Posted on 09/21/2007 4:35:48 PM PDT by Kurt_Hectic
Two interceptors were scrambled to identify air traffic in international airspace north of Finnmark, Norway, late friday evening.
The two fighter jets from Bodø Air Base took off just before 20:00 local norwegian time, after they were alerted by NATO's Air Operation Centre CAOC 3 on Reitan, Norway.
This according to Lt. Col. John Espen Lien at Landsdelskommando Nord-Norge (Land Command North Norway).
He states that it was probably russian planes.
- It is most likely, because the planes stayed in and outside russian air space, he says.
The planes turned around and disapeared before the norwegian jets made a visual identification, and did not violate norwegian air space.
- Russian violations of norwegian air space is a rare occurence, Lien says.
Fighters from Bodø Air Base have been on the wings several times lately, because of Russian bombers closing in on the norwegian borders. Yesterday two F-16s from Bodø were scrambled to observe russian bombers close to norwegian territory.
According to Lien the number of identifications of unknown airplanes had reached 50 in mid-August.
As a comparison, it was only made out identifications of 3 planes on two ocations in 1998. 10 years earlier the number of i.d. missions were up to 88, while the number of identified planes was 225.
- We have noted a significant increase in russian areal activity, he says.
(Translated by Kurt_Hectic)
They are bored.
FR has Phantom II’s in inventory? Think maybe we would could pick up some those Tomcats the gubment seems intent on ripping to shreds?
Indeed, that would stretch the budget a bit.
“Also, it appears they are not just just there to take names. From the looks of it, they are also quite capable of kicking some ass.”
European society still sucks, but European military forces are still very, very capable, especially the farther north you go.
How’s the weather in north Norway? We froze last night here at 64 north and it’s still frozen. The remainder of the deciduous leaves are falling rapidly, nearly none left. No Russian bombers sighted over Fairbanks.
The Russians were first to put a plaque on the moon. Mars too!
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