# How closely do/can the Russians monitor our strategic AF operations? (And us them)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-closely-do-can-the-russians-monitor-our-strategic-af-operations-and-us-them/785756>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 3, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-closely-do-can-the-russians-monitor-our-strategic-af-operations-and-us-them/785756 "2017-05-03T01:21:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-closely-do-can-the-russians-monitor-our-strategic-af-operations-and-us-them/785756/1 "2017-05-03T01:21:20Z")

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See query. Prompted by this real vid of a real event with the unfortunate title [DEFCON 1 SCENARIO!!! AIR FORCE SCRAMBLES 20 B-52 Bombers into the Air!!!](https://youtu.be/XVdrZ1zig-0), which apparently is from an exercise six months in the making, which is for all I know _intended_ to be closely watched from satellites.

Spoiler alert: lots of B-52s taking off.

But in the normal military monitoring they (and we Americans) do, what granularity is part of day-to-day awareness?  
ETA: I, for one, hereby promise not to repeat any classified information posted in replies.

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**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-closely-do-can-the-russians-monitor-our-strategic-af-operations-and-us-them/785756/2 "2017-05-03T05:16:51Z")

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> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> See query. Prompted by this real vid of a real event with the unfortunate title [DEFCON 1 SCENARIO!!! AIR FORCE SCRAMBLES 20 B-52 Bombers into the Air!!!](https://youtu.be/XVdrZ1zig-0), which apparently is from an exercise six months in the making, which is for all I know _intended_ to be closely watched from satellites.
> 
> Spoiler alert: lots of B-52s taking off.
> 
> But in the normal military monitoring they (and we Americans) do, what granularity is part of day-to-day awareness?  
> ETA: I, for one, hereby promise not to repeat any classified information posted in replies.

They keep an eye on Pprune, any combat surges get quickly reported

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-closely-do-can-the-russians-monitor-our-strategic-af-operations-and-us-them/785756/3 "2017-05-03T06:43:15Z")

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The have a an extensive military satellite network. They also doubtless moinitor communications.

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-closely-do-can-the-russians-monitor-our-strategic-af-operations-and-us-them/785756/4 "2017-05-03T15:49:39Z")

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It should be noted that large training exercises are[announced in advance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foal_Eagle), presumably to keep other countries from freaking out and launching a defensive attack.

[It isn’t just the U.S.](http://www.newsweek.com/cuba-military-exercise-trump-win-election-518998) that does it, either.

Sometimes they’re actually [pretty detailed](http://eng.mil.ru/en/mission/practice/all.htm) in announcing their plans.