The U.K. Ministry
of Defence has released photographs showing Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter
jets intercepting a pair of Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers on Thursday near U.K. airspace.
The so-called quick
reaction alert aircraft scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, met the two
white, supersonic heavy strategic bombers in international airspace and
escorted them through the U.K.‘s area of interest, according to a press release
from the MoD.
The twin-engine
Typhoons were refueled by an RAF Voyager aircraft, a variant of the Airbus A330
Multi Role Tanker Transport, from RAF Brize Norton during the mission,
according to the release. Here’s what one of the pilots, squadron Leader Jim
Calvert of II(AC) Squadron at Lossiemouth, had to say of the incident:
“Given the Royal
Air Force’s enduring commitment to secure the UK ’s skies, yesterday’s sortie once
again proved Typhoon’s capability to successfully scramble and intercept
Russian long-range aviation,” he said, according to the release.
“Protecting our
skies is especially poignant in this 75th anniversary year of the Battle of
Britain,” he added. “Working together with ground-based radar and air-to-air
refuelling aircraft today’s RAF continues to come together as a team to protect
our country.”
The MoD even
plugged a Sky News documentary about the RAF’s quick reaction alert, or QRA,
capability scheduled to air Sunday, Sept. 13.
The incident is the
latest example of Russia
flexing its military might abroad. A Russian spy ship — capable of cutting
undersea communications cables — was reportedly spotted this month off the
Eastern seaboard of the U.S.
While some 35
Tupolev Tu-160s were built, only a handful are reportedly operational in the
Russian air force. The Tu-160 may be getting more flying time because of the
recent Tu-95 crashes that temporarily grounded the fleet of four-engine
turboprop-powered aircraft.
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