The sun is now setting in the west and the tensions were rising in the east. Yet, just like the eternal sunset and sunrise on earth, trouble and conflict are eternal as well.

Our team arrived in Ankara on Sunday to pay a quick visit to the OODC, Turkey and we were briefed by the team who were on the ground in Bet' Lehem.

Now we are in southern Russia at a poor-man's equivalent of Shamballa, something more akin to Area 51.

Tech2 had flown us onto a narrow runway and he was pointed by a fur-helmeted chap to park our AF "battlelabs" designed craft which has yet to be found in a copy of Jane's all the worlds Aircraft.

Yes, these impromptu visits often entail a bit of showmanship. It was not much of a surprise when Tech5 pointed to a craft on the tarmac ony 300 yards from our "parking spot."

"I'll be da-ned if that isn't an Mig I-42!" exclaimed Tech5 as nonchalantly as possible.

"Yep. it's one of those times to flash what ya got."

We walk to a rectangular platform which begins to descend almost as soon as we are all on it.

"Going down.." Tech7 says her voice betraying just a touch of anxiety.

I look at my watch and see we are going to be right on time.

The lift stops and we are inside an enormous underground hangar. It's a Russian plane-lovers smorgasboard.

Tech2 who loves almost all things that fly - is clearly in heaven as he tries to ascertain all the craft within view.

"Frogfoot ZU4, A-50, there's a coaler...and on the end that's gotta be an S-37!" He is whispering audibly.

"Hey, it's to be expected that they are still developing and producing..and their economy is on the upswing so we''ll see more where these came from." I say with the cool detachment of someone who finds planes as exciting as moss on trees.

Not that I am not impressed. My eyes are looking at some of the armaments attached to the wings of some of these craft and I see some things which are totally unfamiliar. AS-60? AS-70? Hard to tell. But definitely impressive firepower.

We are wearing some prototype flightsuits which have built in IT interface components and tracking units. The boys back at Shamballa can track us within 1 meter's length anywhere in the world.

The hard face of a Russian intelligence officer greets us and is clearly evaluating us with steely eyes. Not one to smile, this one is all business as he extends his hand to me, robot-like, as if following a custom completely unfamiliar but perfunctory.

No briefing room - no powerpoint presentation or corporate feel which has so crept into the US federal intelligence infrastructure - a refreshing change.

We're gonna be briefed right here in the hangar, on uncomfortable and old looking, folding metal chairs.

"Israel is out of control. Like a dog on a leash...he must be always firmly held. We have sources within Israeli intelligence which tell us Sharon is planning to make the troop incursions on the West Bank long-term, dismantling all the PLO infrastructure so Sharon can...

Twenty minutes elapse.

I am convinced that Israel is betraying the President's faith by what disturbiung things I have heard. Enough material corresponds with what our own agents have uncovered to make this lengthy diatribe not merely feasible, but plausible.

I also see that anti-semitism still thrives among the former KGB. Enough Israeli/dog analogies were included for a world class pedigreed pooch show.

A tone from my com-link prompts me to push a small button on my lightweight kevlar "cuff-com". Rumsfeld's face appears clearly in the 1-1/4 inch LCD screen.

"Tech1, the Chef has informed me that the ingredients have to be put in the soup before dinnertime."

There is one thing one should know about Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld is poor at the verbal cryptograms employed by IA for unsecure channels. He always manages to sound as stiff as possible and as If he is reading the lines off of a teleprompter. On a rare occasion he says some of them with an audible "smile" but that's about it. It is clear he would simply just love to tell us Bush says "get your as-es over to Israel!"

So pleasantries are exchanged, a vow of goodwill from the US to Russia is made in the form of some valuable information on several US banks holding large sums in Chechnyan held financial accounts.

Tech2 casually ogles the I-42 on our way out. I notice a cameraman in the distance. Our plane has probably had enough photos of it made in the past twenty minutes to fill an album or three.

Yet, that was precisely the point. This was a show visit and it went very well.
Tech6's uniform was recording all we see in DARPA's latest version of field-duty cinemascope for review later.

The 140 decibel blast of takeoff is muted somewhat by our helmets - but the vibration an tearing at one's guts can never be diluted.

We are airborne again...and the stars above us and clouds belows us obscure the earth so that one could almost feel one is flying in space. The clear canopies were the best sort of planetarium.

It's back to the OODC and then Shamballa for me. Tech2 will lead the squad on the ground in Israel - where we can hopefully undo some of the damage - and more.

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNHHH

"Missilelock!" Shouts Tech7 as a loud horn sound emits in our cockpit.

Suddenly two planes burst past us in a humongous roar!!!

About 200 yards away on both sides - doing a supercruise manuever, the likes and speed of which I have NEVER seen before - two Mig I-42's.

"Showoffs" Tech2 says with consternation.

We watch the planes leave us in the dust - the same way a Viper might pass a minivan full of kiddies, leaving them coughing on V10 exhaust fumes.

"I think we are going to need a major hop-up on the F-22....and much sooner than later. Our superiority is now definitely contestable." I say still somewhat in disbelief.

"We have just lost the mantle, haven't we?" replies Tech7 to my observation.

"Yes...I am afraid we have. The curators of his museum now finally have something to point at and say this is the Clinton legacy."

"Bush is going to be really p-d off when he finds out about this!"

I am silent. My mind is thinking of the North Koreans, the Chinese and everyone else who has partial access to Russian air technologies...

"let's get the hell outta here."
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SDAI-Tech1