Article

2007-09-11 Great White North

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-09-11 13:51|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Over at In From the Cold spook86 points out that this was part of a multi-front probe by the Russians:

The Canadian intercept occurred as Russia dispatched 14 long-range bombers on missions over the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

In other words, last week's reported flight of eight Bear H's over the North Atlantic was part of a much bigger effort--apparently, one of the largest (if not the largest) operation by Russian bombers since the Cold War. General Watt didn't provide specifics on the Canadian intercept, but it apparently happened about the same time that Norwegian F-16s, and later, British F3 Tornadoes were shadowing TU-95s over the North Atlantic. According to General Watt, the Canadian encounter took place just outside his country's airspace, near Inuvik in the Northwest Territories....

So far, there's been no reporting on the "Pacific leg" of the operation. For decades, Russian bombers have periodically tested U.S. air defenses in such locations as Alaska and Guam prompting scrambles by USAF F-15s and U.S. Navy aircraft. Russian Bear and TU-22M Backfire bombers have also flown profiles against Japan, prompting intercepts by Japanese Self Defense Force (JSDF) F-15s and other aircraft.

... Given the scope of last week's mission, we'll stick by our earlier prediction: a Bear "run" against the U.S. east coast now seems inevitable, and the number of aircraft that participate in that mission may be higher that what we saw in the Cold War.

Indeed, the only limiting factor for that profile would be the availability of aviation fuel at their most likely destination--Cuba. But, if the TU-95s decide to fly on to Venezuela (or Hugo Chavez has filled the POL tanks at Fidel's airfields), then we might see a "large" Bear formation--four or more aircraft--off our east coast, in a matter of weeks.

Posted by lotp 2007-09-11 16:45|| 2007-09-11 16:45|| Front Page Top

#2 British jets intercepted eight Russian nuclear-capable bombers heading for Britain

Eight, eh? An interesting step up from the usual pair flying show the flag, everyone wave and take pictures missions. Moving to more of a "train like you fight, fight like you train" scenario?

Posted by SteveS 2007-09-11 19:01|| 2007-09-11 19:01|| Front Page Top

23:42 trailing wife
23:41 trailing wife
23:31 gorb
23:31 Classical_Liberal
23:28 JosephMendiola
23:24 Secret Master
23:23 JosephMendiola
23:20 Frank G
23:20 JosephMendiola
23:18 gorb
23:13 trailing wife
23:12 McZoid
23:10 trailing wife
23:06 trailing wife
23:05 mcsegeek1
23:02 3dc
22:59 Valentine
22:56 McZoid
22:54 Seafarious
22:51 Seafarious
22:50 McZoid
22:49 Zenster
22:48 twobyfour
22:46 gromgoru