Russia tests American airspace for the second time in two days, coming even closer

[TexasTowelie]

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

For the second time in as many days, Russian bombers have breached the Alaskan Air Defense Zone and flown inside of 100 miles of American airspace.

This time, two TU-95 Bear bombers — the same types of planes spotted yesterday, if not the same ones — came within 36 miles of American airspace, report CNN and Fox News. Unlike yesterday’s incident, the two bombers were intercepted by an E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft. Yesterday’s bombers were met by a pair of F-22 Raptors.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that relations with Russia are at a “low point.”

Like yesterday’s provocation, the bombers launched from airbases in eastern Russia, flying over the Pacific Ocean into the Alaskan Air Defense Zone. The Alaskan Air Defense Zone is over international waters but is an area so close to U.S. shores that all aircraft entering that airspace are required to identify themselves and state their destination.


Read more: http://www.ajc.com/news/national/russia-tests-american-airspace-for-the-second-time-two-days-coming-even-closer/lMdS234peSy8PW7CGN0tbO/

[TexasProgresive]

1. "Intercepted" by an intellegence gathering E-3????

What the Hell was an unarmed plane suppose to do if the Bears pushed further-take pictures of the TU-95s dropping their bombs? Where were the hot birds with the ability to put these bombers down if they proved to be a real threat? Who is running our military, a buffoon in chief.

[doc03]

3. I thiink it is all theater to deflect

from the Russian connection.

[truthisfreedom]

5. Of course it is.

[harun]

27. +1

[hack89]

4. If Russia decides to attack us

It won't start with two ancient aircraft.

[TexasProgresive]

6. The incursions are to test our air defense capabilities which have failed.

Putin has been doing this to Britain and Sweden. It is a flexing of muscle. Evidently we are not up to scratch. Oh! maybe the buffoon is attempting to play chess with the Russian.

[hack89]

9. Isn't demonstrating all our capabilities to intelligence gathering aircraft a bad thing?

wouldn't we want to ensure that we had unknown capabilities they couldn't plan for and possibly neutralize?

The aircraft were under surveillance. They were not a threat.

[LanternWaste]

33. Who is specifically arguing that it would?

Who is specifically arguing that it would? Or were you simply interpreting a wholly different sentiment as such...?

[hack89]

34. Read the post I was responding to

Especially the part about the planes dropping bombs.

[doc03]

2. Sarah Palin could see them from

her house.

[Plucketeer]

12. She probably called Orangey

and asked him to scramble some of our planes.

[doc03]

20. They are his planes now not ours nt

[ananda]

7. Bet that Exxon business deal goes through, though.

Nuff said, huh ...

[Javaman]

8. the bigger question is:

have we stopped "testing" their airspace.

given the orange menaces cozy relationship with putin, did he, tRump, stop our overflights of russia?

[hack89]

10. We don't overfly Russia

we fly in international airspace.

[Plucketeer]

11. We did so with the U-2 and the SR-71

And if the rumors are true about the super-secret Aurora aircraft, we're still doing it.

[hack89]

13. We stopped overflights in 1960

after the Powers incident. We never overflew Russia with SR-71's. Aurora (if it exists) is not magic - it would have been detected flying over Russia.

With satellites there is no need for risky overflights.

[Plucketeer]

14. And you believe this 'cause our government told you? nt

[hack89]

16. No. Just a long military career with radars and missiles

Last edited Thu Apr 20, 2017, 02:16 PM - Edit history (1)

I have personally tracked SR-71s. It was not hard.

[RainCaster]

15. Satellites ARE overflights

just sayin'

[hack89]

17. Outer space is not subject to national jurisdiction

Illegal atmospheric overflights are violations of national sovereignty. Space overflights are not.

[Baclava]

18. They do this all the time, those Russian Bear bombers haven't changed since the 60's

No worries

[doc03]

21. That looks like a monster but must be slow nt

[sarisataka]

22. A bit over 500 mph

About 100 mph slower than a B-52. The props give it a longer range.

[oneshooter]

24. Really noisey too.

The tips of the contra rotating props are going faster than sound. This creates a LOT of noise. Our subs can actually track them on acoustics from under water.

[Baclava]

25. Are they still flying the Blackjack?

That's a pretty plane

[oneshooter]

31. I don't know.

But I am sure that there is someone on this board that does know.

[sarisataka]

36. Sources vary on how many

Are in service. Russia is the only country flying the Blackjack with 11-16 airframes. Servicability is estimated between 50 and 75%.

[VMA131Marine]

28. Not changed since the 60's?

You know that these are still frontline equipment with the USAF right? And these first flew in the early 50's.




The weapons, on the other hand, have improved dramatically.

[Baclava]

30. The B2 is our long range bomber now

[VMA131Marine]

32. Not really! there are four to five times as many B-52s active as B-2's

The B-2 is also outnumbered by the B-1B.

[Goprox]

35. The media is using these not unusual flights as linkbait

It generates readership, retweets and income.

[keithbvadu2]

19. Russian jets buzzed one of our destroyers a short while back.

Russian jets buzzed one of our destroyers a short while back.

What did wussie Trump do about it?

[bluecollar2]

23. the last time we played this game

Korean Airlines FLIGHT 007 was shot down and I spent a bunch of time on Ready Alert replenishing sonobuoys on our squadron's P-3s...

[YOHABLO]

26. They have been doing this for years. It's not new news.

[MineralMan]

29. One day, way back in 1967, a TU-95 Bear

did a very, very low overflight of the tiny USAF base where I was stationed on the Black Sea Coast in Turkey. I happened to be outside that afternoon, and heard it approach. It couldn't have been more than 1000' up above the base. It passed over, turned 180 degrees, passed back over, and headed back over the Black Sea in a fairly steep climb. Shortly thereafter a couple of Turkish Air Force jets flew over, following its flight path. I waved. I'm sure there's a photo of that somewhere.

Now, I can't say why the Russians would overfly that little base of about 600 people. I know why, but I can't say.

Sadly, I was not carrying my camera at the time. I would love to have a photo to share. I do suspect that communications were made from that base to a higher authority to report the overflight. Yes, indeed.

Fun times!