Bear in the air
Discussion
Z06George said:
If we got really desperate for defence fighters wouldn't it just be a case of having to ask the USAF for the Lakenheath F-15s to be part of it. In my eyes that seems the most logical idea.
As a side note, do the Russians do this with the Alaskan/Canadian borders? If I remember rightly the USAF have F-22s based somewhere in Alaska, would be a cool picture to see one of them with a Russian bomber.
As a side note, do the Russians do this with the Alaskan/Canadian borders? If I remember rightly the USAF have F-22s based somewhere in Alaska, would be a cool picture to see one of them with a Russian bomber.
Mr_B said:
A single old looking prop bomber is fine, but what if they wanted to play a little more and have say a flight of 5 or 6 of their latest top fighter ( whatever that is ) flying around the east coast. I guess anything is possible, but presume it wouldn't be too hard to do with refueling ? That said, I guess they won't risk this incase of a refueling issue which means they'd have the embarrassment of landing in a European country ?
The latest Russian fighters are pretty cool actually. When i did my aircraft recognition instructors course at Larkhill in 2006 (i was in Air Defence Troop, Royal Marines) I spent a lot of time spamming up on aircraft tech. The stuff that wasn't in Janes was quite interesting.Details like the rear firing, anti-sidewinder missiles that the latest generation Flankers had, as well as some really nifty vector thrust capabilities. The Buerkut, on top of having fantastic wings has lots of really smart tech too. Enough to give the the F22 and Typhoon guys a shiver! Of all the aircraft on the market today I really do have a liking for the latest editions of the Flanker family. The aircraft carrier ready Super-Flankers have so much kit on them that they really do justify the huge size. Rumors of on board kitchen and toilet for convenience is so very Russian. Nothing like building it to make an impression!
It's probably a good thing that Russia sells most of its top tech to other nations rather than add it to their operational fleets.
There's a few old FJ jocks that you could press back into service in times of dire need they would need a few hours in type though before you let them loose, also you could rush the current crop of trainee pilots through that are a few months from deployment after that you are stuffed for pilots, that said you run out of airframes way before you have exhausted the pilot base.
Typhoons the RAF has what 120ish airfames? Some of which are still going through the tranche 1 refits.
Tornados the RAF has about 90 ground attack aircraft from what I understand they can carry asraam.
Maybe thirty hawks have sidewinder capability still?
Typhoons the RAF has what 120ish airfames? Some of which are still going through the tranche 1 refits.
Tornados the RAF has about 90 ground attack aircraft from what I understand they can carry asraam.
Maybe thirty hawks have sidewinder capability still?
gwm said:
How many aircraft do the Russians have operational? Surely only the USA challenges them in terms of shear numbers?
http://www.migflug.com/jetflights/usaf-and-russian...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Air_Force#Air...
FourWheelDrift said:
http://www.migflug.com/jetflights/usaf-and-russian...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Air_Force#Air...
So the USA dwarfs Russia, but no European force even comes close to the Russians. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Air_Force#Air...
Anyone who lived through the Cold War, these exercises must have gone on then plenty. I wonder what the credibility / feeling was back then.
ETA: What a cool pic
gwm said:
Was there ever a feeling, credible or not, that the Russians would ever even invade British airspace?
As a boy, teenager and young man, no, other than the Bears which didn't make the news AFAIK. At school in Suffolk, surrounded by USAF and RAF bases, we saw pairs of Phantoms going over every day.I hope the next generation of media kids doesn't portray the Cold War as a time when we all cowered under our beds watching the Raymond Briggs cartoon and listening to Patrick Allen's 'What to do in the event of a nuclear attack' programme on our Bush radios...
To the man in the street it really was a non-event. The post Cold War terrorism stuff is not only 100x more pervasive, but actually affects our way of life. The Russians didn't.
Of course this may be because of the way the media chooses to reflect world events. There is too much 'media' these days, too much 'news', and too many empty heads spouting it.
Simpo Two said:
gwm said:
Was there ever a feeling, credible or not, that the Russians would ever even invade British airspace?
As a boy, teenager and young man, no, other than the Bears which didn't make the news AFAIK. At school in Suffolk, surrounded by USAF and RAF bases, we saw pairs of Phantoms going over every day.I hope the next generation of media kids doesn't portray the Cold War as a time when we all cowered under our beds watching the Raymond Briggs cartoon and listening to Patrick Allen's 'What to do in the event of a nuclear attack' programme on our Bush radios...
To the man in the street it really was a non-event. The post Cold War terrorism stuff is not only 100x more pervasive, but actually affects our way of life. The Russians didn't.
Of course this may be because of the way the media chooses to reflect world events. There is too much 'media' these days, too much 'news', and too many empty heads spouting it.
Simpo Two said:
As a boy, teenager and young man, no, other than the Bears which didn't make the news AFAIK. At school in Suffolk, surrounded by USAF and RAF bases, we saw pairs of Phantoms going over every day.
I hope the next generation of media kids doesn't portray the Cold War as a time when we all cowered under our beds watching the Raymond Briggs cartoon and listening to Patrick Allen's 'What to do in the event of a nuclear attack' programme on our Bush radios...
To the man in the street it really was a non-event. The post Cold War terrorism stuff is not only 100x more pervasive, but actually affects our way of life. The Russians didn't.
Of course this may be because of the way the media chooses to reflect world events. There is too much 'media' these days, too much 'news', and too many empty heads spouting it.
I hope the next generation of media kids doesn't portray the Cold War as a time when we all cowered under our beds watching the Raymond Briggs cartoon and listening to Patrick Allen's 'What to do in the event of a nuclear attack' programme on our Bush radios...
To the man in the street it really was a non-event. The post Cold War terrorism stuff is not only 100x more pervasive, but actually affects our way of life. The Russians didn't.
Of course this may be because of the way the media chooses to reflect world events. There is too much 'media' these days, too much 'news', and too many empty heads spouting it.
At it again http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32740942
See my quote previously for relevant action, quick rocket up their ass
I suppose they could make a move on Scotland if they want whisky and midges ?
See my quote previously for relevant action, quick rocket up their ass
I suppose they could make a move on Scotland if they want whisky and midges ?
I wondered whether anyone else had seen this. I'd imagine it's a Typhoon from Warton? I watched it circling HMS Inskip for 20 minutes, passing over my house whilst doing so. It is indeed very strange to see one out at that time of night.
Oakey said:
I keep hearing the rumbling of something noisy in the sky over Blackpool but don't see anything on Flightradar. Typhoon out of Warton? Bit unusual at this time of night.
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