Posted on 07/20/2007 11:27:11 AM PDT by lizol
Russian bombers test UK patience again
By Wojciech Moskwa in Oslo
July 20, 2007 09:59pm
TWO Russian Tu-95 bombers made unusually long sorties over the North Sea yesterday, forcing both Norway and Britain to scramble fighter jets to follow the Russian planes, Norway's armed forces said.
The Russian bombers stayed in international air space during their flight, which took them as far south as the region between Norway's Stavanger and Aberdeen in Scotland - centres of the North Sea oil industry.
The incident, the latest of several such sorties in past days, occurred during a period of heightened diplomatic tensions between Russia and Britain over Moscow's refusal to extradite a murder suspect.
It's a long time since they (Russian bombers) have been that far south, John Inge Oegland, spokesman for Norway's armed forces, told Reuters.
"I would say that is rather unusual.
Since they were so far south, the RAF (Britain's Royal Air Force) followed the same procedure and went up to identify them."
When Russian military planes approach Norwegian air space, Norway scrambles fighters to meet and follow them.
Russia's air force commander said this week that such sorties were training flights for the long-range bombers.
The pilots flew on routes used for international flights, Colonel Yuri Pomelov, an information officer for the Russian military, said.
"We strictly followed international agreements on the use of airspace."
Cold War
Norway said it was not unusual for Russian military planes to fly over international waters across the Barents Sea and then either turn south into the Norwegian Sea or continue flying west over the Atlantic, before turning around.
Oegland said the apparent increase in Russian sorties along Norwegian air space follows a major exercise by Russia's Northern Fleet in the Russian Barents Sea.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
It looks as if Russia is playing a complicated game with UK, with Norway, and with NATO. NATO and a Norwegian Air Base is located in Stavanger. Also this was in the news recently:
Norwegian Armed Forces
Espen Schiager, 2007-06-22
Weeks 24-25: Network for NATO
The big NATO exercise Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID) was held at Jørstadmoen this month.
Up to 1200 representatives from 20 different countries were present to test communication systems.
This was the fourth year that CWID was arranged at Jørstadmoen in Norway. 2007 was the first time that Norway gathered the Army, Navy and the Air Force in the same exercise. This is part of the process toward making the Norwegian Defence network based.
The nations that participated were Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Great Britain, the USA, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary and Estonia.
Norwegian Armed Forces
Your pic is a B1, BONE.
Windows
Wings
The 160 has a swing wing that begins further out, amost mid section of the wing. Furthermore, the windows in the front are different. Dead give aways.
Yup. I googled Tu-160, and that picture showed up. I didn’t bother to check until someone pointed it out earlier.
My error.
An even easier give-away is the USAF logo on the right of the picture, on the plane’s left wing.
:^)
I was too late - darn! lol
Even without the emblem, the wing design and windows give it away.
Perhaps Russia is sending two messages with one flyby.
Some background:
Norway Society & Policy
NATO
Co-operation within NATO was given new momentum by three events in 2002: the NATO-Russia Council was established in May, a very successful summit took place in Prague in November, and major progress was made in co-operation between the EU and NATO in December. As the decisions taken in Prague are implemented, they will enhance the effectiveness of the Alliance in meeting new security and foreign policy challenges.
It is already apparent that the emerging co-operation between NATO and Russia is having a positive impact on Norway’s own relations with its neighbour to the east. The challenge now is to give substance to the NATO-Russia Council.
NATO’s role in promoting European integration is being continued. The accession talks with the seven countries invited in Prague to join the Alliance are proceeding on schedule.
With regard to partnerships, the greatest challenge is to reach agreement on realistic partnership programmes and to implement them in a way that will ensure continued interest in the co-operation on the part of the allies and the individual partners, and that the co-operation continues to be of a high standard. This is an area where Norway has been active, particularly as regards co-operation with Finland and Sweden.
The efforts to implement the decisions taken in Prague for the military reorganisation of the Alliance are in full swing. NATO’s ability to transform and adapt itself has always been its strength, and it is essential if the organisation is to continue to play a leading role.
The breakthrough that took place at the EU summit in December led to a more dynamic and focused co-operation between NATO and the EU. A strategic partnership that will promote European security is gradually emerging.
One of Norway’s goals is to do its part in helping the EU develop an effective crisis management capability. Norwegian troops have therefore been made available for the Helsinki Headline Goal. Norway wishes to take an active part in the planning and preparation of EU crisis operations as well as in the operations themselves, and to safeguard important Norwegian interests in relation to the EU.
The European members of the Alliance have emphasised that the USA must take due account of the views of its allies. Although it is generally recognised that the USA, because of its superior military power, is the leading power in the Alliance, it is important for NATO to find solutions that are acceptable to all its members. This means that all member states must place emphasis on the things that unite them, especially the fundamental values on which the Alliance is based.
NATO’s visibility may decline as the EU assumes a growing share of the responsibility for security and crisis management in Europe. Collective defence, as laid down in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, will continue to be a task for NATO.
During the work on the EU constitution certain countries have expressed a desire for a European security and defence union.
As a non-member of the EU, it is crucial for Norway that NATO continues to be the main body for both defence and security policy discussions among the allies.
Therefore, Norway's task will be to seek to ensure that the Alliance is as effective as possible. We will also take an active part in EU decision-making processes and operations in order to ensure that our interests are safeguarded as regards the EU.
By the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Norway Society and Policy NATO
Thats not T-160 thats a B1.
Oh ok never mind lol.
Avro CF-100 Canuck
McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo
Russia needs to quit playing *cold war* games. Accidents do happen.
CF-105 Avro Arrow
CF-105 in flight. These were long range twin engine interceptors designed to engage the ruskies far from North American airspace.
What a pretty target. Too bad Ivan didn't build a bunch of them.
Pooty Poot seems awful restless these days...oh, I've been meaning to tell Putin, "that was a good hit you put on Verachenko (sp)." "Vlad, between you and me, that would make a good movie." "FReep mail me, and I'll give you the address to send the royalties."
5.56mm
With oil and gas revenues up, the Russians can afford to fly
CF101
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