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Stu666
17th Feb 2016, 17:57
It looks like Ivan decided to have another saunter up the English Channel again today, before turning back their Tu-160s the way they came.

I understand this journey up the Channel and back isn't all that uncommon, but I am genuinely curious to know if they've ever completed an entire circuit around the UK before? I cannot remember this happening in recent memory, perhaps some of the former Cold War warriors on here may have some tales to share?

TEEEJ
17th Feb 2016, 19:00
The subject was brought up the last time the Russians ventured up the English Channel.

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/559897-have-we-been-invaded.html

MPN11
17th Feb 2016, 19:19
Usually we shoot them down when they do that, although the Media aren't allowed to report it. However, with Pres. Putin helping us out in Iraq, we are letting them do it for training purposes. "No Brits were at risk," said a MoD spokesperson ... all of our missiles were drill rounds."

CoffmanStarter
17th Feb 2016, 20:10
Now you've given the game away MPN11 ;)

Stu ...

If your Russian is up to it ... Don't wait for news of such events to hit the BBC ... There appear to be a group of 'enthusiasts' who monitor the Russian HF Bear Net who like to track these little jaunts by Ivan.

Further reading (scroll down to 'Bear Hunting')...

Russian Air Force HF Bear Net (https://planesandstuff.wordpress.com/tag/russian-air-force/)

And you don't need a specialist HF Receiver ... Just use the following online WebSDR Application.

WebSDR QTH Netherlands (http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901)


.

TEEEJ
18th Feb 2016, 06:19
See following for HF voice recordings of the Tu-160 mission yesterday. Recorded by a Ukrainian radio enthusiast. Tu-160s passing three figure messages to ground control

??-160 ? ?????? ??????????????. 17-02-2016: galandeczp (http://galandeczp.livejournal.com/16629.html)

Bombers and or tankers are back up again this morning using the same frequency as yesterday 8131 Kilohertz USB.

As already posted by CoffmanStarter you can type in the frequency on the following on-line receiver.

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

CoffmanStarter
18th Feb 2016, 11:03
TEEEJ ...

Based on the generally held assumption that these missions frequently transmit unencrypted LAT/LONG Position Reports, as part of encrypted Code Groups, then the starting 12 numerics in the first 3 Message Groups in your link when plotted suggest the following Way Points.

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af162/CoffmanStarter/Screen%20Shot%202016-02-18%20at%2010.58.17_zpss9pp0rsc.jpg

All Credits for Map Data and Plotting Tool as shown.

Which has some validity as all three WP's (which are in close proximity to each other) are just north of Volgograd and close to the Engels Air Base, where TU160's are based. However, without knowing the time of the recordings it's difficult to know if these were outbound or inbound PR's.

I'm sure some kind soul will correct me if I've screwed-up the plotting :uhoh:


.

Martin the Martian
18th Feb 2016, 14:25
Ah, so that would explain why a Voyager spent much of the afternoon flying over Cornwall at 27,000ft.

Rogdabbit
18th Feb 2016, 17:39
Unfortunately, most of the three letter numbers don't equate to anything near the Lat/Longs that the "Bear" flights would be at

I've found only a couple that could be Lat/Longs in the hundreds of messages that I've monitored, let alone the thousands I've gone through from previous years - and they were as noted in the link you gave to my blog

I may put up stuff from this on my blog next week. I haven't decided yet

CoffmanStarter
18th Feb 2016, 17:58
Many thanks Rogdabbit ... Enjoyed reading your blog ... :ok:

Rogdabbit
18th Feb 2016, 18:12
No probs

Glad you liked it

I did crack the IL-76 coded messages for Syria a couple of years ago - don't know if you saw that blog??

CoffmanStarter
18th Feb 2016, 18:34
Yep ... Your dedication and persistence paid off on that one ;)

Rogdabbit
18th Feb 2016, 18:37
Gave me something to do ;)

Now, must get off here, not my favourite place :)

MATELO
18th Feb 2016, 18:43
I did crack the IL-76 coded messages for Syria a couple of years ago - don't know if you saw that blog??


Maybe you could help these chaps out...

Inside the FBI's encryption battle with Apple | Technology | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/17/inside-the-fbis-encryption-battle-with-apple)

TEEEJ
18th Feb 2016, 22:12
Hi CoffmanStarter,

The 502 series of recordings were made when the Blackjacks were in the vicinity of the UK. A quick right click "translate to English" provides the following.

"Channel put forward the theory that in the next few minutes the aircraft from the Russian Federation will leave "the British zone of interests", but it may be in this area of other partners of the United Kingdom on the block NATO Entries cryptograms for balance: board 44732 passed cipher: 727 board 44732 passed cipher: 502 411 447 132 196 010 565 564 978"

??-160 ? ?????? ??????????????. 17-02-2016: galandeczp (http://galandeczp.livejournal.com/16629.html)

CoffmanStarter
19th Feb 2016, 06:19
Cheers TEEEJ ... Intriguing .... Clearly I'm unlikely to get a job at a certain establishment in Cheltenham based on his brief exercise :oh:

However ... It seems highly coincidental that those numerics I plotted above were so close to the TU160's Base.

Didn't get very far with the Cheltenham Christmas card puzzle either :8

Anyway ... I'm off to buy a new lawnmower this morning ... Back to the mundane !


.

TEEEJ
19th Feb 2016, 15:48
Hi CoffmanStarter,

A radio enthusiast in the US using the Netherlands HF on-line receiver copied the following message at 1612Z.

1612Z Tu-160 callsign 44732 Message 502 411 447 132 196 010 565 564 978

This was also copied by the Ukrainian radio enthusiast and is the first recording at the following link.

??-160 ? ?????? ??????????????. 17-02-2016: galandeczp (http://galandeczp.livejournal.com/16629.html)

The RAF Voyager tanker was at the following location when the Tu-160 Blackjack, callsign 44732, serial RF-94101 sent that first 502 message. I was listening in at the time and the Tu-160 signal strength was booming out.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h261/TOMMYJO/Tanker17Feb2016size800.jpg

The Flightradar24 playback should be available for the next few days.

Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker! (http://www.flightradar24.com/2016-02-17/16:00/12x/RRR2311/8d82569)

The Voyager tanker then headed up to Scotland and was last noted on Flight Radar 24 heading towards the Western Isles.

It would appear that the Tu-160s had turned around in the English Channel and were heading back the same route west of Eire.

French QRA were also active. See following image released by UK Ministry of Defence showing Tu-160 with Rafale (Lower) and Mirage 2000 (upper).

http://theaviationist.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tu160-intercepted-UK.jpg

Larger images at following link

https://www.facebook.com/theministryofdefence/posts/10153840407429034

http://theaviationist.com/2016/02/18/take-a-look-at-these-photographs-of-the-russian-tu-160-bombers-intercepted-by-the-raf-typhoons/

See following for timeline and other info.

QRA (North & South) (http://www.egxwinfogroup.co.uk/?p=243)

CoffmanStarter
19th Feb 2016, 16:15
Thanks TEEEJ ... All very interesting.

Perhaps the MOD should invest in a suitable HF Transmitter capable of pumping out a few GigaWatts on the known 38 Meter Band Frequencies ... to wish future visiting crews a speedy return flight home in flawless spoken Russian :E