Red Storm Rising Redux

[Mobius]

Daily Mail

Cold War reheated - RAF Tornados foil Russian spy in sky

By MATTHEW HICKLEY, Defence Correspondent

It could have been an episode from the dark days of the Cold War.

Britain's air-defence radar system picks up a long-range Russian Bear bomber speeding towards the UK across the North Sea, apparently on a spying mission.

Within minutes, at a windswept RAF base, four airmen race to their fighter jets and roar away to intercept the intruder.

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A tense stand-off in the sky follows before the Russians turn away.

It is the type of incident which was routine two decades ago. But this took place last week.

Two Bears were spotted during a major Royal Navy exercise to the north of the Outer Hebrides. Commanders believe they were planning to spy on the warships, including the aircraft carrier Illustrious.

Two Tornado F3 fighters took off from RAF Leuchars in Fife and intercepted the Bears in international airspace.

The pilots were close enough to wave but there was no radio contact.

After shadowing the Russians for some 15 minutes, they watched as the giant bombers turned and headed home to their base in Murmansk. In similar skirmishes during the 1970s and 80s, Soviet spies were sometimes spotted watching from the perimeter of RAF stations to time exactly how long it took jets to take off and intercept Bear bombers, probing the UK's defences and testing the response.

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Nato pilots in those days were well accustomed to an almost daily aerial game of cat-and-mouse.

While such visits from the Russians have become extremely rare, the latest one is a reminder that Moscow's long-term ambitions are not entirely clear and that the old Cold War rivalries could well resurface.

Under President-Putin - a former KGB general - Russia has been flexing its economic muscle by cutting off gas flows to the West, highlighting Europe's growing dependence on its energy.

The Kremlin has also begun to take a more aggressive stance in foreign affairs.

Paul Jackson, editor of Jane's All The World's Aircraft, said, "The exercise was in international waters and the Russians have got just as much right to be there as we have.

"The RAF are telling them, 'We could do this for real if we wanted to, so go and tell your mates.'"

The Russian Embassy in London declined to comment.

et plus récemment:

NDTV

Fighter planes from Britain and Norway scrambled on Friday to keep watch on Russian bombers that were approaching the countries' air space, officials said.

The incidents occurred amid high tensions between Britain and Russia, as each country ordered the expulsion of four diplomats from the other side.

There was no indication the fighter plans were connected to the row.

A spokesman for Britain's defense ministry said two Russian Tu-95 bombers briefly entered British air space in the first incident about 2 am (0100 GMT), but turned back after British F-3s intercepted them.

He did not specify where the interception took place.

About three hours later, two Tu-160s neared the fringes of British air space, he said on conventional condition of not being named.

Norwegian military spokesman Lt Col John Inge Oeglaend said his country's F-16s were sent into action twice on Friday: once when two Russian Tu-95 bombers headed south along the Norwegian coast in international air space and turned around above Aberdeen on Scotland's North Sea coast.

In the second, two Tu-160 bombers were spotted flying near Norwegian air space over the Barents Sea, he said.

Oeglaend characterized the incidents as routine, but said it was a ''bit unusual that the first two bombers went so far south.''

Aberdeen's latitude is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) below the southern tip of Norway.

Russian Air Force spokesman Col Alexander Drobyshevsky said British and Norwegian planes approaching bombers on training flights were a ''normal occurrence.''

British media reported that RAF planes had approached Russian bombers on Tuesday as they headed toward British air space.

The defense ministry spokesman said that ''to have three launches in one week is unusual, but any suggestion to connect these with anything else happening in London would be speculation.''

Britain on Monday ordered four diplomats to leave as punishment for Russia's refusal to extradite the man named by Britain as the chief suspect in last year's killing in London of ex-Russian security officer-turned-Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko.

Russia on Thursday ordered four British diplomats to leave in a reciprocal move.

That response appeared to indicate neither side wished to escalate tensions further.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed confidence the nations would overcome their differences.

[Sous-Commandant Marco]

Gandhi aime bien les avions militaires apparemment.

[Cochon]

Il n'y a plus assez de Tchétchènes à trucider, donc Poutine doit bien trouver de nouvelles occupations pour ses avions.

[Nick de Cusa]

Je ne suis pas poutiniste mais c'est une éxagération que de dire qu'il a coupé l'approvisionnement de gaz à l'Ouest. Il l'a fait une fois à l'Ukraine, pendant un jour je crois (à vérifier), puis ils se sont mis d'accord sur de nouveau tarifs. En toute honnêteté, il faut préciser que l'Ukraine bénéficiait de tarif subventionnés (par le contribuable Russe) contre loyauté géopolitique. Quand ils ont fait valoir aux Russes leur indépendance -à raison- la Russie a utilisé ce moyen un peu rude pour ajuster l'accord de départ. C'est lugubre, ça pourrait augurer de choses beaucoup plus graves, mais en ce qui me concerne, dans ce cas précis, je comprends la réaction russe, sans aller jusqu'à approuver de couper l'approvisionnement. (Pour ce que Vlad en a à faire de mon approbation).