RAF jets scrambled to track Russian bombers

RAF jets scrambled to track Russian bombers

www.telegraph.co.uk

British fighter jets were scrambled today to track Russian bombers in the north Atlantic, in the latest example of Cold War-style patrols resurrected by President Vladimir Putin.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that two Tornado F3s were launched from RAF Leeming in North Yorks to track two Tu160 "Blackjack" bombers as they came into the Nato area patrolled by the RAF. Early warning aircraft from RAF Waddington and tanker aircraft from RAF Brize Norton also supported the operation, a spokesman said.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Again?

What the hell is Russia up to? This happened last Friday as well, but with eight bombers.



www.telegraph.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

This is getting a bit weird now, and way too often. What would be the reason to start up these "runs" by the Russian bombers anyway?

Muscle-flexing. They're testing us to see how we respond

But has been mentioned before, if you are over 40 years old you will remember it being a completely normal thing in the 60's and 70's
Dont panicc
Its routine.

I don't like the idea of it being routine in the current political climate. Its deliberate military provocation. As if there isn't enough fighting going on in the world atm, without one major power trying to provoke another major power.

I do not see why they should not be allowed to do their own patrols as long as they are not violating the airspace of another country, ya know?

Originally posted by Chorlton
But has been mentioned before, if you are over 40 years old you will remember it being a completely normal thing in the 60's and 70's
Dont panicc
Its routine.

I'm only 21

SO, it's not normal for me

Originally posted by Chorlton
But has been mentioned before, if you are over 40 years old you will remember it being a completely normal thing in the 60's and 70's
Dont panicc
Its routine.

Exactly, just like the good ol' days

We'd probably be doing the same into their airspace if we actually had enough aircraft to do it with!

Next think you know we'll be racing each other to build the biggest, baddest, nuclear missile

Originally posted by infinite

Originally posted by Chorlton
But has been mentioned before, if you are over 40 years old you will remember it being a completely normal thing in the 60's and 70's
Dont panicc
Its routine.

I'm only 21

SO, it's not normal for me

Then I would suggest you get used to it. It was completely normal for the USSR to do this and I also remember the US doing similar things occasionally in the 60's.

OP by Chorlton
"Then I would suggest you get used to it. It was completely normal for the USSR to do this and I also remember the US doing similar things occasionally in the 60's."

Completely normal in a kind of M.A.D cold war mentality,yes.Muscle flexing,yes.
Get used to it?
Hmm,kind of hard when we are a very small country and if Russia did decide to say,Go a bit mad and nuke us-one of their bigger nukes would annihilate pretty much our entire country.
We should be more worried about this than when the russians do this to America,who in terms of size could "absorb"(i know it would still be horrific) a nuke attack which would see the end of our little island.
Lets hope pooty poots keeps this to muscle flexing and nothing more.

Infinite - do not worry, the 70's and 80's were great fun too.

Putin won't bomb little old England, Roman owns Chelsea and is still good friends with him.

I'm more worried about our own crazy Government!

Originally posted by Chorlton
But has been mentioned before, if you are over 40 years old you will remember it being a completely normal thing in the 60's and 70's
Dont panicc
Its routine.

ummm no. I'm not going to get used to any kind of muscle-flexing. Doing it in the 60s and 70s doesnt give them any excuse to do it again. And hell, if they stopped doing it for the past 20 or some odd years, why start it up again? Its not routine. Not anymore at least. Something like this you can't just sweep under the table. Its slightly apathetic to just say "Meh, they did this all the time, back in the day", instead of saying "hey what on earth are they doing this again for"?

My 2 cents.

They are doing this because they can. Then again why shouldnt they?
They are flying in International airspace and arent breaking any laws.

They stopped when the Iron Curtain collapsed and they also found it too expensive. Now they have more money and its good training for their pilots.

Dont forget the US does it all the time, flying bombers around in International airspace, so if its OK for the US, why shouldnt it be OK for Russia?

Test to see how quick they can drop those new FOABs and get the hell out quickly.

I keep finding these threads and I keep saying the same thing - and it echo's what Chorlton has said already in most respects.

Get used to it. Its nothing new, its happened before, it will happen again.

The aircraft fly in international airspace, not in anyones territorial space.

Interceptors are scrambled because of the possibility that the aircraft might enter territorial airspace but it doesn't happen.

At the end of the Cold War Russia suspended such flights testing NATO defences, because basically the country was bankrupt and sorting itself out, but recent changes in the Russian economy has meant that they have increased defence spending and can fly patrols again.

Please also remember that we (as in NATO/The West) do this to them as well, on a regular basis - the difference being that we never stopped at the end of the Cold War.

This is happening weekly now. In the late 70's/early 80's these flights were happening daily, sometimes two times a day.

Russia had my attention when the bombers specifically tried to fly over our naval base at Guam. but was intercepted by f18s off one of the carriers.. flying nukes over another's base just as a ha ha is not cool. it also means they are not just flying routs,as they clam but specific military targets.

Wonderful. A revitalised Russia is the greatest hope for ending this BS "war on terror" and reinforcing Democracy across the world, regardless of whether or not Russia stays a democracy or goes back to their old ways. I for one, applaud this. Its been to long since Russia has done this sort of thing. Good to see the bear coming out of its hibernation.

reply to post by Chorlton


That may be, but during the 60s and 70s we were in the height of the Cold War and there were no 24/7 news, Internet or ATS to discuss these events.

Who knew?
Who cared? Esp. if it was SOP.

Originally posted by neformore
I keep finding these threads and I keep saying the same thing - and it echo's what Chorlton has said already in most respects.

Get used to it. Its nothing new, its happened before, it will happen again.

All I'm saying is that it shouldnt be something people 'get used to'. Either by them or by us. Either side should have taken it as a hostile act IMO. But, its just my opinon