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| Great White North |
| Canadian Air Force goes Bear hunting |
| 2010-08-25 |
| TORONTO -- Fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers in the Arctic as they approached Canadian airspace on the eve of a visit from Canada's prime minister who will observe an Arctic military exercise, a spokesman for the prime minister said Wednesday. Dimitri Soudas, Stephen Harper's director of communications, said two Canadian CF-18 jets shadowed a pair of Russian TU-95 Bear jets in international airspace on Tuesday. Still flying the Bears... TU-95's first entered service in 1956, the B-52 in 1955. Good designs last a very long time. Soudas said the bombers flew within 30 miles (50 kilometers) of Canadian soil. They were first spotted approximately 120 nautical miles north of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Canada has linked recent Russian flights in the area to the competition between Canada, Russia, the U.S. and other countries to secure Arctic resources. With polar ice melting there are new opportunities to exploit the region's oil, gas and mineral reserves. Yep, gotta stick to the narrative... Two Russian bombers were intercepted last month off Canada's East Coast near the Arctic and in February 2009, fighter jets scrambled to intercept a Russian bomber in the Arctic as it approached Canadian airspace on the eve of President Barack Obama's visit to Ottawa. The Russians said then the plane never encroached on Canadian airspace and that Canada had been told about the flight beforehand. Canada's defense minister said Russia gives no warning prior to the flight, despite Canada's request for Russia to do so. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #1 on the eve of a visit from Canada's prime minister who will observe an Arctic military exercise Russian humor? With polar ice melting there are new opportunities to exploit the region's oil, gas and mineral reserves. So when is this supposed to happen? I'd like to see new paths opened for commerce and the like. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-08-25 14:22 |