Cold war encounter - in the last 3 weeks!!!!

Just like the old days!

The Russians are sending Bear bombers up over the arctic to spy on the RN/NATO

Tornado F3 jets from RAF Leuchars in Fife were sent to intercept two Russian aircraft spotted observing a Royal Navy exercise, it has emerged.
The jets were scrambled after the foreign planes were detected by radar in the skies over the Outer Hebrides.

They were identified as Russian Bear Foxtrot planes, commonly seen by RAF pilots during the Cold War.

The Russian aircraft were escorted from the area by the RAF who said no radio contact took place between the pilots.

A spokesman for the RAF refused to say when exactly the incident took place but revealed it had lasted no longer than 15 to 20 minutes.

An international live firing exercise, named Operation Neptune Warrior and involving 14 countries, was carried out in the area between 22 April and 3 May.

During the exercise 14 destroyers and frigates, submarines and patrol boats were engaged in collective training.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Obviously the Russians aren't trying to restart the Cold War but this is a bit deja vue!! Whether the customary hand gestures were exchanged isn't recorded!

I don't know, if this is a one off or if the russians have been doing it the whole time.
If they haven't done it for a long time, maybe they just want to report themselves back on the Global Player map!
After having had financial problems for years, they are buying all their debts back. (unlike most other countries) They now have the money to rebuild their country including their army...

I don't think, we are going to have another cold war, times have changed. But who knows with whom they are going join forces in a worse case scenario...

regards,
Sammy

Its nothing new.

The Russians still lob the odd "Bear" our way - and I'm sure we do the same thing to them, except we never hear about it