Cat and mouse with guns and stuff.
 

There'll be tears before bedtime... possibly.

-RP

History would suggest that when sabres start getting rattled there are really only two options. Either one side recognises that it doesn't have the wherewithal to run with the big dogs, or it doesn't.

One can only hope that common sense prevails. Sadly, this seems to be one characteristic that is in short supply on both sides of this equation.

The Russians are telling the Americans to mind their own business. I hope they listen...sometimes it's better to simply let sleeping dogs lie. Iraq on a grander scale anyone?

Funnily enough, UK ground radars track Russian visitors in International airspace near the UK, and send up fighters to within several hundred feet of the Bears and Blinders. They don't seem to be phased by it.

...in the clearly defined UKADR.

Funnily enough the UK does not have any medium or long range SAMs to lock-up any approaching Russian aircraft. Surveillance radars are one thing but people get a bit more twitchy with the more aggressive use of radars. Given that this aircraft was an RJ it would have more detailed SA on the intent and coordination behind this action than any other platform.

Fair point. Presumably the Russians have an ADIZ, making the RJ fair game for any tracking action, including defensive SAM's, until it is identified and intentions are known. It's not unknown for US warships to do the same in international waters. If it was a real attack threat, you'd probably look a bit silly if you didn't have your defence systems locked on and ready to go, just in case you upset someone who is there to probe your defences.

Playing cold-war games in international airspace to probe/challenge/whatever, with or without an ADIZ is one thing. But this RJ flew unannounced right through Swedish territory. How would the US respond if a foreign military reconnaissance aircraft did the same thing over the USA.?

Assuming it was an ally, who was avoiding a potential threat at short notice (as seems to be the case with the RJ), I would imagine they would be a bit miffed but, would get over it...

-RP

Do you not think that the Swedes knew exactly what was flying over their border?.
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In other words, kiss Putin's arse a bit more. These are the times that the west must have as much information as possible about what Ivan, err, Vlad is up to.
You must remember this has been going on for decades, they send their spy planes, we the west send up our spy planes, there's no precedent set by a 135 being in the area. Should the US get its hackles up because a bear circled Guam a few months back or the bears that fly up and down the west coast of the US? No, send something pointy up to have a look and be done with it assuming all are playing their roles appropriately.

Business as usual old boy. The only real noteworthy part of this is what spooked the crew to escape into Sweedish airspace.

"..be a bit miffed and then get over it?" Mmm, yes well I can recall being spoken to, shouted to, rather by some teenager on a USN warship commanding me to alter course to avoid lethal force. Although he may in fact have been talking to several other airliners all going about their lawful business, hard to tell. And that was in the Indian Ocean which is er, quite a long way from the USA.

Yawn...nothing to do with the events of a few days ago.

Surely the whole point of a SIGINT mission is to get "painted" by the equipment you are scrutinizing, while not being shot down by it of course.

Just a little more background..
Swedish Media Says U.S. Spyplane Recently Violated Swedish Airspace - Matthew Aid

They may think the others are as trigger happy as themselves - the Iranian airliner? :ooh:

Maybe the US crew knew their history, and were all too aware of the Sov..sorry, Russian propensity to shoot down unarmed surveillance aircraft over international waters in the Baltic region...

Catalina affair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

When I were a lad we used to look upon this sort of thing as sport. How times have changed. :)

If so, they appeared to have relied rather heavily on the noted Swedish good nature; there are many parts of the world where such a breach of good manners would end violently.