Posted on 05/27/2020 4:57:31 AM PDT by Kaslin
In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed to the Kremlin that the U.S. and the USSR each be permitted to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the other’s territory and collect data on each other’s military forces and activities to enhance confidence that neither was planning a surprise attack. Moscow refused, calling it a license for American spying. Intensification of the Cold War made the issue dormant until President George H.W. Bush revived it in 1999 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The “Open Skies Treaty” was signed and ratified in 2002 and now has 34 members. According to the Arms Control Association, “All of a state-party's territory can be overflown. No territory can be declared off-limits by the host nation.” In addition, “Observation aircraft used to fly the missions must be equipped with sensors that enable the observing party to identify significant military equipment, such as artillery, fighter aircraft, and armored combat vehicles.”
President Donald Trump has notified the parties that the U.S. is withdrawing from Open Skies, effective in six months. He did not irrevocably slam the door on the treaty but, as he did with the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the “Iran deal”), he made clear that the U.S. would not remain a party to a treaty that does not serve American interests. “Russia didn’t adhere to the treaty. So, until they adhere, we will pull out,” he told reporters.
Amid the customary shrieking -- by European countries and Democrats -- that accompanies the President’s efforts to align American security policy with American interests, three things should be understood:
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
The US honors the treaty allowing the Russians to fly over what they wish, including Groom Lake, aka Area 51.
Russia does not do the same - telling the US which air routes to use and which installations cannot be flown over.
So what’s the point of the treaty now? Does the US still, despite the restrictions get useful Intel that cannot be gotten any other way?
Dems have to make up their minds. Either we sit down with Russia as leaders of Nations or we keep on the path that the Dems have designed, making Russia a mortal enemy nevermore.
“The US honors the treaty allowing the Russians to fly over what they wish, including Groom Lake, aka Area 51.”
Doesn’t really matter since all of the “sensitive items” are under cover long before the Russian aircraft is within 200 miles of the place.
Satellites do the job and we don't play peekaboo with our assets.
Not really true. Things that can be hidden are assumed to be hidden. But how do you hide new roads, a new runway, new buildings, new antenna farm etc? A lot can be surmised from those items shot from angles not obtainable from Spy Sats.
Satellites have their limits though. You can just about set your watch with the timing of them flying overhead, so if there’s anything that we don’t WANT them to see, it gets put under wraps.
In WW2, Lockheed’s Burbank plant had a very elaborate and effective camouflage installed with the help of the major movie studios. It was so effective that from only 5,000 feet it was said to look like suburb after suburb.
So new buildings, an antenna farm and a runway extension at Area 51 doesn’t really mean anything. It could be a ruse, or it could be legitimate activity.
The military goes to great lengths to play cat and mouse at Area 51 because we don’t and our enemies sure as hell don’t need to know what sort of next generation weapons are being worked on out there.
It’s bad enough as it is when the demsheviks on the house and senate armed services committees give our enemies everything but the kitchen sink for campaign contributions. The new chinese Shenyang FC-31 stealth fighter looks like a carbon copy of our F-22 Raptor thanks to the clintons and the other demsheviks.
You don't really believe our entire inventory of "watcher sats" is known do you?
They know when we launch a satellite, hell it’s advertised if it’s a commercial or military launch.
We know when they launch satellites, and we’ll know if it’s military or commercial
Ya, and if they're dodging all of them, then there is ZERO window of opportunity for undetected movement.
I was in the biz for 45 years, so don't try to school me.
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