Posted on 08/22/2007 10:50:33 AM PDT by Freeport
In a scene reminiscent of the Cold War, a Russian air force Tupolev Tu-95 bomber is pictured being intercepted by a Royal Air Force fighter before approaching too close to UK airspace on 17 August.
But for the first time, the aircraft providing so-called quick reaction alert (QRA) cover is a Eurofighter Typhoon F2 from the RAF's 11 Sqn - the unit tasked with leading the type's evolution into a multirole fighter also capable of performing ground-attack duties in Afghanistan from July 2008.
Russian bombers have been intercepted by UK fighters on several occasions so far this year, with their presence reflecting President Vladimir Putin's eagerness to underline Moscow's military capabilities as it stakes claim to Polar mineral resources and approaches national elections to take place early next year.
Previous meetings have been between Tu-95s and RAF Panavia Tornado F3 interceptors, with the latter gradually handing over QRA responsibility for the southern UK to Typhoons from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. The latest encounter took place over the North Atlantic, according to the RAF.
(Excerpt) Read more at flightglobal.com ...
Read this for what really happened to KAL 007.
Apparently duplicates are the in thing on FR nowadays.
Military capabilities?
A turboprop with a raar crosssection like the Astrodome?
A 1950s 400mph bomber?
Oh K.
Russians know they're doing a cold war dance - kinda creepy.
Not daily. They used to during the Cold War. The flights were very infrequent after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Bears and Blackjacks have made very infrequent flights into the UK air identification zone since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Turbo-prob. All new-build from the 80s and early 90s. They are long-range air-launched cruise missile carriers. Think B-52Hs doing ALCM stand-off.
Not slow. Those are turbo-props. The top speeds are not far-off the B-52. The aircraft is a stand-off ALCM launh platform. The range of the Tu-95MS is incredible due to those turbo-props enginese. The armament allows the Tu-95MS to stand-off thousands of kms from the target.
I was expecting a Hawker Typhoon circa WW2.
WWII fighters wouldn’t be able to keep-up. The Tu-95MS is powered by turbo-props. Very fast!
It isn’t designed to penetrate hostile airspace. It is an ALCM carrier. Very fast and nearly as fast as the B-52. Think B-52 in ALCM stand-off mode. The Russian ALCMa are longer-ranged than anything in the US ALCM inventory.
I wish we could send something REALLY insulting to intercept them.
These missiles have a range of up to 2,000 miles, which means that you can launch from over Los Angeles and hit targets in Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Detroit! They can use these long ranges when firing at stationary targets, like cities, which means that they would be on the outer edge of engagement by every fighter in our arsenal. We would have to have AWACS patroling out a long ways in order to pick them up in time to vector fighters onto them before they enter missile range.
What's really good news (just a hint of sarcasm) is the fact that a company in Ukraine sold some of these missiles to China and Iran a few years back. The Iranians would have to use the old P-3 patrol planes we sold them back in the 1970's in order to launch these missiles, but China has Tu-16 Badger bombers and is in negotiations for Tu-22 Backfires, Tu-95 Bears, and Tu-160 Blackjacks, all of which can carry these missiles.
Ah ah, not with some advance stand-off missiles.
You got it, pal. With those missiles plus TU-95’s good old range, even with their 50 years old technology those ‘Bear’ can still delivery huge blow upon her enemy.
China too has upgrade and modified their TU-16 or H-6 bombers to become a stand-off missiles platform.
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