For
example, do you really think the president is going to authorize the
Navy to do anything that might create an international incident, such
as shoot down Russian planes trying to overfly a carrier battle group.

Additionally, while flying over a naval military formation may be provacative,
it is not illegal. The airspace above a CBG is international airspace and the
only restrictions on overflight is the ICAO requirement to maintain at least
500' altitude seperation from the surface vessels. So....the US had no legal
right to engage, or even interfere with the Russian aircraft as long as they
didn't drop any objects, open their bomb doors, fly across the bow or attempt
to jam any of the battle groups surviellence radars (legal acts of war as
defined by Geneva) and they maintained 500' above the tallest ship. Actually,
even if they flew lower than 500', this is not a reason to interfere with this
flight, all this would allow the US to do is file a complaint with the ICAO.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"