RAF jets scrambled to intercept Russian planes

RAF jets scrambled to intercept Russian planes By Sally Peck and agencies Last Updated: 7:54am BST 19/07/2007

Two RAF fighter jets were scrambled on Tuesday to intercept two Russian planes on course for British airspace, it emerged yesterday.

The incident marked the latest escalation of tensions in the standoff between London and Moscow.

As Moscow hesitated in its response to Britain's expulsion of four Russian diplomats, two Tornado fighters raced to meet the Tu95 "Bear" bombers that had been dispatched from their base near the northern port city of Murmansk in the Arctic Circle. The planes turned back before they reached British airspace.

The incident, now rare according to the RAF, but once commonplace during the Cold War, may be seen as a show of defiance by the Kremlin.

But Moscow said the Russian planes were on a training flight unrelated to the current diplomatic crisis over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

The Russian actions were in the diplomatic style of the “cold war” era, and while it is not intended to be believed as if it was, or responded to as if it was, a real act of aggression, it is intended to demonstrate, forcefully, that tension between the two nations have risen dramatically. It is not done as if to be perceived as an actual threat. It is a military-diplomatic manner of saying: “this is the developing atmosphere of the relationship - hostile”.

What I find interesting is that - while Putin may be upset with Britain over the case of the Russian who appears to have been assassinated in Britain by agents of Russia’s intelligence services - in geopolitical and military-strategic terms I cannot see how Britain’s actions in the case, or British military abilities on their own, represent any dire threat to Russia, and therefore I don’t see how Putin’s actions - his threats and diplomatic show of force - can, in any way, achieve any geopolitically positive result for him. His actions can only lead to Britain’s friends and allies to conclude that they should strengthen their friendship and alliance with Britain, and believe even less in “good intentions” on the part of Putin.

Instead of dispelling western impressions of the dictatorial manner of Putin’s domestic rule, and the external implications that his rule may present in time, Putin seems bent on proving that his worse critics are right.

Specifications (Tu-95MS)
General characteristics
Crew: Seven - two pilots, one tailgunner, four others
Length: 49.50 m (162 ft 5 in)
Wingspan: 51.10 m (167 ft 8 in)
Height: 12.12 m (39 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 310 m² (3,330 ft²)
Empty weight: 90,000 kg (198,000 lb)
Loaded weight: kg (lb)
Max takeoff weight: 188,000 kg (414,500 lb)
Powerplant: 4× Kuznetsov NK-12MV turboprops, 11,000 kW (14,800 shp)[8] each
Performance
Maximum speed: 925 km/h (500 kt, 575 mph)
Range: 15,000 km (8,100 nm, 9,400 mi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 10 m/s (2,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 606 kg/m² (124 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 235 W/kg (0.143 hp/lb)
Armament
Guns: 1 or 2× AM-23 23 mm cannon in tail turret
Missiles: Up to 15,000 kg (33,000 lb), including the Kh-20, Kh-22, Kh-26, and Kh-55 air-to-surface missiles

(from Wiki)

Oh yeah, the F-53 Lightning, btw was quite the nifty aircraft:

The original Lightening was a beast of a machine (and by all accounts incredibly easy to fly too). It was essentially a huge (and I mean huge) monster of a jet enjine, with a compartment for a pilot strapped onto it.

The Lightning’s speed and climb performance were excellent not just by 1950s or 1960s standards but even compared with modern operational fighters. Its initial rate of climb was 50,000 ft per minute (15 km/min). The Mirage IIIE climbed initially at 30,000 ft/min (9 km/min), the MiG-21 managed 36,090 ft/min (11 km/min), and the Tornado F-3 43,000 ft/min (13 km/min).

The official ceiling was a secret amongst the general public and low security RAF documents simply stated 60,000+ ft (18,000 m), although it was well known within the RAF to be capable of much greater heights. Recently the actual operating ceiling has been made public by the late Brian Carroll, a former RAF Lightning pilot and ex-Lightning Chief Examiner, who reports taking an F-53 Lightning up to 87,300 feet (26,600 m) at which level "Earth curvature was visible and the sky was quite dark". In 1984, during a major NATO exercise, Flt Lt Mike Hale intercepted an American U-2 at a height which they had previously considered safe from interception. Records show that Hale climbed to 88,000 ft (26,800 m) in his F3 Lightning. Hale also participated in time-to-height and acceleration trials against F-104 Starfighters from Aalborg. He reports that the Lightnings won all races easily, with the exception of the low level supersonic acceleration, which was a dead-heat.

Carroll reports in a side-by-side comparison that the F-15C Eagle (which he also flew) that:

"Acceleration in both was impressive, you have all seen the Lighting leap away once brakes are released, the Eagle was almost as good, and climb speed was rapidly achieved. Take-off roll is between 2,000 & 3,000 feet [600 to 900 m], depending upon military or maximum afterburner-powered take-off. The Lightning was quicker off the ground, reaching 50 feet [15 m] height in a horizontal distance of 1,630 feet [500 m]".

In British Airways trials, Concorde was offered as a target to NATO fighters including F-15s, F-16s, F-14s, Mirages, F-104s - but only the Lightning managed to overtake Concorde on a stern intercept.

However, later fighters greatly outclassed the Lightning in terms of range, radar and avionics, and weapons load, and were far more effective air-to-air fighters. The short range of the Lightning - just 900 miles (which was alsoa side effect of the sheer size of the engines) was particularly crippling."

But from a design from the 1940's it is still among the fastest production airacraft ever produced.

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