Typhoon fighter aircraft scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth, with an RAF Voyager from RAF Brize Norton, to monitor two Russian Bear maritime patrol aircraft approaching UK airspace.
Meanwhile Typhoons deployed on NATO Baltic Air Policing also scrambled from Amari airbase to intercept a Russian Bear bomber and two Flanker fighter aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace.
The RAY say that the QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) launch from RAF Lossiemouth took place after the two Russian patrol aircraft flew close to the international airspace of the UK’s fellow NATO Allies.
“A coordinated response allowed Allies to monitor the aircraft until the RAF intercepted them. Our fighters escorted them from the UK’s area of interest and ensured that they did not enter either UK sovereign airspace. The intercept and monitoring was completed in international airspace throughout and conducted in a safe and professional manner.”
The RAF Typhoons deployed on NATO Baltic Air Policing in Estonia intercepted a Russian TU-95 ‘Bear’ Bomber, heading west close to Estonian airspace.
The Typhoons then handed the escort over to Finish and Swedish QRA aircraft, before being tasked to re-intercept to maintain the escort of the TU-95 as its transited close to NATO airspace. The “Bear” had since been accompanied by two Russian SU-30 ‘Flanker’ fighters.
This is a routine NATO mission for the Typhoons which, according to the MoD, provides reassurance that the UK is here to work in partnership with Estonia.
The Royal Air Force is deployed on Operation AZOTIZE in Estonia in support of Baltic Air Policing.
According to a news release:
“This is the seventeenth QRA scramble resulting in an intercept since the RAF took over enhanced Air Policing (eAP) from the German Air Force on 3 May 2019 as part of Baltic Air Policing. The UK operates in support of NATO to reassure our allies and is a further demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the security of the region.
Elsewhere around the world RAF Typhoon jets are also deployed in the Falklands Islands on QRA missions, as well as operating in the Middle East on Operation SHADER.”
The RAF routinely identify, intercept and escort Russian aircraft that transit international airspace. The RAF intercepting Russian aircraft is normal and it’s being reported to remind people of that.
I wonder how many time QRA has been needed in the falklands with Argentina’s cesnas a huge threat.
Dude, people kills not because they hate, they kill because they fear. So, if Argentinian’s cessnas were so flimsy, why so huge “armada” from UK to steal the “Malvinas” again from Argentina ????
Zero. But they still Train.
What are the Russians upto? On BBC news thst 5 dead multiple injured in a misdile testing rsnge on the north artic coastline nesr to finland. Testing an “isotope powered rocket” that exploded on takeoff. Nuclear isotope powered rocket.
Only 1 use for that -hypersonic intermidate range ballistic missile. Breach of nuclear treaties as Putins despot Russia strive to maintain an edge over its neighbours and NATO, as a means to threaten and intimidate.
Probably any hypersonic intermidiate range missile will be adapted for the antiship role. Carrier killer.
Meabwhile Russian “police” brutalise peaceful protests within their own capital city, beat up and arrest hundreds of their own citizens and any opposition leader is arresred and charged on trumped up, made up accusations. Great democracy and freedoms you have there Russia. Bravo!
Well said Mr Bell ,I think Putin has made a mistake with trying to start a weapons race with the US ,race they can not afford. I saw some of that protest in Moscow footage the police were arresting everybody who started talking to the reporters lol!!!
Keep dreaming
Russia’s all talk, they could never compete with USA these days, only in the beginning of the so called space race was Russia ahead by almost everything, apart from humans on the moon that happened much later on and still seems a bit fishy.
But USA had a race to win and the moon was the winning hand. But that many moon missions without any loss of life, it was calculated and found impossible to achieve that record. Russia also sent rovers to the moon and got moon rocks back to earth so moon rocks aren’t proof USA went to moon. Van Braun went to ant arctic to collect moon rocks and asteroids also. I could go on for ever about the Fake I mean real moon missions so I won’t.
Who’s paying you? Are you one of those “Fake Moon Landing” conspiracy people who are being paid by the US Government to hide the fact that they found signs of a extra-terrestrial civilization on the moon?
Just joking… 🙂
Apollo 1? 3 killed on the launch pad prompting no end of changes to design and procedure. Apollo 13? Limped home surviving by the skin of their teeth. Apollo 12? Hit by lightning at launch which could so easily have resulted in disaster.
In many ways blind luck plays as much a part in there being no loss of life on an actual landing mission than any conspiracy theory does.
The arms race between Russia and the US is just smoke and mirrors by each side to justify political decisions.
Reality is that the arms race ended the moment that nukes were invented and reinforced when SSBN were launched. MAD still works today, just like it worked in the 60s.
Both Trump and Putin however politically thrive on talking about there being a threat to counter.
Always the same crap from the West. When China sails its ships close to US or UK, its a plain threat of US or.UK sovereignty. When UK and US do the same around China, they are using the free navigation BS. Mr. Bell might have 84 years old. He is thinking the same way of the 50’s and 60’s.
Nobody, at anytime, wherever in this planet, were more brutalised by the UK in anytime from 1100 BC till our days. How dare you write about “brutalising” people. Are you on drugs ???????
Not to mention Russia arresting and then stealing all assets from very rich Russians they don’t like. No wonder so many seek a new life in the UK and USA.
Yep they love it in London
To be fair, the rich Russians stole the assets and money from Russia during the transition from communism and using their influence in a period where the country was in trouble and then run to the UK / USA to keep the cash. Ok Putin is being selective on who he comes after, but I can’t feel sorry for them.
It’s a cruise missile with unlimited range, they have tested it before, and Putin has showed it off
The nuclear powered engine is a fascinating subject. In theory it should have limitless range and immense power potential. In practice its an ecological nightmare waiting to happen.
From the information released so far, the cruise missile uses a chemical rocket to launch it, then the nuclear engine takes over. There is very little info and only speculation on what type of nuclear engine it is. There are two trains of thought one is nuclear powered turbojet, thus making the missile subsonic. Or there is the RAM engine making the missile supersonic.
The US and the UK had investigated nuclear engines in the 50 and 60’s primarily for bombers. But concluded that for manned flight the necessary shielding would make them uneconomical to use in aircraft. They did build a number of prototype engines which worked as expected, both turbo prop, turbojet and rocket. But these were all cancelled due to the concerns of what would happen if the aircraft/rocket crashed.
It beggars belief that Russia are now looking to produce a nuclear powered cruise missile. The explosion has shown that the engine is fission powered as Finland detected an increase in background radiation levels. It has also shown that the engine is not sufficiently protected, so will likely cause severe issues if this thing gets shot down over land.
Sanctions have been put on Russia, North Korea, And Iran don’t you find it odd how their building new stealth aircraft, short and long range missiles. Also now we have China joining Russia. What we should be aware of is we have very little .