Tu-160 undetected in US airspace?

[Self Loading Freight]

Early last year, the Russians claimed (http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Russian_commander:_Tu-160s_penetrate_US_airspace_undetected) several undetected Tu-160 incursions into US/Canadian airspace during (Russian) exercises. A NATO investigation was mentioned.

Haven't been able to find anything subsequently about the claims or consequences. Has anything been said publicly concerning those reports?

R

[chevvron]

Well if the RAF could do it nearly 50 years ago with Vulcans and Victors, are you surprised?

[XV277]

Of course maybe THEY didn't detect the F-22s that detected them......:hmm:

[Blacksheep]

It was always the case that the way to launch a first strike attack would be to infiltrate the opposition's airspace in the civil traffic stream and using civil transponders. That's how the RAF 'V' Force did it and I'm sure the Soviets would have done the same.

[D-IFF_ident]

Probably not difficult to fly undetected around the Northern Polar regions; much of Anchorage and Edmonton ARTCCs are procedural, with limited radar cover.
I'm not worried; US high school kids will save us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dawn

Edited to add: Same bloke denies their aircraft overflying Georgia....

[M609]

I thought the US and Canada had a whopping long radar chain on the north coast, or did they switch the light off on that in 1990? :confused:

[MarkD]

After the "decade of darkness" anything is possible :hmm::ugh:

[StbdD]

M609

The chain of of which you speak was the Pine Tree Line. Most of it was gone before 1990 IAW treaty requirements.

A fascinating history of the line can be found here: http://www.pinetreeline.org/

As to the Russian claim, who sez they were undetected? ;)