As U.S. and NATO planes gather around Ukraine, long range air activity by Russian bombers in the Pacific is increasing and concerning.
Russian activity in Crimea has been accompanied by an increased presence in the Asia-Pacific region by Moscow’s long-range bombers.
Commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, said that Russian patrols included air activity off the coast of California, and around the U.S. Pacific base at Guam, Reuters reported.
Speaking at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, Carlisle showed also a slide of a U.S. F-15 fighter jet intercepting a Russian Tu-95 “Bear” aircraft that was circumnavigating Guam, a base where U.S. strategic bombers are usually deployed.
Along with missions flown as far as the U.S. West Coast, Russian patrols around the Japanese islands and Korea have increased “drastically.”
Few days ago, Tu-95s were intercepted by RAF Typhoons off UK islands.
Image credit: U.S. Air Force
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Come on. This is nothing new. It has been happening since the beginning of the cold war. Bombers get close our fighters intercept and turn them around. As a uniformed Air Force veteran of 25 years, uniformed Navy vet of two and current Army civilian, this is sort of like telling me 1+1=2. There is no beating the war drums to go to fight Russia. There is NATO claiming them an enemy, and they now are a threat and an enemy under current actions. Just in case you haven’t figured it out, U.S. fighters know the second these bombers launch and engage well before they ever reach effective range. Systems monitor everything these bombers do to include activation of weapon systems. These bombers have no stealth capability and have limited defenses against today’s U.S. airborne weapon systems. This not the 1950s or 60s. A single F-15 out of Alaska or Japan can track and take down more than one of these aircraft. The U.S.never launches single F-15 missions.
Icelandic and Baltic air policing missions would be of a bigger concern. Ground movement along the borders of the Ukraine even bigger.
“U.S. fighters know the second these bombers launch and engage well before they ever reach effective range”
Don’t thing they know the second these bombers launch how would they?? They do carry stand-off range weapons with over 2500km range so getting into lockon range would be hard.
Did I miss this story on your site? Thanks
8 Sept.
Russian Strategic Bombers Near Canada Practice Cruise Missile Strikes on US
Nuclear launch rehearsal conducted in North Atlantic
Two Russian strategic bombers conducted practice cruise missile attacks on the United States during a training mission last week that defense officials say appeared timed to the NATO summit in Wales.
The Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers were tracked flying a route across the northern Atlantic near Iceland, Greenland, and Canada’s northeast.
Analysis of the flight indicated the aircraft were conducting practice runs to a pre-determined “launch box”—an optimum point for firing nuclear-armed cruise missiles at U.S. targets, said defense officials familiar with intelligence reports.
Disclosure of the nuclear bombing practice comes as a Russian general last week called for Moscow to change its doctrine to include preemptive nuclear strikes on the United States and NATO.
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/russian-strategic-bombers-near-canada-practice-cruise-missile-strikes-on-us/
“Come on. This is nothing new. It has been happening since the beginning of the cold war.” Gee And I thought the Cold War was OVER? The Cold War the longest US war. Thanks to the US Military personnel and their families for their sacrifices. And thank you for your multi service.
The way you calculate the probability is wrong sir! If the plane is detected, the shooting it down will cause all missiles destroyed _ of course supposing the plane is in range of American anti air systems (on ships, subs and islands and inside the territory of alliances). But if the carrier plane is out of range of a closest anti air system then your calculation is quite right.