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British Jets Intercept Russian Bomber

by Vinny | August 21, 2007 at 12:02 pm

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This incident took place last Friday but details are only just begining to be reported in the British media.

It has emerged that two RAF jets have intercepted a Russian bomber over the north Atlantic.
Typhoon interceptors shadowed a Russian Tupolev-95 "Bear" reconnaissance aircraft last Friday.

It is the first time the £60m Eurofighter has been scrambled on a genuine alert since it took over defence of Britain's airspace in June.

The MoD said in a statement: "RAF Typhoons from Numbers 3(F) and XI Squadrons launched to shadow a Russian Bear-H aircraft over the North Atlantic Ocean on Friday 17 August 2007."

The £67 million fighter jets were officially put on active standby last month, ready to protect the UK from hijacked airliners and other threats from the skies.

Last Fridays incident will add to the already increased tensions between the UK and Russia.

The RAF has been forced to scramble its latest combat aircraft to head off two Russian strategic bombers from British airspace.

Russia added to current diplomatic tensions with Britain by sending the two long-range Bear bombers towards British airspace in what is being seen as a deliberate muscle-flexing exercise by Moscow.

It was the first time Russian bombers had threatened to penetrate British airspace since outspoken remarks by President Vladimir Putin last week when he said he had ordered his bomber force to go back on long-range patrols around the world.