TEEEJ - Thanks for that - I had assumed these were updated original airframes, not new ones. However the principle still applies. You can buy a brand new Royal Enfield motorcycle straight off the production line in India, but it's still basically 1950s technology. Same with these, looking at the interior shots they are hardly fly by wire!

Going back to the current wave of flights, I understand they are coming down the West coast of Ireland, which is, of course, a neutral country. During WW2 the Irish created a corridor to allow Coastal Command aircraft to cut off the "top bit" when transiting from N.I. bases to the patrols in the Atlantic, one of the few concessions the de Valera government made to the UK in what was euphemistically called "The Emergency". I cant imagine Ireland would compromise its neutrality to do something similar now, unless things hotted up, so its "the long way around" from Coningsby for the time being.

The BBC were displaying an admirable level of amnesia today with a story about the latest TU-95 and treating it as if WW3 was about to start and that these flights had never happened before...well not for at least the last 2 weeks.

"Luckily David Cameron was on the TV news tonight, and he assured us that these probing flights just go to prove that the RAF have the pilots and aircraft to deal with the Russians and it's no big deal :)"


Yep, that same numpty that told all the Harrier crews they were being replaced in theatre by Typhoon, the one that canned the MPA capability, the one that has just shutdown Leuchars, the one that doesn't know the difference between cat and trap and STOVL, the one that authorized the early retirement of GR4 without any sensible alternative, the one that has ordered a grand total of 7(?) JSFs to date?


Yes, that's the guy - like tonker said, I'd just love to see it all come home to roost!

Smoketoomuch, have you never seen a Typhoon before, obviously only a pre first flight Corgi:ugh::ugh::ugh:

Shame it's so ugly, so what is on the wingtips ?

I think the Russian news reporter mentioned two Norwegian F-16s at some point. Not sure, but perhaps they were followed by RNoAF QRA jets before being handed off to the RAF.

The news report is tagged "Saratov Oblast." Are these Engels-based Bears?

"Shame it's so ugly, so what is on the wingtips ?"

Components of the DASS subsystem.

From Aviation Images, Burkhard Domke Homepage

http://www.b-domke.de/AviationImages...DASS_10874.jpg

No Meteor 'till 2018 :uhoh:

Ruskies over Cornwall
 

Ref Post 38.

Must be St Mawgan to come back first for sure!

Or will they send up the Classic Airforce?

Give me something to watch on the blue summer days, if they arrive!

Looks like Ivan, was inland..Russian bomber flew inland over Cornwall, witness claims | UK news | The Guardian

TU 95s
 

The Bears are just the annoying ones. Its when the Blackjacks start showing up it gets worrying.

That'll be the tanker Shirley? Check PlaneFinder's playback facility and a Voyager circles over Cornwall.

Fine, just as long as they remember to pay a fiver per pilot Airport Development Fee to Cornwall CC each time they launch.

Who would argue with a Bodmin woman:ouch:

If they have to be shot down, it will be somewhere sensible......
 

Try to catch this before it expires tonight:
The ex-Defence Minister (so he should know his stuff, what!)
BBC iPlayer - Spotlight - 19/02/2015

To those who may know, out of interest, do we ie 'The West', play similar games off the coast and borders of Russian territory?

Given that a '95 could sit somewhere between Iceland and Norway and unleash hell south of the Thames then yes, they probably are 'cocking a snoop'. The rest of it was laced with the usual patronising LD* twaddle.

*one could equally substitute 'patronising CON/LAB twaddle' too.

The BBC has produced this handy guide for Cornish residents.
BBC News - How to spot a Russian bomber

that'll teach to support UKIP.................

Teach who?

TU-95 Enter British Airspace
 

Despite what Cameron said the TU-95s entered the London FIR, British Controlled Airspace, off the west coast of Cornwall chased by two typhoons. They crossed Civil Upper Air Routes being used by civil airliners. They were in Class C airspace! (Never even asked for a clearance:) Eventually the 'Bears' left British airspace and entered Irish airspace. I really cannot see how this can be acceptable.

Could have been worse. They could have sent a submarine. Then again, they probably have.

Just out of interest, if the need arose to ramp up the military quickly, what sort of stuff have we in storage that could be reactivated? There must be some tanks etc somewhere, and various aircraft bits being used as ashtrays.

Picture this perhaps:

Dave Cameron: Ah, Vlad, yes thanks for taking my call.

Vlad Putin: Dave baby, how can I help?

DC: Spot of bother here old chap. You know you need a bit of foreign currency and an easing of sanctions etc, well how would you like us to help with that?

VP: Yeah, times are a bit hard here too, what can I do?

DC: Since there are no wars currently planned and me and Barak are being pressurised by those global conglomerates that make biggest money from arms etc Any chance of sending a couple of aircraft, ships or submarines to sniff around our EU borders? I'm a bit concerned about our Armed Forces manning and equipment levels, but nobody would listen in our political system. But if you rattle a sabre or two, we might well be able to sort it that way - you know what our media are like.

VP: Da, I can do that, would Bears be sufficient? Ah, how about I stick a couple of submarines into the Baltic and send the odd fighter up acting a bit aggressively too. I appreciate you'll have to talk tough, but if you then back off on the sanctions etc, it would help this end too.

DC: We think we have a bit of influence with Barak, you'll know we both have imminent elections and frankly we need something external to show what kind of statesmen we are. We can't just rely on winding up the Muslim IS outfit as that'll influence our re-armament in the wrong direction for maximum profits.

VP: Anything else?

DC: That'll do for me then. Perhaps we'll share a glass or two when we next meet comrade - my little joke eh? Should sort out that plonker Milibland and keep UKIP on side too.

Thanks for clarifying, amazing what folk will do for an aerial view of winter beach babes :-)

You mean they did what NATO does both east of the North Cape and in the Baltic Sea all the time?

The media seem to confuse FIR with territorial airspace at times. But let's not have accurate detail and spoil the drama. As has already been pointed out, we sniff around certain areas. People in glass houses etc :ugh:

Ummm, no. This was NOT "controlled airspace". They were operating in
an FIR.

Definition of FIR:

A flight information region (FIR) is a specified region of airspace in which a flight information service and an alerting service (ALRS) are provided. It is the largest regular division of airspace in use in the world today. FIRs have existed since 1947 at least. Oceanic airspace is divided into Oceanic Information Regions and delegated to a controlling authority bordering that region.

FIRs, particularly Oceanic FIRs are in international airspace and are NOT in territorial airspace. The US military and indeed the militaries of almost every NATO nation routinely operate around Russian airspace the way these Russian aircraft operate around European airspace. Not only is this legal, but it is perfectly "acceptable" and routine. The Soviets did this for decades. When they became Russian again the practice stopped for the simple reason that they did not have the money. When their economy picked up again they started those flights again. But with the ruble recently tanking and their economy struggling again, those flights may (or may not) stop. Nothing sinister here.

Yup, 'The open FIR' as we used to refer to it - territorial or not :)
Anyhoo they were probably checking out nice places to live within a longhaul commute to LHR if they get that job they're going to apply for.

I was going to correct you Ken, but I see you corrected yourself. These aircraft were operating in the FIR in controlled airspace delegated to the authorities bordering the region.

Oh and you are incorrect here too.

Brian @ #64 :D:D:D:D

Quite simple, they entered the UK area of interest in class C airspace without their transponder on and not talking to anyone. Q was launched. Plus most of the time the the UK gets a heads up from other countries the aircraft are flying through and not chatting to anyone.

How come these aircraft are being intercepted down over the Channel, as opposed to north of Scotland as they used to be?

Scotland is expendable - I think Dave feels he could probably form a decent coalition with Mr Putin whereas Mr Salmond et al.................... :uhoh::uhoh:

My guess is that we no longer have full 24 X7 radar cover looking East.
Would be a good question for Dave at PMQ's

Does anyone have any factual information about the tracks flown and the especially the approximate levels flown by these TU95 flights please?
How did they get to Cornwall/SE of Ireland?
I'm trying to answer a query from a civillian captain. Please PM me if you would prefer.

Send 'em a Route Charges bill.

Looking at these pictures it seems that we are in a time warp, the airframes are obviously updated but those huge contor- rotating turbo props look just as they did from the front seat of a CF100 in the fifties, I wonder what would have been the result if the public had been able to view the real time quality images we now regard as normal, would the Cold War have heated up given the number of live scrambles which took place back then?

OK, it's a slow Saturday and this is a little off topic but here goes.

The next time the Bears come calling, why not do the intercept with a B2 and a specialized camera aircraft to get good photos and video?

Think of the photos, the propaganda value and the headline.
"Remember, we see you coming - and you won't see us."

I know, hat - coat - out the door.

TB