anyone heard about Air Force planes scrambled due to Russian jets?

[Muttocracy]

Just heard something on NPR (had it on but wasn't listening closely) but can't find info on AP, CNN, or NPR yet.

Didn't see anything in LBN forum yet.

[HereSince1628]

1. The Brits have done this several times. Last fall US carrier jets

were launched when russian planes penetrated the airspace around the carrier group.

The Bear is definitely back in the air. Putin was looking to replace the long-range turbo-prop bombers with much more modern stuff. I don't know where that lies with the new leadership.

[Muttocracy]

3. thanks! sounds similar to that

:hi:

[MidwestTransplant]

10. Impossible, George looked into his eyes and saw his soul.

[RebelOne]

2. Here's a link.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23806107/

[Muttocracy]

5. thanks for the link - interesting comment on oil income fixing Soviet military!!

:hi:

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. I think they've been buzzing one of our aircraft carriers.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/11/russian.bomber/

[Muttocracy]

thanks, sounds like it's been happening and I've just been out of the know. nt

[Up2Late]

6. Again? They did that a few weeks ago too

To be fair, I think we put about a 250Mile radius around our Aircraft Carriers, but Putin's has been doing this to be a Richard lately.

[northzax]

7. technically, of course

just to be picayune, they aren't Russian 'jets' they are most likely Tu-95 "Bear" bombers, 8 engine propeller driven planes.

[Muttocracy]

8. I was only half-listening when my ears perked up,

but I don't think they put that much detail in the summary! :)

[northzax]

9. ahh, the Bear

one of the longest serving military airframes in the world. first ones were built in, wait for it, 1951. no, that is not a typo, 1951. our B-52 didn't come into service until 1955.

[A HERETIC I AM]

14. Umm....4 engined, not 8

8 propellers, though!

Old joke about the B-52 (which DOES have 8 engines)

F-16 (a single seat, single engine fighter) calls in to the tower reporting engine trouble and asking for an expedited approach. Controller says "Copy that, you're number two behind the '52 with an engine out."

Fighter jock says "Ah yes. The dreaded 7 engine approach."

[northzax]

15. of course, thanks

miswrote that one. oops.

[Fireweed247]

11. That's impossible!

If we had fighter jets that could be scrambled to intercept planes, we would have done that on 9/11 and stopped the hijacked planes from crashing into the towers and the pentagon.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Yep, near Alaska. Story was on CNN.com, MSNBC.com, and USToday.com this morning.

[Muttocracy]

13. thanks,DU can be faster than Google-surprised it wasn't in the LBN, but knew people here would know!