No arguments from me there. My point was in response to the risk of them colliding with civilian traffic as a result of implied illegal activity by operating + or - 500ft of civilian traffic, which isn't breaking any rules. I've seen a few cases of military traffic busting separation minima with civilian traffic, none involved the Russians.
UDT,
No implication of illegality, just risk. I accept the arguments against fighters but believe primary 3D radar would be prudent.
Again over 25 years ago, but I’ve been controlling fighters trailing Bears down the North Sea IMC at FL360 and had to call LATCC to advise them that they had non-squawking traffic 30nm north southbound on a collision co-alt and avoiding action was advisable.
(The first response was that “I have priority get them to turn - who’ controlling them anyway!”. To which my reply was that I wasn’t sure, but probably Moscow….
If I have a comparable situation in the past it was the Cyprus FIR back in the mid 1970s where we monitored and provided a radar advisory service for numerous friendly NATO recce/ESM aircraft monitoring the various wars and areas of interest in the eastern Med and observed all the other aircraft operating in the same area.
Nicosia at the time provided a procedural service and we’re blissfully unaware of all of them. The day they switched on their first radar they just about cr***ed themselves and the telephone line between us was heavily used fir a few weeks whilst they became aware of who was who and what they were doing.