Russians Bears off Hawaii
 

Tweaking the tail of the dragon before the summit in Switzerland?

Merkel got a dog - Biden gets bombers…..

I wonder where the Bears staged out of….

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/...m-report-says/

Russian Navy west of Hawaii prompted F-22 fighter launch from Hickam, report says

The Russian Navy is edging closer to Hawaii with a big exercise 300 to 500 miles west of the Aloha State — prompting the Air Force to scramble three missile-armed F-22 fighters on Sunday, CBS News reported Tuesday.

Russian officials said it is the largest exercise in the Pacific since the end of the Cold War and involves surface ships, anti-submarine aircraft and long-range bombers, the news outlet said.

Citing U.S. defense officials, CBS said the United States scrambled the F-22s from Hawaii on Sunday in response to Russian bomber flights, but the aircraft did not enter the Air Defense Identification Zone and were not intercepted.

“At the same time, officials said a U.S, carrier strike group headed by the USS (Carl) Vinson is operating about 200 miles east of Hawaii, conducting a strike group certification exercise,” CBS said. “The exercise had been planned but was moved closer to Hawaii in response to the Russian exercise.”

CBS noted the Russian exercise comes ahead of a meeting between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin…..

Officials on Monday would not disclose why the three missile-armed Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 fighters were scrambled Sunday afternoon for an “irregular air patrol” requested by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“The 154th Fighter Wing launched two F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam at approximately 4 p.m.,” Pacific Air Forces said in an email. “A third was launched at approximately 5 p.m.”

The Hickam-based Air Force command added that the FAA requested that U.S. Indo-Pacific Command “conduct an irregular air patrol and the situation resolved, prompting the fighters and a KC-135 Stratotanker (a refueling plane) to return to base. We cannot discuss further specifics of the situation.”……

The FAA was equally cryptic: “We have a close working relationship with the military,” spokesman Ian Gregor said in an email in response to a query asking why the military jets were requested.

Is Russian Naval Strategy changing?

Used to be it was a stay in port....be ready to deploy to guard their Missile Boats strategy.....are they going Blue Water and wear your ships and crews out by going underway.....as we do?

Speaking of the US Navy....when saying "We".

Ukrainka would be most likely I would guess?

Just over 7,300 Km. Allowing few hours on task say 16,000 Km sortie.

It has a quoted combat radius of around 5,200km, but presumably will have tanked outbound and inbound.

Cruise speed just over 700km/h, so that’s 10 hours out and 10 back plus TOT. Doable, the B-52 and B-2 do longer - though I think they’re probably quieter and more comfortable inside.

Not via somehwere like Anadur-Ugolnyye?

Did they have escorts ?
The Alaska pilots that used to fly around the Bears for fun , got a shock when the old planes had new escorts . Round about the same time as the Bear got some new missiles . Old threats become new again . The logistics of getting Mig escorts all the way to Hawaii would be a challenge .
I would expect to see drone fighter escorts as the next logical step . With or without AI .

...
RAF or RN Bears ? .. Likely Ukrainka or I understand the Russian Navy use Petropavlovsk for Bear ops. AAR should be available both ways. Around 3800/2800 nm each way respectively.

I presume the 'irregular air patrol' was requested because of unidentifiable traffic with no flight plan and no squawk, thus prejudicing commercial air traffic. It's their nekulturny SOP innit ?

LFH
...

Pure ignorant politico/military supposition … but perhaps also a message to China that they are not the only Communist players in the Pacific?

Ugh.
What a long and loud flight comrades...

I suspect that Bear crews are all pretty deaf after training anyway

Seems they had so much fun the first time they decided to come back for an encore.

Bear bombers west of Hawaii

never got close enough to be intercepted even with tanker support for the F-22's

Probably following the US B52 venture up the Baltic Sea. - "I can if you can so will I"

IG

This article about Russian exercises might explain the bears.

Russian military practice taking out carrier group