One thing NATO can do

[DVRacer]

We should immediately setup a no fly zone over Ukraine. We announce it and do it a single carrier battle group can accomplish this I know for sure. Needs to be done asap.

[Wingus Dingus]

1. No way we can enforce it without great risk of a wider war.

And so it would be set up and immediately flouted by Russia, and we'd look silly.

[DVRacer]

4. It is naive to think it will not go bigger

No matter what we do or don’t do. Establishing air control is a priority early.

[Wingus Dingus]

7. We wouldn't be able to control it

without shooting down Russian planes. Russia is not going to respect a no-fly zone in Ukraine. Recall that China tried to suddenly and arbitrarily restrict airspace near Japan about 8 or 9 years ago--we promptly flew a B-52 through it. Made them look stupid. That's what would happen in this situation. So we either look stupid, or flirt with WW3.

[NightWatcher]

2. We are about to fortify the eastern border of NATO countries.

This will be coming to global crisis level soon. No telling how it plays out.

[cos dem]

3. I think they could also mobilize in the adjacent NATO countries.

Baltic states, Norway, Poland for example. Easily justified. An aggressive asshole lives next door, and NATO needs to protect itself.

[brooklynite]

5. After all, we always win the air battles in the movies.....

[DVRacer]

8. I wasn't in the Navy in a movie except one

I was there when we told Ukraine we would defend them if they turned over their nuclear arsenal. I was on the ground in Bosnia and Yugoslavia. I spent most of my late teens and twenties in that part of the world. The only movie I was in was Executive Decision and we were in Key West.

[brooklynite]

10. So what you're saying is you never went to war with Russia.

Air exclusion zones in Serbia and Syria were slightly different.

[DVRacer]

21. No I fought a proxy war with Russia

Seek and destroy Russian T-72’s and surface to air equipment.

[Amishman]

6. Lend / lease of advanced air defense systems, send along volunteer advisors to teach use

technically Ukrainian owned equipment, fired by Ukrainians...

[Dial H For Hero]

9. Please explain how a single carrier group's couple of dozen fighters is capable of taking on

most of the Soviet Air Force.

[Celerity]

13. +1

[DVRacer]

14. Sure

In addition to the aircraft which have capability for airspace domination. The SM2 system from smaller ships are more capable than anything they have. Also we should have ground based support for a no fly zone from all of NATO but could do it alone if needed.

[Quixote1818]

11. Malcome Nance suggested this on the Stephanie Miller show the other day. nt

[KurtSteiner]

12. Agreed...but...

President Biden has been emphatic that there will be "no American troops inside Ukraine."

That would include carrier-based USN/USMC F/A-18 aircrews.

It would just take one engagement between a Hornet and a MiG/Sukhoi for things to explode (literally and figuratively).

If any such no-fly zone is going to be established it will have to come from NATO Europe.

And really, Putin will not care.

The Russian Air Force is among the most modern in the world.

They're not like the depleted early-90s Iraqi Air Force equipped with near-obsolescent 20+ year old.

And Putin is very unlikely to stop there...I really think we are looking at possible WWIII.

[Voltaire2]

15. From the Mediterranean?

That would be difficult. Good luck trying to get a carrier group into the Black Sea.

[DVRacer]

19. We ran the Iraq northern watch from the Mediterranean

All through the 90’s up to 2003.
What would stop any NATO country including the US from going through Turkey like we have in the past. We may actually already have a group in the Black Sea I would be surprised if we didn’t.

[Voltaire2]

22. Everyone would be surprised if we had a

carrier group in the Black Sea, including the US Navy.

1. Iraq had no Air Force and no air defense system.
2. Look at a map.

Sometimes there are actually no good military options. This is one of those times.

[Lurker Deluxe]

16. really?

1 carrier group with 40 planes can take control of and hold six hundred thousand square miles of land against anti aircraft batteries and a thousand opposition aircraft??

Kick ass ... send 2 and just conquer the whole county of Russia, be over in a day.

LMAO!

[AlexSFCA]

17. NATO countries are under threat now due to possible nuclear plant failures in Ukraine

who is going to maintain nuclear plants while war is ongoing? Zelensky is saying Chernobyl is now real possibility in 2022. Radiation may spread to Poland. Poland is NATO member.

[sarisataka]

18. I'm not sure if folks don't understand

Repercussions of escalation or if they are just nihilist.

It could not be done with a single carrier, four maybe. It would require land-based air from bases in NATO countries. Countries within range if Russian cruise missiles.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

20. This.