RAF Scrambled over Russian bombers....again

Conor108

RAF Tornado fighters have been scrambled after two long-range Russian "Blackjack" bombers were spotted approaching British airspace, the MoD has said.

The two strategic Tu-160 bombers were escorted by British and Norwegian fighters as they headed south for the Bay of Biscay where the Russian Navy is conducting a major exercise.

An MoD spokesman said it was a "routine" response by the RAF fighters to the presence of the Russian aircraft.

"When military aircraft are around, we monitor them," the spokesman said.

The latest incident follows the resumption last summer of long-range bomber patrols by the Russians, which has seen RAF fighters scrambled on a number of occasions.

The first time this year is it? Wasn't it 80+ of these events last year
Sky News arcticle

Manic Moran

Blackjacks? They barely have two dozen of those.

Oh well, I guess they're not saving them for a museum. The production line just re-opened, the first completed one in almost 20 years just came off the blocks.

NTM

Oilrig

Conkordski live on...:D

Manic Moran

That's Tu-144, not Tu-160. Blackjack is the Boneski.

NTM

lostexpectation

these the same group that was travelling by us a while back, I tried to find info and the pics of that but didn't see em anybody got a link?

skelliser

is this part of the battle group that sailed down the west coast a few weeks ago, headin into the med to stir it up no doubt!

Manic Moran

Not likely. Blackjack is over 200 tons, about the size of an Airbus A330. You won't get one of those to land on a carrier!

NTM

Lemming

Manic Moran wrote: »

Not likely. Blackjack is over 200 tons, about the size of an Airbus A330. You won't get one of those to land on a carrier!

Well .... you could land one on a carrier. Just don't expect much of either a) the carrier or b) the Blackjack to survive. Well, I'd say more of 'b' than 'a' but you get the idea

skelliser

Manic Moran wrote: »

Not likely. Blackjack is over 200 tons, about the size of an Airbus A330. You won't get one of those to land on a carrier!

NTM

no silly;) what i meant was are these bombers doing exercises with that battlegroup ie. simulating attacks etc

Manic Moran

With just two aircraft? Not much of a simulated attack. More like keeping the flight times up for the pilot, and running ESM/Intel gathering on NATO.

NTM

Victor

I wonder if the RAF were planning to shoot them down with cluster bombs?



(Wrong type of Tornado).

Captain Chaos

Victor wrote: »

I wonder if the RAF were planning to shoot them down with cluster bombs?



(Wrong type of Tornado).

Thats the media for you, just slap up a pic of any fighter with RAF markings. Imagine a pair of GR4s (the pic shows older GR1s) trying to find a pair of bombers visually with ground control assistance and shoot them down with just a pair of AIM-9s each.

cyrusdvirus

Why is the blackjack called the Boneski manic? Never heard it referred to as that before.

Sweet looking plane all the same

Manic Moran

The B-1 is known in US Service (unofficially!) as the Bone. (B-one)

Russian version of anything is thing-ski. Ergo, Boneski.

NTM

cyrusdvirus

D'oh....

If I'd even thought about that one i would have copped on.........
Sorry manic, cheers for the response

Steyr

Manic Moran wrote: »

The B-1 is known in US Service (unofficially!) as the Bone. (B-one)

Russian version of anything is thing-ski. Ergo, Boneski.

NTM

And officially as the B-1B Lancer, Bone was considered Gay apparently. No joke. Oh and she aint cheap Unit cost US$283.1 million and 67 are in Service at Dyess AFB

Steyr

Just some heads up on that RAF QRA launch from people in the know is this : Scramble was at 0300, Tanker diverted into Kinloss, returned to Brize about 1300.

Scottish Control 133.675 were advising that 2 blackjack bombers were at 5000 ft and not sqawking and the RAF were about to intercept and would be squaking in the area..Outer Hebrides, 2 F3s left Leuchars at 05:??


Alos interesting to note that :These exercises are pre-announced to NATO and flight plans filed. They are conducted in international waters and airspace. The reasons for the strategic bombers coming so far south is to exercise with the battle group.

Also this is noted:

The following 'Notice to Mariners'

Notice to Mariners

http://www.nga.mil/MSISite....arn.pdf

'128/08(36,51). NORTH ATLANTIC. MISSILES.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 211100Z TO 211700Z AND
221100Z TO 221800Z JAN IN AREA BOUND BY
40-10N 016-30W, 39-50N 016-30W,
38-00N 020-30W, 42-00N 020-30W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 221900Z JAN.'


Regards, Steyr.