Icarus,
It isn't that busy! It certainly isn't a weekly event. The Russians are operating in international airspace.
Question Asked by Lord Jopling
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 24 January 2008 (WA 58), on how many occasions in each of the last three years Royal Air Force aircraft have been launched to monitor Russian aircraft approaching UK airspace.[HL1663]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): The number of days on which Royal Air Force Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft have launched to identify Russian military aviation that approached or entered the NATO air policing area for which the UK has responsibility in each of the past three years is contained in the table below. The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace at all times.
Number of days QRA launched in response to Russian military aviation
2009 - 11
2010 - 11
2011 - 10
2012 to l July - 6
Lords Hansard text for 23 Jul 201223 July 2012 (pt 0001)
September 12th was the last recorded intercept. Luftwaffe F-4s even got a chance to play.
Two Russian Tu-95MS Bear-H strategic bombers have successfully completed a routine patrol mission over the Barents, North and Norwegian seas, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers based at the Engels Airbase [in Saratov Region] carried out patrols over neutral waters in the Barents, Northern and Norwegian seas on September 11-12 in line with the plan of strategic deterrent," spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said. During the 17-hour mission, the crews practiced instrumental guidance flights and in-flight refueling.
They also carried out joint drills with MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors over Russian territory. The Russian bombers were shadowed over neutral waters by NATO F-16 and F-4F fighter jets from Denmark, Norway and the UK.
Russia resumed strategic bomber patrol flights over the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans in August 2007. According to the Defense Ministry, Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers have flown an average of 50 patrol missions every year. The same number of patrols is expected this year.
Russian Strategic Bombers Carry out North Patrols | Defense | RIA Novosti
Edited for insertion of links