Russian planes intercepted near U.S., Canadian airspace

[bananas]

Source: CNN

Two U.S. jets intercepted six Russian planes that neared U.S. airspace off Alaska on Thursday and Canadian planes intercepted two Russian bombers that approached Canadian airspace, NORAD reported.

A U.S. official told CNN's Barbara Starr that officials in Washington think the incidents were related to the visit by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who talked to Canadian officials Wednesday and President Barack Obama on Thursday. The United States promised Ukraine $46 million in nonlethal aid for its battle with pro-Russian militants.

<snip>

Two Alaskan-based F-22 fighter jets intercepted two Russian IL-78 refueling tankers, two Russian Mig-31 fighter jets and two Russian Bear long-range bombers, a statement from NORAD said. The Russian planes flew in a loop and returned toward Russia.

Two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets intercepted two Russian Bear long-range bombers in the Beaufort Sea, the statement said.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/19/us/russian-plane-incidents/

[bananas]

1. "the first time in a long time" that fighter jets passed through the area

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Russian-fighters-intercepted-by-US-near-Alaska/articleshow/42958149.cms

Russian fighters intercepted by US near Alaska
AFP | Sep 20, 2014, 07.26 AM IST

WASHINGTON: Two Russian fighters entered a US "air defense identification zone" two days ago and were intercepted by American F-22 jets near Alaska, military officers said on Friday.

The incursion on Wednesday was followed by a second incident on Thursday involving two Russian long-range bombers, which flew into Canada's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), officers said.

Two Canadian F-18 fighter jets intercepted the bombers, which flew out of the area without incident, according to Major Jamie Humphries, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

<snip>

Although Russian aircraft have entered the zone previously it was "the first time in a long time" that fighter jets passed through the area, said a US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

<snip>

[candelista]

5. "A long time."

Two weeks? Ten years? What? Are we supposed to get nervous about this? "Incursion"?
"Air defense identification zone"? Were they in US airspace or not?

[BlueEye]

6. Well the Tu-95 "Bear" bombers have been routinely making incursions for many years.

But this incident is "significant" because this particular Russian incursion included MiG-31s, which are fighter planes. The "Bear" (a large four engine turboprop aircraft) is a sitting duck in the air (albeit a duck that caries nuclear warheads), but the MiG-31 is a fairly advanced fighter jet that can hold its own against other fighters, especially at long distances when the plane has an altitude and speed advantage like in the intercept scenario that played out here.

This incident made the news because we haven't really seen Russian fighters making incursions since the end of the Cold War. I'm sure our pilots felt surprised and maybe even threatened when they got up there and saw MiGs.

The planes were not in US Airspace. It would have been a major international incident if they were. An Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is just a roughly 200 mile buffer zone that is controlled by a military air force, even though it is still International airspace. The point of its existence is simply to warn other countries that they are getting close to sovereign airspace and that the other side is armed should they try anything. Most maritime nations have some sort of ADIZ.

No, we should not be threatened. This is just aggressive posturing by Putin, and is purely political in nature. Truly threatening military activity would be far more clandestine, like submarines and missile deployments.

[NealK]

2. K&R

[jwirr]

3. Come on everyone - they were just coming to get a look at the Palin riots.

[samsingh]

4. i didn't think of that - you're right