Russian bombers flying in British airspace

[Wig]

RAF jets intercept Russian bombers flying in British airspace | Mail Online

 

 

Streaking through the dawn sky, a deadly Russian Blackjack nuclear bomber buzzes British airspace in a dramatic picture released by the RAF.

It was taken by the crew of a Tornado jet scrambled to intercept the supersonic invader as it headed for Scotland earlier this month.

Yesterday defence chiefs revealed the RAF has been scrambled no fewer than 20 times in the last year to repel Russian warplanes.

 

We're on to you: An RAF Tornado intercepts a Russian Blackjack bomber near Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis

Analysts said it was part of a growing tendency for the Kremlin to flex its military muscles in the post-Cold War era. The Russian 'Bear' has been testing Western response times to its increasingly aggressive incursions.

In this instance, on March 10, radar picked up two of the Tu160 Blackjack bombers flying at high speed towards the Outer Hebrides.

Nicknamed the White Swan by its Russian pilots, the Tu160 is capable of travelling at 1,380mph and can carry up to 88,000lbs of ordnance including either cruise or short-range nuclear missiles.

 

Two RAF Tornado F3 fighters from 111 Squadron were immediately scrambled from RAF Leuchars in Fife.

 

They intercepted the Russian warplanes in international airspace near Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, and took photographs of the bombers glinting in the early morning sunshine against a clear blue sky.

Emblazoned in red on the silver fuselage was the name 'Vasily Reshetnikov', who was a legendary World War II Russian bomber pilot who flew 307 sorties behind enemy lines on the Eastern Front and earned the title 'Hero of the Soviet Union'.

 

The Russian jets were involved in a four hour stand-off before they left UK airspace emblazoned in red Cyrillic letters on the fuselage is the name Vasily Reshetnikov, a World War II bomber pilot who flew 307 sorties behind German lines and earned the title Hero of the Soviet Union

 

The Tornados closely shadowed the bombers as they flew south, before they eventually turned north just short of the Northern Ireland coast.

Eventually the Russians left the borders of UK airspace behind and, after four hours, the Tornado crews stood down and returned to Leuchars.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was suspected of being responsible for ordering the show of strength.

'He wants to test us. They come right up to the edge of international airspace and turn away at the last moment. They can get information about our response times,' said a Ministry of Defence spokesman.

Wing Commander Mark Gorringe, commander of 111 Squadron, added: 'This is not an unusual incident and people may be surprised to know that our crews have successfully scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft on more than 20 occasions since the start of 2009.

'Our pilots, navigators and indeed all the support personnel at RAF Leuchars work very hard to deliver the UK Quick Reaction Alert Force 24 hours a day, which can be scrambled in minutes, to defend the UK from unidentified aircraft entering our airspace, or aircraft in distress.

 

The incidents have revived memories of the Cold War, when cat-and-mouse games in the sky were common

'It's a very important job, defending the UK and helping to keep UK citizens safe.'

Last night one defence analyst said: 'After the Cold War, Russian incursions dropped off hugely, but in the past five years they have been steadily picking up again.

'They have become more incursive and more aggressive in their operations and it is a definite change in their behaviour patterns.

 

'We have had to step up our intercepts, and that's exactly what they want because it is all about testing the RAF's reaction times. They get valuable information every time they do it. They will time us to the second and then feed everything into their computer for analysis, to see if we're getting better or worse.

 

'It means if they ever wanted to do it for real, they would know exactly how we operate.'

Earlier this month Putin urged his country's military industry to start working on a new strategic bomber after finishing a new fifth-generation fighter jet.

'We should not confine ourselves to developing just one new model, Putin said.

 

'After the fifth-generation fighter jet, we must think and get down to work on a next-generation, long-range aircraft, our new strategic missile carrier.'

Putin's remarks underline that Moscow is eager to update the country's aging fleet of military aircraft.

[WaltonRed]

Boss

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I love Russia. I'm not quite sure why, but they don't play by our rules and I like it.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

I'm married to a Russian lass. But in general i hate the bunch of cunts.

[Section_31]

Pissheads.

[Guest TK-421]

It's ok if they're targetting Scotland first.

[WaltonRed]

I love them. My favourite country

[dirty_sanchez]

Yeltsin scared the shit out of me. Permenantly pissed and carting around the keys to a mental nuclear arsenal.

[Flying Pig]

The Russian air force are shit. All they've done is buy an old concorde just to put the shits up us.

[Guest TK-421]

*Altogether now*

 

There were 10 Russian Bombers in the air..

[Newport]

They do this on a regular basis along the coast of Norway. Nothing to make a fuss about to be honest. Probably just dropping off some prostitutes, models or tennis players.

[Strontium]

Shithouses. They should shoot one down next time.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Wonderful, wonderful pictures. And Russia are massive shithouses.

[dirty_sanchez]

I give it less than a day before someone makes a Top Gun reference. I'd put money on it being Section 31.

[Kevin D]

Could just imagine their PM boasting to Obama about how cowardly we are, calling us all straight up punks and making fun of the way we talk, probably. We should declare war the next time this happens; for I would rather die than live in a world run by snooty Russians.

[Guest TK-421]

I give it less than a day before someone makes a Top Gun reference. I'd put money on it being Section 31.

 

Stop taking the MiG out of Section, he's a nice lad.

[Unrighteous]

I love Russia. I'm not quite sure why, but they don't play by our rules and I like it.

 

... that and their women are fucking hot.

[The Robot Tank]

Russia and most Russians in general are cool motherfuckers. Drunk, but still cool.

 

They might be flying into our airspace, but if anyone encroached our airspace, I'd want it to be the Russians.

[Red Mist]

How dare they invade out airspace? Why were they not shot down? Gutless Labour government too scared to start a fight with the Russkies, I bet.

[Wor Horse]

You didn't even post the picture...

 

[MokTheAfflicted]

Nothing new. Its been happening for donkeys - right through the Cold War and wont stop anytime soon I would think

[Stouffer]

They do this on a regular basis along the coast of Norway. Nothing to make a fuss about to be honest. Probably just dropping off some prostitutes, models or tennis players.

 

Indeed; happens all the time.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

How dare they invade out airspace? Why were they not shot down? Gutless Labour government too scared to start a fight with the Russkies, I bet.

 

You're actually starting to piss me off.

 

1. They didn't invade our airspace, it was international airspace.

2. Because it would have been fucking stupid to shoot down the aircraft of such a powerful nation who are a fellow member of the UN Security Council, a G8 member, the world's largest exporter of gas, the world's second largest exporter of oil. That's hardly cowardice.

3. Does every one of your ridiculous posts end with 'gutless government'. Do you have any idea of the reaction shooting down a Russian plane in International airspace, or even our own airspace when under no threat, would cause?

[melons]

I give it less than a day before someone makes a Top Gun reference. I'd put money on it being Section 31.

 

Wouldn't Hot shots be more appropriate?

[Guest TK-421]

Part Deux.