British, Norwegian jets intercept Russian planes in NATO-patrolled air space

[Andre II]

Source: Canadian Press

"Russian military aircraft were intercepted by British and Norwegian jets Friday after they breached NATO airspace close to the U.K. and Finland, defence officials said.

Finland's prime minister demanded an explanation from Moscow. Interception of Russian warplanes in NATO patrolled-airspace has become increasingly common since the Kremlin ordered strategic bombers to carry out long-range missions for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

British fighter jets intercepted two Russian long-range bombers flying in NATO air space and shadowed them until they charged course, Britain's defence ministry said, without revealing precisely where the incursion took place. The two Tu-160 "Blackjack" bombers were initially intercepted by Norwegian F16s, defence officials said.

In Finland, authorities said an Ilyushin-76 transporter plane flew about five kilometres into Finnish airspace for three minutes."

Read more: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ifofS7VSo-L5vzlndrYcLJTyQDjQ

[inanna]

1. Recommended...

My nerves are goin' off the rails. What a mess this world is in.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Belated DU welcome to you, inanna

What part of Ontario you from?

[inanna]

9. Oh I've been around DU forever!!

Mostly just read though...but thanks for the welcome.

I'm in south-western Ontario...not far from Detroit.

[TomInTib]

2. Seems as tho we have re-started the Cold War.

Except this time around the Cold War is on steroids.

I believe Russia is giving NATO a warning about stirring it up in Syria.

[dickbearton]

4. Exactly, leave it to the criminal, Boy George to screw everything up.

[FREEWILL56]

3. It just shows Putin isn't any different

than our own W. To hell with the smaller countries and their rights is what they both seem to say.

[dickbearton]

5. Bullshit, Putin is reacting to the Criminal Bush.

He hasn't killed a million people yet; like the traitor, war
criminal Bush has in Iraq. And don't compare Putin's
intelligence to Bush's.

[FREEWILL56]

12. In some ways I suppose you are right.,

but when W goes around trying to claim countries for resources, Putin claimed the arctic. Hmmm, that's not only reacting to W, but imitating him too. Is that smart? On the plus side is that he's not killing to conquer that area, but other areas he has blood on his hands too and was doing so before W was in office.

[tocqueville]

6. hey this is not very serious, they are just having fun

Frankly, the incidents in the Baltic were far more serious in the eighties :

- NATO and the Ruskis and even neutral Sweden ships used to ram eachother during naval exercises, if someone came too close
- violations of airspace were routine
- The Russians sent "by mistake" a Whiskey-class submarine (conventional) but armed with atomic weapons within the perimeter of the Swedish Karlskrona naval base. The sub got stranded and surrounded by Swedish marines then returned to the Russians. The incident
was called "whiskey on the rocks"...
- during a severe Fall storm 1982, a smaller Russian "fishing fleet" had to seek emergency harbour on the Swedish East coast. Those fishings boats had more antennas than nets. Anyway somebody defected by jumping overboard in the cold water and swimming about 300 yards to land. The Russians shot at him within Swedish territorial water (which technically is an act of war), but he made it. I remember he was the hero the day after at the local disco and I shook his hand.

aah there were the good times...

[lovuian]

8. Russia is letting Britain all the rest of Nato Buddies

You will be hit first kiddos

[tocqueville]

10. ridiculous

Russia hasn't the capacity nor the will. What they want is to sell gas and be taken seriously. They are pissed at the US for the anti-missile stuff (everybody knows that today the Iranis could hardly hit Bulgaria or Greece at maximum range) and for the US mixing in Georgia and Armenia. The Rusians are just flexing muscles. Please the paranoia of Cold War is over.

[unkachuck]

11. just lighting up....

....NATO radar and taking notes should they, or the Iraians, or others, need console and assistance....they're baaaaack....

....that's confidence, brought to you by, petro-rubles and the American dream....