I have 'held my tongue' over pointing out to Roc that 'we got a result' in apologizing to China and getting the crew back pronto.
Having read this thread and the fact that the PRC fighters 'hot-dogged' the EP3 - this goes with the territory and the USAF/USN/USMC guys never do it do they.
They also, historically, have had quite a deal of success in shooting down their own people eg Pair of Blackhawks in Turkey to name but a recent one.
Surely isn't this the same 'gung-ho' spirit, but its only wrong when someone else does it?
Come on boys, get real. The USAF/CIA/RAF and probably others I don't know about regularly (and I believe for valid reasons) infringed and damn well violated sovereign countries' airspace. Don't whinge like school kids who have had the ice cream knocked off their cones if it goes wrong from time to time. It really does go with the territory.
Roc thought that an 'apology' would have been a 'slap in the face' for the US Military. A damn sight worse one would have been action like the aborted Iranian Hostage Rescue which went to absolute rat!!!! and gave the US Specials quite a bad rep for years.
Which is worse.
Bugger the EP 3, there probably isn't a secret left in the damn thing anyway, scrap it and save a lot of hot air being pumped. Its not a symbol, its an old airframe thats been stripped to the bone - why not make it into a Chinese Restaurant, or even a Hamburger Joint?