Brits in panic?

[John Knoble]

I don't think the US wants to put boots on the ground in Syria or get into a serious shooting war with Russia, but it might not mind a few skirmishes that show the lauded Russian anti-aircraft systems aren't up to snuff against the latest stealth technology.

Hmm, the question is what happens if they are up to snuff and down a US plane over Syria. My guess is it will be painted as an unprovoked aggression and the first step to full war with Russia.

The defense industry needs Russia as a long-term bugaboo that North Korea and Iran can't be because their technology is generations behind. A shoot-down of a new stealth aircraft would really mean that defense contractors who consumed hundreds of billions of dollars to develop underperforming stealth technology would be given fat new contracts to improve it.