http://www.strategicintelligenceestimates.com/foreignintelligence/threatassessments.html