Daily Mail panic over Russian bombers.

[carinaman]

strudel said:

It's like antagonising a pet cat, it's just to keep you both on your toes

AndyLB said:

Naive question on this - why don't we just leave them to it rather than scrambling jets every time they come our way?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX1jZaVCVBs

Darwin was wrong. We're actually evolved from cats.

[Dr Jekyll]

AndyLB said:

Naive question on this - why don't we just leave them to it rather than scrambling jets every time they come our way?

As mentioned before - any attack wouldn't be delivered by bombers, if they did stray into our airspace (which is highly unlikely...) we'd know from Radar and could scramble Jets then.

Anyone?

First of all, we don't know who it is until they are intercepted.

Secondly, by the time someone gets into UK airspace it's too late, they could be flying straight over an airport at low level before anyone managed to intercept them.

Thirdly, the only reason an attack would be unlikely to be delivered by bombers is because they would be intercepted. If nobody bothered to intercept them before reaching the UK a bombing attack, or reconnaissance run would be perfectly feasible.
The main reason these aircraft come over is probably specifically to test our defences.

[Skodaku]

Dr Jekyll said:

First of all, we don't know who it is until they are intercepted.

Secondly, by the time someone gets into UK airspace it's too late, they could be flying straight over an airport at low level before anyone managed to intercept them.

Thirdly, the only reason an attack would be unlikely to be delivered by bombers is because they would be intercepted. If nobody bothered to intercept them before reaching the UK a bombing attack, or reconnaissance run would be perfectly feasible.
The main reason these aircraft come over is probably specifically to test our defences.

Think your last line sums it up. My understanding was always that it was to test defences and response times. Still, gives the chaps in the fast, grey pointy things something to do and keeps the radar boys, and girls, awake.

Nothing terribly newsworthy...........unless you're the DM.

[carinaman]

Skodaku said:

Nothing terribly newsworthy...........unless you're the DM.

Except several other news outlets ran with the same story. Some of them even contradicted themselves, which is another reminder of the 45 minute warning scam.

[Negative Creep]

Bloody foreigners, coming over here and stealing our airspace. I'm not racist but we should put them on the next gulfstream and blow them back to where they bloody well came from.

[Jasandjules]

pablo said:

Wow, this happens on a monthly basis... the daily wail must be really short on news if they are making a big deal of this!!!

Weekly.... Plenty of pics from Tornados of Russian Bombers etc...

[Eric Mc]

Not been suing Tornadoes for a couple of years now.

[10 Pence Short]

Eric Mc said:

Not been suing Tornadoes for a couple of years now.

Do you prefer mediation with Typhoons or letters before action to Lightnings?

[Jasandjules]

10 Pence Short said:

Eric Mc said:

Not been suing Tornadoes for a couple of years now.

Do you prefer mediation with Typhoons or letters before action to Lightnings?

He he..

But Eric that was my point, maybe 10/15 years ago I was looking at plenty of pics of Russian Bears taken by Tornadoes, so this is hardly new...

[pacman1]

Muntu said:

Bloody BBC are at it too!

..and I expect the editorial department experienced a slight 'stirring of the loins'...

[DrDoofenshmirtz]

Dr Jekyll said:

AndyLB said:

Naive question on this - why don't we just leave them to it rather than scrambling jets every time they come our way?

As mentioned before - any attack wouldn't be delivered by bombers, if they did stray into our airspace (which is highly unlikely...) we'd know from Radar and could scramble Jets then.

Anyone?

First of all, we don't know who it is until they are intercepted.

Secondly, by the time someone gets into UK airspace it's too late, they could be flying straight over an airport at low level before anyone managed to intercept them.

Thirdly, the only reason an attack would be unlikely to be delivered by bombers is because they would be intercepted. If nobody bothered to intercept them before reaching the UK a bombing attack, or reconnaissance run would be perfectly feasible.
The main reason these aircraft come over is probably specifically to test our defences.

Fourthly - it's good to report that we've been up there to take a look, as it raises an element of fear amongst the Minions.

[Magog]

[V8A*ndy]

$LY news.

"RAF Jet Chases Russian Planes Away From UK"

http://news.sky.com/story/1247985/raf-jet-chases-r...

The report then goes on to say the aircraft entered Dutch airspace but later states in the same article that the planes stayed within international airspace at all times.

[7mike]

skyrover said:

A nice picture from a couple years ago

I think it's been a bit of a craze for many years now... have your picture taken with a bear.



Even the Yanks have been at it for years:

[RobGT81]

Tonka and Blackjack

[superkartracer]

skyrover said:

If they wanted to nuke us... they sure as hell wouldn't be using bombers

Just routine poking, letting us know they are still there

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Aging_Tu-95_Nuclear_Missile_Platform_Offers_New_Strategic_Threat_999.html

Each Tu-95 can carry and launch as many as six KH-55 ALCMs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh-55_(missile_family...

HTH

[skyrover]

superkartracer said:

skyrover said:

If they wanted to nuke us... they sure as hell wouldn't be using bombers

Just routine poking, letting us know they are still there

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Aging_Tu-95_Nuclear_Missile_Platform_Offers_New_Strategic_Threat_999.html

Each Tu-95 can carry and launch as many as six KH-55 ALCMs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh-55_(missile_family...

HTH

The purpose was to use the nuclear armed variant against military targets like carrier groups at sea. Or installations. They are not ideal for city destroying.

[simo1863]

skyrover said:

superkartracer said:

skyrover said:

If they wanted to nuke us... they sure as hell wouldn't be using bombers

Just routine poking, letting us know they are still there

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Aging_Tu-95_Nuclear_Missile_Platform_Offers_New_Strategic_Threat_999.html

Each Tu-95 can carry and launch as many as six KH-55 ALCMs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh-55_(missile_family...

HTH

The purpose was to use the nuclear armed variant against military targets like carrier groups at sea. Or installations. They are not ideal for city destroying.

I think skyrover is inferring that they'd more likely use ICBMs.

[superkartracer]

The KH-55 ALCM armed with a warhead TEN times the power of the Hiroshima Nuke ( six per bomber ) , i'd say one plane could take most of the UK out.

Old bombers but full of KH-55 ALCM's... rather deadly.

[skyrover]

More than enough ICBM's to go around unfortunately.

in a total war scenario, yes they would probably throw everything they had at us... but ICBM's would be the mainstay.