Dear Editor,
Just thought that I would bring to the attention of your readers the fact that over the weekend (15/16 Dec) there was a formidable Russian naval battle group sailing down the west coast of Ireland on route to the Mediterranean.

The group was consisting of eight ships and submarines including the aircraft carrier Admiral Kutznetsov loaded with up to 20 SU-37 flanker aircraft plus numerous helicopters and support aircraft, and the nuclear powered battle cruiser Pyotr Veliky, one of the most potent warships in the world. These ships had already caused a great deal of concern and annoyance around the oil rigs off the north eastern coast of Scotland earlier in the week, where they had to suspend all helicopter flights to the rigs for safety reasons because of the continuous launching of aircraft from the aircraft carrier.

Although I personally have no major problem with them sailing down the west coast, my point is, where were the GAAW when all this was happening? There has not been a word from them. They must be pleading ignorance or something, as they were always in the know when it came to the Salthill Air Show. There again these are not American or British are they? Different rules must apply. This battle group have infinitely more firepower than all the combined aircraft that have ever attended the Salthill Air Show in the 15 years that it was run and within easy reach of any part of Ireland. Also, remember that it wasn't so long ago that Russia spent ten years fighting in Afghanistan. Talk about double standards!

Roger Harrison,
Newcastle

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