Russian 'Nuke' Bombers Invade British Airspace - Just wanted to discuss this

[Tefal]

should have locked on missiles and fired.

Seriously why don't we wonder over to their airspace half a dozen times a month like they do with ours? Our country is weak as **** these days.

Do you physically assault anyone who dares to insult you?

 

[meghatronic]

Do you physically assault anyone who dares to insult you?

It's not even an insult. It's a "HIYA!!!!! KTHXBAI". I mean, I'd be concerned if Argentina or NK or Iran were doing it....

Mildly annoying, but it keeps the defences on their toes.

 

[neoboy]

Non news really, they been flying as close to the airspace as possible for a close part of 60 years now probably, gives them something to do and RAF some practice in return. Although awesome to see media over inflating things in the article. Technically I am capable of carrying a nuke if it's small enough

 

[digipeep]

Willy waving at it's finest.

What would the world be like if it was ruled by female politicians and top brass military personnel.

 

[Angilion]

Some of the replies have been that they do this on a regular bases? But arent we in our rights to shoot at them? And isn't it wrong of them to do this? Is it only us they do this to? If they did it to USA surely they'd be shot down? But we're friends with USA and are helping them in iraq so wont USA help us? And shouldnt Russia fear us because we have USA on our side?

Legally, we'd probably be within our rights to shoot them down. But why do so? We can't afford a war with Russia and we can't rely on the USA declaring war on them alongside us. Not for any reason, but especially not for such a trifling one. It is trifling. They're not sending in an air force of planes on a bombing run. They're sending in a few on a "poke the Brits and see how awake they are" run. They're saying "We could be dangerous if we wanted to be" and we're saying "We can still detect you and respond fast enough". Makes for good training on both sides. It's no reason to start a major war.

 

[digipeep]

Guys and girls the next world war will be done online. Nobody will get hurt, and the loser America will make sure it wipes it's arse next time.

 

[BigglesPiP]

A tornado intercepted it not a typhoon?

We've only sent tornadoes against them.

This time, yes, previously: http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/aircraft-pictures/2009/08/raf-eurofighter-typhoon-interc.html

My quip is that the Russians have been asked to send planes to intercept so we can justify the Eurofighter. Now stop disputing a joke with technicalities.

 

[KnightStalker]

Thats the first time ive seen them intercept the Tu160, its usually that bear thing with the freaky turbo props lol

 

[86JR]

Its a show of force, as if they wanted to bomb us they would use ICBM's.

 

[Stelly]

Its a show of force, as if they wanted to bomb us they would use ICBM's.

Always wanted to know if that would be bomb as technically your using a missle...

Stelly

 

[BigglesPiP]

Always wanted to know if that would be bomb as technically your using a missle...

Stelly

You're correct, they would missile us.

 

[KnightStalker]

Well not really, the Missile is only the projectile when you think about it, still has a warhead/payload and still comes from the sky, so in theory it still stands as Bombing but not exactly in the normal conventional way of the term.

 

[Stelly]

You're correct, they would missile us.

.... or just nuke us

Stelly

 

[Speedy]

If this happens often, they're testing UK's defense systems. Personally I don't trust the Russians, especially not because they're not 'official' Allies of Western Europe and the US.

 

[KnightStalker]

They are only testing our response times, mainly to see how fast the Tiffie can get to them and so on, on this occasion they got a Tonka to see them on their way, its just normal and the way it works, the media just blow it up (excuse the pun) to make boring days for headlines more interesting, We did the same with them in the cold war with the Vulcans and Valiants.

 

[rypt]

If they were in our airspace, why did we not just shoot them down

 

[Viper²]

If they were in our airspace, why did we not just shoot them down

Troll much?

 

[rypt]

Troll much?

It is not trolling, RAF has orders to shootdown unidentified aircraft, even if it it passenger planes if they feel they may have been taken over by Terrorists - so quite why we happily let the Russians fly over our airspace I shall never know.

End the day, it is our territory, they are there uninvited and in a hostile manner.

 

[KnightStalker]

It is not trolling, RAF has orders to shootdown unidentified aircraft, even if it it passenger planes if they feel they may have been taken over by Terrorists - so quite why we happily let the Russians fly over our airspace I shall never know.

End the day, it is our territory, they are there uninvited and in a hostile manner.

No it wouldnt work, 1 THEY didnt Attack anyone or Show any signs of being aggressive just tootling along, 2 - They could for all intents and purposes be carrying Nukes on board, would you want to shoot one down? i think not, 3 - It would put is into a war with Russia which we cannot at the present time deal with due to the crap in Afgan..

 

[Eddie182]

It is not trolling, RAF has orders to shootdown unidentified aircraft, even if it it passenger planes if they feel they may have been taken over by Terrorists

What utter rubbish. There are NO standing orders stating any such thing, the ONLY occasion jockeys on QRA could fire without specific authority from command & control is if they were fired on first. In any other situation authority would have to given by high level command elements.

Oh and FFS, the Russian aircraft DID NOT fly over UK territory, they entered UK CONTROLLED airspace. The two are not the same thing.