US Asks Vietnam To Stop Russian Bomber Refueling Flights From Cam Ranh Air Base

HughPickens.com writes Reuters reports that the United States has asked Vietnam to stop letting Russia use its former US base at Cam Ranh Bay to refuel nuclear-capable bombers engaged in shows of strength over the Asia-Pacific region. General Vincent Brooks, commander of the U.S. Army in the Pacific, says the Russian bombers have conducted "provocative" flights, including around the U.S. Pacific Ocean territory of Guam, home to a major American air base. Brooks said the planes that circled Guam were refueled by Russian tankers flying from the strategic bay, which was transformed by the Americans during the Vietnam War into a massive air and naval base. Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that the airport at Cam Ranh was first used for staging Il-78 tankers for aerial refueling of Tu-95MS bombers in January 2014. Asked about the Russian flights in the region, the State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington respected Hanoi's right to enter agreements with other countries but added that "we have urged Vietnamese officials to ensure that Russia is not able to use its access to Cam Ranh Bay to conduct activities that could raise tensions in the region."

Cam Ranh is considered the finest deepwater shelter in Southeast Asia. North Vietnamese forces captured Cam Ranh Bay and all of its remaining facilities in 1975. Vietnam's dependence on Russia as the main source of military platforms, equipment, and armaments, has now put Hanoi in a difficult spot. Russia has pressed for special access to Cam Ranh Bay ever since it began delivering enhanced Kilo-class submarines to Vietnam. "Hanoi is invariably cautious and risk adverse in its relations with the major powers," says Carl Thayer. "The current issue of Russian tankers staging out of Cam Ranh pits Russia and China on one side and the United States on the other. There is no easy solution for Vietnam."

Comments

Re:I feel for them...

[Karmashock]

Yes, because the Republicans just invented two of our sky scrappers having commercial airliners crashed into them.

I love that people also forget that the demomcrats got the US into WW1, WW2, and Vietnam. To say nothing of the wars Bill and Obama went into. But no... its just the warmonger republicans.

If you're a complete fucking shill.

The reality is that both parties will go to war often for similar reasons.

They don't go to war for different reasons.

The republicans have an isolationist streak. The part of them that wants to not go to war does so for that reason.

The democrats have an increasingly relevant kumbaya contingent that thinks war is not the answer, etc. Hence reset buttons to Russia with predictable results.

Regardless, saying the republicans are the war party when neither party is for or against war in general is silly. They each have different views on geo politics and they each have relevant points to make.