Free Republic

Operation Spiderweb, the large-scale Ukrainian drone strike against airbases across Russia yesterday, which you can read about in our coverage here, primarily targeted Moscow’s fleet of strategic bombers. These aircraft, which have been extensively used to launch cruise missile attacks on Ukraine, have been targeted before, but never on such a scale — a reported 117 drones were launched against at least four airfields. At this point, it’s unclear how many aircraft were destroyed or damaged, but there’s little doubt that the Ukrainian operation will have a long-term effect on Russian strategic aviation.According to an initial statement from the Ukrainian...

A Ukrainian drone attack has destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia's territory, a Ukrainian security official told The Associated Press on Sunday, while Russia pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones a day before the two sides meet for a new round of direct talks in Istanbul. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose operational details, said the attack took over 1 1/2-year to execute and was personally supervised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The operation saw drones transported in containers carried by trucks deep into Russian territory, he said. The drones reportedly hit 41...

Ukrainian forces have wiped out dozens of Russian military aircraft, including nuclear bombers, in a massive drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s air bases deep inside the country, Kyiv sources are claiming. The mission carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) using first-person-view (FPV) drones hit 41 Russian heavy bombers at four separate airfields thousands of miles from Ukraine, a security source told the Kyiv Independent on Sunday. The drones were reportedly smuggled into the country hidden in trucks. TU-95 “Bear” nuclear bombers, TU-22 “Backfire” fast-attack strike bombers and A-50 “Mainstay” command-and-control jets were among the aircraft that were destroyed...

TWO Russian airfields housing Putin's nuke bombers have reportedly been blitzed in an extraordinary drone strike - wiping out at least 40 aircraft. A Ukrainian security official told Reuters that the SBU conducted a large drone attack on Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers - which Russia uses to fire long-range missiles at Ukraine. The source did not specify where the drone attack took place, but Ukrainian media said that Olenya airbase - home to Russia’s Tu-95 strategic bombers - had been targeted. The second base under fire is understood to be the Belaya nuclear airbase in eastern Siberia’s Irkutsk region...

UK Intercepts Russian Bombers Updated: 12:33, Thursday September 06, 2007 RAF Tornados intercepted eight Russian bombers as they approached UK airspace.

A pair of U.S. Air Force stealth fighter jets intercepted two Russian nuclear-capable bombers Friday morning off the coast of Alaska, a spokesman for NORAD (North American Aeorospace Defense Command) told Fox News. The approach by the two Tupolev Tu-95 Russian "Bear" aircraft marked the first time in just over a year that Russian bombers had flown that close to U.S. territory. The Russian bombers came within 55 miles of Alaska's west coast, north of the Aleutian Islands, but remained in international airspace, the spokesman, Canadian Army Maj. Andrew Hennessy said.

Two Russian warplanes flew within one mile of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, forcing the U.S. Navy to launch four fighter jets in response Tuesday, a Navy spokesman told Fox News. The USS Reagan was sailing in international waters east of the Korean peninsula, Stars and Stripes reports. It adds that the U.S. is currently engaged in joint military exercises with South Korea.

Tu-95 Bear bombers intercepted off Mendocino on day Putin calls Obama Two Russian nuclear bombers flew within 40 miles of the California coast and one of the pilots relayed a veiled threat during the Fourth of July aerial incident, defense officials said. “Good morning American pilots, we are here to greet you on your Fourth of July Independence Day,” a Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber crew member stated over the emergency aircraft channel. Defense officials and the Colorado-based U.S. Northern Command said this week that two U.S. F-15 jets intercepted the Russian bombers on July 4 as they flew as close...

Two pilots killed as Tu-95MS bomber crashes after all 4 engines fail Five crew safely parachuted from stricken jet in latest of spate of accidents afflicting military aircraft. The accident was the sixth involving Russian military aircraft this summer, reported news agencies. The ministry said the crash was probably caused by a malfunction, although other causes were not ruled out, reported Sputnik News Agency.

Two Russian strategic bombers circled the U.S. island of Guam last week in what U.S. defense officials say is the latest in a series of nuclear provocations by Moscow. The bombers were identified by air defenses as Tu-95 Bear H nuclear-capable aircraft that circumnavigated the strategic U.S. military outpost on Friday—amid heightened tensions with Moscow regarding a new buildup of Russian forces in and along the border of eastern Ukraine. “U.S. Pacific Command can confirm that two aircraft circumnavigated Guam on November 13th,” said spokesman Maj. Christian Devine. “The aircraft were flying safely in international airspace and in accordance with...

Four Russian strategic bombers triggered U.S. air defense systems while conducting practice bombing runs near Alaska this week, with two of the Tu-95 Bear H aircraft coming within 50 miles of the California coast, the North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed Wednesday. [....] Rep. K. Michael Conaway, Texas Republican and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, called the Russian flights “intentional provocations.”

TOKYO, July 16 (RIA Novosti) - Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force had to scramble fighter jets in response to flights by Russian military aircraft near Japanese airspace and over the disputed Kuril Islands on Monday, local media reported. Two Tu-95 Bear bombers flew over the Sea of Japan moving from the Korean Peninsula, and proceeded along the Japanese archipelago to the north of Hokkaido. Another plane, the IL-20, flew over the Kuril Islands, NHK television said late Monday citing the Defense Ministry. According to Japanese officials, the Russian aircraft had not violated the country’s airspace. The Russian Defense Ministry later said...

<p>The Air Force confirms that two Russian bombers on Tuesday circled the U.S. island territory of Guam, prompting U.S. jets to scramble and respond.</p> <p>Two U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter aircraft, operating out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, intercepted the Russian Tu-95 bomber aircrafts, which left in a northbound direction, said military spokeswoman Capt. Kim Bender.</p>

A pair of Russian strategic nuclear bombers were intercepted near the Pacific coast Wednesday, the Washington Free Beacon reported — the second such incident in two weeks. According to the Free Beacon, the two long range bombers entered the U.S. air defense zone and came close to the U.S. coast, but did not enter sovereign airspace. The bombers were “were visually identified by NORAD fighters,” Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby said. The first incident in late June involved two Tu-95 Bear H bombers near Alaska conducting war games, which included simulated attacks on “enemy” air defenses and strategic facilities, a...

On 11 October Typhoon aircraft of Number 6 Squadron maintaining the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission at RAF Leuchars were launched to intercept two aircraft in the NATO Air Policing Area that could not be identified by any other means i.e. the aircraft is not talking to civilian or military Air Traffic Control, has not filed a flight plan and is not transmitting a recognisable secondary surveillance radar code.

THE HAGUE (BNO NEWS) -- Dutch, British and Danish fighter jets on Tuesday morning intercepted two Russian bombers which had crossed into Dutch airspace, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said. It is the third such incident this year. A statement from the Dutch Defense ministry said two F-16 aircraft took off from Volkel Air Base on Tuesday to intercept two Russian Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft, which are large, four-engine strategic bombers and missile platforms. They are also known as Bears, its NATO reporting name. "The Russians flew into the Dutch area of responsibility without making their identity known," the Dutch ministry...

Many residents of Tayside and Fife reported hearing the jets roaring away from the threatened front-line base shortly after 5am on Tuesday. The unknown planes were soon identified as Russian military aircraft. When contacted by The Courier, a spokeswoman at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) stressed the Russian aircraft had not encroached into UK airspace. "Aircraft were launched to identify two unknown aircraft that were flying in international airspace over the North Sea," she said. "They were identified as Russian military aircraft." The latest incident comes just two weeks after a pair of Russian Bear bombers were intercepted close to...

The Russian Air Force has lifted a ban on the flights of Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers imposed after an An-22 Cock transport plane was destroyed in a crash last December. The plane crashed in the Tula Region on December 28, killing all 12 crew members. The Air Force decided to ground all Tu-95s and An-22s because both aircraft types share the Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop, whose failure was suspected as the main cause of the crash. The An-22 remains the largest turboprop-powered aircraft in the world. Around 45 remain in service with the Russian Air Force and most are over 40...

Russian aircraft are approaching, and entering, Japanese air space more frequently. Such intrusions are up 80 percent this year. So far this year, Japanese fighters have scrambled 186 times to deal with these alerts. That's a 30 percent increase from last year. In contrast, fighters were dispatched only 24 times to deal with Chinese aircraft and four times for Taiwanese aircraft. Nearly all of these intrusions were by maritime reconnaissance or electronic eavesdropping aircraft. These intrusions have been increasing over the last three years. Early on, the Japanese launched many aircraft for each intrusion. For example, in 2008, a Russian...

Two F16’s from the Dutch Royal Air Force have intercepted two Russian bombers over the North Sea on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the Air Force. The two Russian aircraft type TU-95 MS (Bear) were for some time monitored by the Dutch aircraft and eventually flew away. It is the second time in more than one month that Russian long range bombers are flying in European airspace. On the night of 15th September, British, Danish and German aircraft came in action because of two Russian aircraft. Tuesday first Danish and British aircraft came in action before the Dutch fighter...