Even the Portuguese Air Force has intercepted and photographed Russian bombers wandering across Europe

The two Russian Bears that skirted European airspaces on Friday were also intercepted by the F-16s of the Portuguese Air Force.

On Oct. 31, two F-16 Fighting Falcon jets of the FAP (Portuguese Air Force) were scrambled to intercept two Russian Air Force Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers.

The Russian planes were detected by Portugal’s Air Defense System (DA) as they approached the nortwestern part of Portugal’s FIR flying southbound, not in contact with any Air Traffic Control agency.

The two F-16s on permanent alert at Monte Real Air Base were launched to perform a visual identification of the two “intruders”.

The QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) fighter jets performed a very similar mission to that they had flown on Oct. 29; however, this time the intercepted aircraft kept heading toward the south until they turned north.

The two Portuguese interceptors escorted the Bears until they departed the airspace of Portugal’s responsibility.

Another pair of F-16s was readied for take off just in case the Russian aircraft reversed their northboud route.

H/T Armando “Squid” Leitao for the heads-up

Image credit: Portuguese Air Force

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About David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.