Joint military exercises with Russians

Mitt Romney is telling us Russia is the US's greatest foe. Doing joint exercises with the enemy is just a little bizarre.

Russian Troops to Seize CIA Facility in Elaborate War Game in US Soil

the Blaze,

26 April, 2012

Update: A spokesperson with the University of Colorado-Denver has responded to The Blaze saying they have not heard of such an exercise where drone technology operated by the university would be used.  The Independent Sentinel got more answers on the story, which it notes was both accurately and inaccurately reported:

I spoke with the officer who answers the phones at Fort Carson Public Affairs next. She said that 20 Russian special forces soldiers were coming the end of May to be trained because her understanding was that they were going to take part in operation Enduring Freedom to help the Afghanis and us [that's a good thing.]

She said that it was the first time Russians were being trained on U.S. soil but it was being done partly to improve diplomatic relations and partly because the terrain outside Fort Carson is similar to the terrain of Afghanistan and she went into some detail explaining how. That is something I have heard before.

She told me she would have the Lt. Col. who will be in charge of the training call me and call me he did.

He said he was concerned about the EU Times and everything in it was inaccurate. He said that he wanted the truth to get out and he was very open with me.

The Lt. Col. said there are 20 soldiers, which is a handful, and did people actually think they would let them run loose? They would never allow 20 soldiers (nor would they be able to) take over the Denver airport via the CIA.

He said that the Russian soldiers will be escorted and watched 24/7 and they will not be running loose.

The Lt. Col. said that for years and years, the military has had a bilateral training program with the Russians.  The program runs joint training missions.

Still, as the Independent Sentinel notes even with the story being misinterpreted, “we will know the complete truth on May 31st.”

According to reports, the U.S. and Russian military will be engaging in an anti-terrorism exercise that will involve Russian paratroopers using U.S. weapons to “take and hold” the main facilities of the CIA and Denver International Airport in Colorado and the National Security Agency in Utah.

(Related: Learn about the hypothetical ‘war games’ the U.S. and China have been playing)

The European Union Times has more on the report announcing this exercise from the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation:

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Alexander Kucherenko publically announced this 24-21 May “anti-terror drill” this Friday past noting that this will be the first time Russian airborne forces have held exercises with the US airborne forces on US territory. Colonel Kucherenko stated, “According to the exercise scenario, soldiers of the two countries will hold a tactical airborne operation, including the reconnaissance of imaginary terrorists’ camp and a raid. After the operation, a helicopter will evacuate the soldiers.” He further added that Russian airborne troops would be training with US special service weapons in these drills in Fort Carson, Colorado.

Puzzling to Russian military analysts about this exercise, this report says, are that according to the American plans, Russian airborne troops (using US weapons that they had previously trained with at Fort Carson) will fly to and then parachute from their planes having the objectives of seizing the CIA’s main computer facility in Denver, the NSA’s main computer facility in Bluffdale, Utah, and taking control of main runways and terminals of the Denver International Airport.

The purpose of seizing the Denver International Airport, this report continues, is for the evacuation of the key personal and equipment previously “freed” from the CIA’s Denver base, and the NSA’s base in Utah, who were, supposedly, under “imminent threat” from an unspecified enemy, according, that is, to the American scenario for this war game.

[...]

Also interesting to note, this report says, is that this entire exercise will be overseen by the “drone army” owned and operated by the University of Colorado who have over the past few years has applied for and obtained over 100 Certificate of Authorization’s (COA) from the US government to fly their pilotless surveillance aircraft for reasons still as yet unknown.

(Related: Where are the 63 drone sites approved by the FAA in the U.S.?)

Business Insider notes this is the first time the Russian military will have been invited onto U.S. soil for a military drill.

Russian military engaging in an anti-terrorism drill. (Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation)

 

Worth noting is Russia earlier this week launched military exercises in collaboration with the Chinese navy. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the six days of drills, which began Sunday, feature simulated anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and search-and-rescue operations, including electronic countermeasures and other sensitive technologies.

Retired major general Yin Zhuo said it shows a high degree of trust between the sides.

“It’s an excellent exchange for China to be able to drill jointly in such sensitive areas,” Yin told CCTV.

China’s Defense Ministry said China was sending two submarines and 16 ships to take part, including destroyers, escort vessels and hospital ships. The deputy chiefs of the countries’ navies oversaw the start of drills in the northeastern Chinese port of Qingdao, the home of China’s northern fleet.

The U.S. and the Philippines are also engaging in war games, a drill which Reuters reports China saying last week would raise potential confrontation.

The Blaze has reached out to the CIA and the University of Colorado to confirm the reports and gain more insight into the potential exercise. We will update this story with any response we receive.