RAF Scrambles To Intercept Russian Bombers

Two Russian Tu-95 bombers were heading towards British airspace yesterday. They were shadowed by Norwegian jets and RAF fighters were scrambled to intercept them. However, the Russian bombers turned back before they reached British airspace.


TU-95

RAF scrambles to intercept Russian bombers


TU-160


I guess there's no doubt that this was a warning from the Russians. I hope they're not planning on more provocations like this. If someone pushes the wrong button or if something unexpected happens, all hell can break loose. I guess there'll take a while before the FSB are allowed to come to London again, in order to rehearse another terror attack...


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They did this a few months back as well...

ATS Thread

The two events look identical, and they are right? Thats kinda scary I hope neither side makes a mistake as it could lead to something worse.

Well, this use to be a regular occurence before Peristroika. It used to get quite nasty at times. On some occaissions Russians attempted to temporarily blind and confuse The RAF interceptor pilots with strobe lights and then make a sudden manouever.

Veering way off topic- Helmut, the rabbit in your avatar! Is it real?

I'm confused. Russia sent bombers our way, whether they were intending to enter our airspace is irrelevant, they still did it. Why is ATS the only place I heard this from?

Tension between Britain and Russia has been getting increasingly worse in the last few months and it looks like one side is going to snap.

In my eyes, this is a deceleration of war and should be treated as such. Letting them get away with this kind of rubbish is not going to end nicely. Russia are getting too big for their boots and need to stop flexing that post-Cold War muscle before they do something they would regret

If true, kind of weird, to see that sort of stuff happening again. Just a warning probably, for uk not to escalate to get back to the old days.

For anyone in the uk, it reminds me of that only fools and horses episode about the russians are coming, does nayone remember that.

next time they do it...

we should blow them out of the sky

yes very brilliant start a major war. for what flying in the direction of a country?

when they reach another country's air space, then there is a problem

good thing you are not running Europe's military jk

Originally posted by cpdaman
good thing you are not running Europe's military jk

well....

what would you say, if i told you i was?

As faras I know its quite a regular occurence, so much so that it isnt even mentioned much anymore.

I dare say we do the same to them

This used to happen all the time, and still occurs from time to time since the end of the Cold War - which is why no one pays any attention to it. No air space was penetrated, and I am sure that wasn't the intention. In fact untill a not-so-long time ago nearing airspace of UK/Japan to test response time was actually part of Russia's airforce exercises, according to a TV documentary. This was so common that the pilots on both sides didn't even take such encounters too seriously and joked with each other through signs. As far as politics and strategy goes this means absolutely nothing.

For those of you saying that this is an obvious sign of war and that the Brits should have shot the Russian planes down - thank God that you are not in politics because we would already be facing a WW7 if all decisions were made on a hotheaded instinct rather than credibility and context.

Originally posted by infinite

Originally posted by cpdaman
good thing you are not running Europe's military jk

well....

what would you say, if i told you i was?

Europe does'nt have a joint military.
The Harriers don't land well on the Charles de Gaulle and the Germans wont share the Eurocopters nicely.

Perhaps this is a tactic that they want us to get used to again, so that they can test out the response of the eurofighter when it comes into service.

Like this "just the russkies playing games again - no big deal"

and "matyerbyets, that new fighter is a bit tasty - maybe we should back off"

Originally posted by Zanzibar
Tension between Britain and Russia has been getting increasingly worse in the last few months and it looks like one side is going to snap.

Curious...thought reconnaisance flights were a norm in most militaries...maybe lets not get too paranoid over spy planes? After all...they have been around for a loooong time...no side snapped...

In my eyes, this is a deceleration of war and should be treated as such. Letting them get away with this kind of rubbish is not going to end nicely. Russia are getting too big for their boots and need to stop flexing that post-Cold War muscle before they do something they would regret

So the UK should flex its muscle against a bigger set of pecs? Russians have got away with this kind of "rubbish" for quite a long time. Has any country gone "boom" over spy planes? And I dont think Russians make a scandal every single time a foreign spy plane gets nearby...just the usual...scramble fighters...escort guest out.

A deceleration of war would be most likely a bit more...obvious, not a pair of spook planes taking a peek. When has the "peek a boo" game hurt anyone?

PD: lol, nobody mention the chinese "kamikaze" stunt please, only one hurt was his own loony butt, as far as I recall

Originally posted by Ioseb_Jugashvili
Curious...thought reconnaisance flights were a norm in most militaries...maybe lets not get too paranoid over spy planes?

I believe he's referring to the Russian governments refusal to extradite Lugovoi in the
recent murder case as well as the expulsion of four Russian diplomats form the UK,
not to mention Russia's pulling out of several treaties having to do with military and
defence as well as Putin saying that Missiles could be turned back towards Europe in
response to the Missile shield bing built in Poland.

Curious...thought reconnaisance flights were a norm in most militaries...maybe lets not get too paranoid over spy planes? After all...they have been around for a loooong time...no side snapped...

So the UK should flex its muscle against a bigger set of pecs? Russians have got away with this kind of "rubbish" for quite a long time. Has any country gone "boom" over spy planes? And I dont think Russians make a scandal every single time a foreign spy plane gets nearby...just the usual...scramble fighters...escort guest out.

A deceleration of war would be most likely a bit more...obvious, not a pair of spook planes taking a peek. When has the "peek a boo" game hurt anyone?

PD: lol, nobody mention the chinese "kamikaze" stunt please, only one hurt was his own loony butt, as far as I recall

Umm the OP stated that the planes were Tu95 “Bear” bombers. There is a BIG difference between spy planes "taking a peek" and 2 approaching strategic bombers.

Originally posted by iori_komei
I believe he's referring to the Russian governments refusal to extradite Lugovoi in the
recent murder case as well as the expulsion of four Russian diplomats form the UK,
not to mention Russia's pulling out of several treaties having to do with military and
defence as well as Putin saying that Missiles could be turned back towards Europe in
response to the Missile shield bing built in Poland.

Well, if we have to wade into those waters...

1) I think we all knew Russia would never extradite one of their own, especially after a succesful op. I dont see any country doing so. Will the US hand the CIA agents the Italians want? Doubt so. Countries dont give up their operatives.

2) Maybe I am mistaken...but thought Russia was matching the moves of Don Bush, since Bush is not being very subtle about who is he really aiming the missile shield towards. After all...he has closer positions to Iran, the claimed target...why Poland?

Russians cramming Cuba with S-400s, or ICBMS wouldnt make the US feel any safer than Russia feels with Anti missile tech next door...particularly considering their main muscle are still their almighty nuke arsenal.

3) The "Europe" threat is mainly aimed at those countries actually taking the missile shield tech in. Russians saying "You put those toys there, we'll nuke you first, for playing ball". Back in the Cuban missing crisis...didnt the US have everything sharp and pointy aimed at Cuba as well?

If the US stands down from trying to nullifying Russian nukes, everything will be peachy, and balance will return to the force. So war is not really that impending.

Btw, the treaties Russia is withdrawing from, I believe it would be by 2009, plenty of time for a reasonable politician to fix the problem (and note reasonable, as in not Bush, lol)

War is not coming, as long as someone makes a wee bit more sense on US foreign policy

Originally posted by JackRuby
Umm the OP stated that the planes were Tu95 “Bear” bombers. There is a BIG difference between spy planes "taking a peek" and 2 approaching strategic bombers.

Heaven forbid, Russia might attack the UK with 2 planes!
A bomber can be outfitted with any number of spy equipment...and considering it was only 2 planes...either eavesdropping flight, or training seems more feasible

Originally posted by Chorlton
As faras I know its quite a regular occurence, so much so that it isnt even mentioned much anymore.

I dare say we do the same to them

I told my stepfather about that story (identical to this one) a few months back and he said they used to do this all the time when he was flying in the Navy.

Regaurdless if it was 2 bombers or 50 it was an aggressive act. One of many more in the forseable future from Russia as long as Putin is at the helm... Do they really want another cold war? Hollywood won the first cold war for us, I don't think it will win this one.