Open Skies Treaty - Russia wants to fly surveillance planes over US

[easyt65]

Russia wants to fly surveillance planes over US with advanced cameras, congressional staffer says | Fox News

Russia wants to fly surveillance planes over US with advanced cameras

"Russia and the United States are signatories to the Open Skies Treaty, which allows unarmed observation flights over the entire territory of all 34 member nations to foster transparency about military activity and help monitor arms control and other agreements. Senior intelligence and military officials, however, worry that Russia is taking advantage of technological advances to violate the spirit of the treaty."

Did anyone know our government was / had been stupid enough to sign a treaty that would allow enemy countries to fly surveillance aircraft / flights over the United States?

This is the problem with our dumbass politicians / leadership - the inability to think things through!

Our enemy fly over our country with spy planes? Sure - what could be the harm?!

 

[Steve_McGarrett]

Trump would never allow it. Obama would!

 

[BlindBoo]

Russia wants to fly surveillance planes over US with advanced cameras, congressional staffer says | Fox News

Russia wants to fly surveillance planes over US with advanced cameras

"Russia and the United States are signatories to the Open Skies Treaty, which allows unarmed observation flights over the entire territory of all 34 member nations to foster transparency about military activity and help monitor arms control and other agreements. Senior intelligence and military officials, however, worry that Russia is taking advantage of technological advances to violate the spirit of the treaty."

Did anyone know our government was / had been stupid enough to sign a treaty that would allow enemy countries to fly surveillance aircraft / flights over the United States?

This is the problem with our dumbass politicians / leadership - the inability to think things through!

Our enemy fly over our country with spy planes? Sure - what could be the harm?!

Eisenhower presents his “Open Skies” plan - Jul 21, 1955 - HISTORY.com

President Dwight D. Eisenhower presents his “Open Skies” plan at the 1955 Geneva summit meeting with representatives of France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. The plan, though never accepted, laid the foundation for President Ronald Reagan’s later policy of “trust, but verify” in relation to arms agreements with the Soviet Union.

 

[easyt65]

Still a stupid idea.

 

[Syriusly]

Did anyone know our government was / had been stupid enough to sign a treaty that would allow enemy countries to fly surveillance aircraft / flights over the United States?

This is the problem with our dumbass politicians / leadership - the inability to think things through!

There is no treaty which allows 'enemy' countries to fly surveillance aircraft over the United States.

The concept of "mutual aerial observation" was initially proposed to Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin at the Geneva Conference of 1955 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower;

The treaty was eventually signed as an initiative of US president (and former Director of Central Intelligence) George H. W. Bush in 1989. Negotiated by the then-members of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the agreement was signed in Helsinki, Finland, on March 24, 1992.

Observation aircraft may be provided by either the observing Party or (the "taxi option") by the observed Party, at the latter's choice. All Open Skies aircraft and sensors must pass specific certification and pre-flight inspection procedures to ensure that they are compliant with treaty standards. The official certified U.S. Open Skies aircraft is the OC-135B Open Skies.

The United States successfully flew its first Open Skies mission over Russia in December 2002.

 

[easyt65]

I would certainly call Russia an 'enemy'. Anyone who thinks they are our 'friend' or that they are even 'neutral' is not playing with a full deck as far as I am concerned, and I am pretty sure Putin does not see the U.S. as an ally.

I will stand by my opinion that such a treaty is dumb.

 

[martybegan]

Did anyone know our government was / had been stupid enough to sign a treaty that would allow enemy countries to fly surveillance aircraft / flights over the United States?

This is the problem with our dumbass politicians / leadership - the inability to think things through!

There is no treaty which allows 'enemy' countries to fly surveillance aircraft over the United States.

The concept of "mutual aerial observation" was initially proposed to Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin at the Geneva Conference of 1955 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower;

The treaty was eventually signed as an initiative of US president (and former Director of Central Intelligence) George H. W. Bush in 1989. Negotiated by the then-members of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the agreement was signed in Helsinki, Finland, on March 24, 1992.

Observation aircraft may be provided by either the observing Party or (the "taxi option") by the observed Party, at the latter's choice. All Open Skies aircraft and sensors must pass specific certification and pre-flight inspection procedures to ensure that they are compliant with treaty standards. The official certified U.S. Open Skies aircraft is the OC-135B Open Skies.

The United States successfully flew its first Open Skies mission over Russia in December 2002.

I'm shocked the Russians actually signed the damn thing, even after the Communists were out of power.

Plus in a free country like the US, it's not all that hard to rent an airplane and fly around taking pictures. I believe both sides can still designate certain areas as restricted airspace.

Hell, the Russians were so paranoid about air defense they had a whole separate branch of the armed forces that were responsible for it.

Soviet Air Defence Forces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Unlike Western air defence forces, V-PVO was a branch of the military unto itself, separate from the Soviet Air Force (VVS) and Air Defence Troops of Ground Forces. During the Soviet period it was generally ranked third in importance of the Soviet services,[1] behind the Strategic Rocket Forcesand the Ground Forces./QUOTE]

 

[SuperDemocrat]

Judging by the willingness of 'liberals' to defend American interest I would say that any provision that allows us to do the same with them I would suspect this will become a fly over the US only treaty.

The other issue is why is this even necessary CONSIDERING THE FACT WE ARE NOT AT WAR WITH RUSSIA?

 

[bendog]

Calm down. It ain't gonna happen. It's just Putin seeking attention.

 

[Gracie]

If we are allowed to fly over Russia, I see no reason why Russia cannot fly over the USA.

 

[bendog]

We already fly over Russia because we have those really expensive satillites with the nifty cameras. Russia will not be flying planes over the US because they are not in compliance with the treaty, and no politician of either party will ever say they are, although Bernie is someone I wouldn't bet on ....

 

[Timmy]

Russia has satellites Anyway .

 

[Syriusly]

I would certainly call Russia an 'enemy'. Anyone who thinks they are our 'friend' or that they are even 'neutral' is not playing with a full deck as far as I am concerned, and I am pretty sure Putin does not see the U.S. as an ally.

I will stand by my opinion that such a treaty is dumb.

So in your world everyone is either our ally or our enemy.

But your opinion is noted- that after the treaty being in effect for 25 years- you finally are aware of it- and think it is 'dumb'.

 

[BlindBoo]

The 34 States Parties to the Open Skies Treaty are: Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine, and United States. Kyrgyzstan has signed but not yet ratified. The Treaty depositaries are Canada and Hungary.

Open Skies Treaty

 

[easyt65]

The vast majority of those nations are neither our friend or enemy, and most also do not have the ability to make such flights over the US. Russia, however, is NIT our friend, is NOT neutral to us, and has the ability to make such flights, which should not be allowed IMO. Stupid idea. As already pointed out - no such flights are necessary / warranted as Russia has satelites.

 

[waltky]

Granny says tell `em...

... to put a sock in dey's afterburners.