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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Russian bombers taunt US pilots in Guam

2007-08-09

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

#15 Click for a Bear-h1 image
(to wide for this format)

Posted by: 3dc 2007-08-09 23:38

#14 Well, I for one am glad to see Russia buzzing our bases and airspace.

There are a lot of younger pilots who've never locked radar on a Russian plane. It's always good to give them a chance to gain familiarity with real targets.

Posted by: lotp 2007-08-09 20:54

#13 FREEREPUBLIC > NATIONS ARMING [and REARMING] FOR COLD WAR. Global + likely Multipolar.

Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-08-09 20:48

#12 Oh, here's the deal. Exercise Valiant Shield.

Posted by: mrp 2007-08-09 17:40

#11 As I understand it Russia still has the bird in limited production to replace worn out airframes. To locate one you really don't need radar. It's supposed to be about the loudest plane ever built. Also the original Boeing proposal for the B-52 was a swept wing turbo prop

Posted by: Cheaderhead 2007-08-09 17:27

#10 Actually, the Tu-95 is what the B-29 would have become if it had been updated and given turboprops. And considering that Stalin interned and never returned over a dozen B-29s doing bomb runs on Japan {while he was supposedly our ally}, a lot of the initial work and research had been done by us. But then in the 1950s, when the Soviets were having a bunch of problems with their jet engines, they developed the Tu-95 as a stand-in for a jet bomber. It has swept wings and 2 contra-rotating props on each engine, and can carry a load for a good distance. Sort of like crossing a B-29 with a C-130. Not particularly elegant but functional.

Posted by: Shieldwolf 2007-08-09 17:17

#9 I wonder how much thoe pilots were laughing? "You want me to intercept what? Say again I thought you said a Bear? Come on give me something worthy of intercepting" FYI when they fly in pairs like this one is an intelligence bird and the other acts as a tanker.

Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2007-08-09 17:15

#8 Wonder if they will be buzzing those 8 new Raptors sitting in Alaska?

Posted by: Sherry 2007-08-09 16:40

#7 Our guys get to practice real intercepts on live targets, works for me.

Posted by: Steve 2007-08-09 16:28

#6 The Tu-95 is still flyable?

Both of them, apparently.

Snarkiness aside, as I understand it, the Bear is a venerable and proven airframe. (someone that actually knows something feel free to chime in!) They operate a bazillion versions of it. Think if it as a rooski B-52 but with better gas mileage.

Posted by: SteveS 2007-08-09 16:25

#5 My bet is that they didn't get within a hundred miles of Guam. If they did, somebody was seriously asleep at the switch.

Posted by: tu3031 2007-08-09 15:30

#4 Get familiar with your targets. That is what our airmen are getting out of this.

Posted by: DarthVader 2007-08-09 14:45

#3 In the event of a real war they will have a short, exciting life.

Posted by: DoDo 2007-08-09 14:33

#2 I have to wonder what would happen if we were to start buzzing the Russians with B-52 bombers. Putin is a nutbag.

Posted by: Zhang Fei 2007-08-09 14:30

#1 The Tu-95 is still flyable? Who knew?

Posted by: Mike 2007-08-09 13:36

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