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Russian bombers taunt US pilots in Guam
Russian bombers have flown to the US airforce base on the Pacific island of Guam for the first time since the Cold War. The aerial brinkmanship, known as "buzzing", was part of an exercise yesterday designed to prove the nation's resurgent military power. US pilots scrambling to intercept the two Tu-95 bombers received a cheery welcome from their adversaries, according to the commander of Russia's long-range bombing force. During the Cold War, "whenever we saw US planes during our flights over the ocean, we greeted them," Maj Gen Pavel Androsov told a news conference. "On Wednesday, we renewed the tradition when our young pilots flew by Guam in two planes. We exchanged smiles with our counterparts who flew up from a US carrier and returned home." The flight to the Pacific Island was part of a three-day air force exercise during which Russia's strategic bombers made 40 sorties and launched eight cruise missiles, Maj Gen Androsov, who commands Russia's long-range bomber force, said. Before the collapse of the Soviet regime, bombers routinely flew far over the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans - the areas from where they would launch nuclear cruise missiles at the United States in case of war. Posted by: mrp 2007-08-09 |
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