Posted on 04/22/2006 5:10:10 AM PDT by RusIvan
MOSCOW, April 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military planes flew undetected through the U.S. zone of the Arctic Ocean to Canada during recent military exercises, a senior Air Force commander said Saturday.
The commander of the country's long-range strategic bombers, Lieutenant General Igor Khvorov, said the U.S. Air Force is now investigating why its military was unable to detect the Russian bombers.
"They were unable to detect the planes either with radars or visually," he said.
Khorov said that during the military exercises in April, Tu-160 Blackjack bombers and Tu-95 Bears had successfully carried out four missile launches. Bombing exercises were held using Tu-22 Blinders.
By the end of the year, two more Tu-160s will be commissioned for the long-range strategic bomber fleet, Khorov said.
Both new planes will incorporate numerous upgrades from the initial Soviet models, the commander said. The bombers will be able to launch both cruise missiles and aviation bombs, and communicate via satellite.
Executor, the personal flagship of Lord Darth Vader as seen in The Empire Strikes Back. The Executor was the first ship in its class, a Kuat Drive Yards design constructed under tight security at the great shipyards of Fondor shortly after the Battle of Yavin. Here we see the underside of the mighty vessel. The huge “V”-shaped cavity presumably contains docking bays for shuttles, dropships and a multitude of carried TIE starfighters.
You're right; I'd forgotten that it is a prop driven aircraft.
I should'a looked at the pics!
I was the official photographer for the 4751st Air Defense Group when the Canadian Air Force launched their first Bomarc missile. The event took place at our facilities on Santa Rosa Island near Navarre, Fl. I think it was in 1962, but my memory has become fuzzy on the dates. Any old photographers might be interested in some details of the shoot: Canon VT Deluxe 35mm with a telephoto lens loaded with 36 exposure Tri-X film. Thanks to the camera's base plate trigger I was able to shoot the entire launch from shelter opening till the missile disappeared down range. The whole process was so fast no one else had been able to get more than four exposures. I got all 36 frames. I still have those negatives, now digitized, if anyone is interested I'll send you a print via email. (hdstmf@netscape.net)
"How would the Lieutenant General know they weren't detected? "
Because they didn't crash or shrink - requiring us to rescue them?
Stealth technology?
Doesn't matter. Those airframes are so obsolete and poorly maintained they are no significant threat. Such flights were common during the cold war. Our intel community intercepted their communications from frag orders to engine shutdown. In-flight photos of them were taken by our fighter pilots. Stealth technology shields aircraft from radar but not other acquisition methods. Satellites and other systems maintain constant monitoring of the bases. The aircraft capabilities and their normal flight paths are well known. We do not have to know their exact location at all times, although we probably do. This undetected story is misleading. Old news is not news.
That's what the general thinks...
The state board that investigates lawyer misconduct says it is on record pace for disciplining Minnesota attorneys this year
I agree, this whole story smells like Art Bell's old socks.
LOL
I agree, this whole story smells like Art Bell's old socks.
Please disregard my last entry...I attached another sentance
from another comment.
I havent had my coffee yet today.
What would the Russian motivation be to tell us if they had violated our airspace/ADIZ? Because they want to help us "improve our security"? They have far better reasons not to tell us: from a diplomatic point of view, it's would be kind of "provocative"; from a strategic military point of view, they might want to save this information for a rainy day.
IMO the Russians may have closed to within the absolute maximum range of their cruise missiles at a time when atmospheric anomalies could have interfered with our early warning radars. Still, why they would publicly admit it is mind-boggling.
I can go along with that -- bombing lawyers.
The truth is we watched them the entire way, and decided they were no immediate threat, so there was no reason to let them know we were watching.
wha ..triple post. sorry.
These Russkis did not come thru Alaska -
http://www.alaska.net/~pmc/experience/radar.html
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/airdef/an-fps-117.htm
http://www.missilethreat.com/systems/sbx_usa.html (now in place)
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=12071&rsbci=0&fti=112&ti=0&sc=400 (no rust here)
Enjoy the links, and know that if anyone tries to sneak in OUR back door, likely as not they will be eyeball to eyeball with an Eagle.
Hah, the TU-160 Blackjack, AKA B1ski, is about as stealthy as a cow in church. RCS is probably much larger than that of a barn. Larger certainly than the original B-1A. It's larger and has even less stealthy lines.
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