I don't know but I wish journalists and editors would use appropriate photographs, that Typhoon is tooled up with laser guided bombs, which wouldn't be much use in an air to air engagement.
We were outside this afternoon and we heard two military jets really belt out towards the coast......... I said to Mrs Arq "I bet that's the Russkies again, over the North Sea"...... I assume they stayed overland from Coningsby and then turned to intercept rather than straight out to sea and follow.
The BBC must be monitoring the Ducati Forum :Wideyed:, the photograph at the top of the article is now configured for air to air.
Complete non-story... And as for "escorting" Russian aircraft over the Atlantic... What? They were flying in international airspace... Sensationalist rubbish.
More scaremongering. The Russians play the game of seeing if the Brits are awake, the Brits "escort" the Russians off on a new flight path and both sides know they'll be doing it all again in a month or two's time. It's just "diplomacy".
just need a few boyz with laser pointers.. apparently any pilot seeing one of those must turn back immediately
The drawback with lasering a military aircraft is that it pisses them off and they are armed, and lasers being what they are they kind of give away your position somewhat...
...to avoid potential risk of danger to the passengers in case of a serious incident that required two crew members to deal with.
I don't suppose NATO planes, ships, or subs venture close to Russian waters/airspace from time to time? Just by way of a friendly gesture. Or a gesture anyway.
Trident renewal imminent of course has nothing to do with the leakage of information to the press by the MOD about Russian aeroplanes flying in international airspace. The MOD can be the only source of that information and it is obviously an orchestrated long term plan to reinforce the MOD need to have public support for Trident renewal. But then I am just a cynical old git.
when i was very young in early 80's american sub surfaced in the port of magadan (military port) when they run out of air. heads rolled as it was complete surprise and none knew sub was in the bay. they let them go same day from memory,wasn't even international scandal as thy tried to keep it quiet as it was so embarrassing.
I don't think that Russian Pilots can be any good??? During WW 2 on the Russian front several Luftwaffe Aces shot down 3/350 Russian aircraft.During the Vietnam war Russian pilots were flying Migs (pretending to be North Vietnamese pilots) - superior aircraft to the American Sabres and got proper mullered.Now it seems they can't hit a cows Arse with a banjo in Syria! WTF is going on with their Air Force???
It must be so boring being at peace when you are a military type. What you want to do is antagonise the "enemy" a bit just to spice things up a little, get the old adrenaline flowing. Where's the fun in flying over Siberia all the time? And you know you'll be brightening up the RAF's day too, so everyone's a winner.
Most of the USA's wealth and economic growth has been created through Arms,Weapons and the tools needed to wage war so it's in their interest to always have a few healthy conflicts on the go! Also when it comes down to the testing of new weapons systems there's no better way of advertising what your latest advancement in technology can do than a good old televised war?
