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Russia flexes muscles in Western airspace
UPI ^ | 4/16/2010 | UPI

Posted on 04/16/2010 10:13:36 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld

-- Russia is increasingly flexing its military muscles by penetrating Western airspace.

European defense officials have been worried about an increasing number of Russian bombers entering Western airspace.

A pair of Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers -- the largest jet-powered combat aircraft ever built, capable of carrying nuclear missiles -- last month entered British airspace over Northern Scotland, Deutsche Welle reports.

Two Tornado fighter jets from the British air force intercepted the supersonic bombers, accompanying them for four hours until they left British airspace.

Similar incidents have occurred in recent years; London has said Russian planes have penetrated British airspace more than 20 times since the start of 2009.

Stefan Meister, a Russia expert with the German Council on Foreign Relations, said that some penetrations might be accidental. He didn't rule out that there a Kremlin-authored strategy might be behind them.

"The infiltration into the airspace is one of the ways the Russians try to prove that Russia is still a power that should be treated with the respect," Meister told United Press International in a telephone interview.

A friend of military muscle-flexing, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in 2007 reactivated long-range patrols by nuclear-capable bombers after they hadn't been sent out over the world's oceans for 15 years.

The move came as the Kremlin expanded its grasp into the Arctic, as one of its submarines planted a flag in the seabed in territory it considers its own at the North Pole in 2007.

The Arctic is being transformed by climate change.

Melting ice sheets will leave the oceans in the region possibly ice-free during the summer months. This is opening a new Atlantic-Pacific shipping channel and makes the vast oil and gas resources lying under the seabed more accessible.

(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: airspace; nato; russia; russianairforce; russianbombers; strategicbombers; tu160; tupolev

1 posted on 04/16/2010 10:13:36 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: sonofstrangelove

Iceland has figured out that Russian is trying to penetrate its air space. They fired off one of their volcanoes in response. A sort of doomsday approach.


3 posted on 04/16/2010 10:18:24 PM PDT by mlocher (USA is a sovereign nation)
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To: mlocher

We are WAY behind in the volcano-as-anti-aircraft race. A volcano gap!


4 posted on 04/16/2010 10:25:35 PM PDT by truemiester ((If the U.S. should fail, a veil of darkness will come over the Earth for a thousand years))
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To: sonofstrangelove
Oh just too, too bad!
Cowboy Bush is retired, and CommieCrate is running show, with SOS Clinton running around the globe with a ‘Red Reset’ Button! All with their smiling approval.
My advice to EuoWennies is: “You asked for it, now you got it, stop whining and deal with it!”
5 posted on 04/16/2010 10:26:30 PM PDT by J Edgar
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To: truemiester
We are WAY behind in the volcano-as-anti-aircraft race. A volcano gap!

Yeah, but our earthquake machines are top notch.
6 posted on 04/16/2010 10:57:14 PM PDT by fr_freak
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To: fr_freak

Perhaps HAARP can set off a volcano to stop Russian bombers and/or UFO’s. The colateral damage, on the other hand, would be a problem.


7 posted on 04/16/2010 11:01:08 PM PDT by rdl6989 (January 20, 2013- The end of an error.)
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To: sonofstrangelove

The Blackjack bombers are B1-B clones.


8 posted on 04/16/2010 11:02:08 PM PDT by getarope (One Big Ass Mistake, America!)
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To: sonofstrangelove

Interesting in that “we” the USA had a vast Radar System covering the USA and Canada forty years ago. Plus fighter aircraft on 5 minute alert across the USA. For one purpose.....to destroy Russian aircraft.


9 posted on 04/16/2010 11:06:45 PM PDT by Buddy B (MSgt Retired-USAF - Year: 1972)
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To: sonofstrangelove
Say Barry...what does your "manual" say about how to handle this one?


All Alinsky


10 posted on 04/16/2010 11:10:01 PM PDT by FrankR (Those of us who love AMERICA far outnumber those who love obama - your choice.)
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To: sonofstrangelove
Similar incidents have occurred in recent years; London has said Russian planes have penetrated British airspace more than 20 times since the start of 2009. 1/20/2009 to be exact.
11 posted on 04/16/2010 11:24:03 PM PDT by Eagles6 ( Typical White Guy: Christian, Constitutionalist, Heterosexual, Redneck.)
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To: rdl6989

“Hell, in six months no one will remember HAARP 1. There will be HAARP 2 and 3 and he’ll keep getting his money. Until he is stopped.”

Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins


12 posted on 04/17/2010 2:04:31 AM PDT by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners)
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To: NTHockey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0GjSNyn6_c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FozMBKfSczg&feature=related


13 posted on 04/17/2010 4:24:49 AM PDT by wally_bert (It's sheer elegance in its simplicity! - The Middleman)
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To: truemiester
A volcano gap!

We must not allow a volcano gap! [slam open hand on the table.]

14 posted on 04/17/2010 4:45:48 AM PDT by mlocher (USA is a sovereign nation)
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To: mlocher
Gee...I wish we had one of those volcanoes...
15 posted on 04/17/2010 5:18:29 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Impeachment !)
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