VID: Tupolev Tu-160s intercepted by Colombian Kfir QRA jets

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5ioHWq8HVM

http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20131029 ... zuela.html

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) – Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers on Monday flew from an airbase in southwestern Russia and landed in Venezuela, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The nuclear-capable bombers, which took off from the Engels airbase in the Volga region, “flew over the Caribbean, the eastern Pacific and along the southwestern coast of the North American continent, and landed at Maiquetia airfield in Venezuela,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to the Russian ministry, the bombers covered a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) during a 13-hour non-stop flight.

Two NATO F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from Bodo airbase to monitor their flight near the Norwegian airspace.

[gortje]

Russian Tu-160 Strategic Bombers Land in Venezuela

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) – Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers on Monday flew from an airbase in southwestern Russia and landed in Venezuela, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The nuclear-capable bombers, which took off from the Engels airbase in the Volga region, “flew over the Caribbean, the eastern Pacific and along the southwestern coast of the North American continent, and landed at Maiquetia airfield in Venezuela,” the ministry said in a statement.
According to the Russian ministry, the bombers covered a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) during a 13-hour non-stop flight. Two NATO F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from Bodo airbase to monitor their flight near the Norwegian airspace.
The ministry said the current mission was carried out “in line with the program of combat training.”
Russian strategic bombers conducted a similar mission in 2008. It was followed by a visit to Venezuela by a Russian naval task force, which took part in joint exercises with the Venezuelan navy.
The Tu-160 Blackjack is a supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber, designed to strike strategic targets with nuclear and conventional weapons deep in continental theatres of operation.

Source: http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20131029 ... zuela.html

[Richard from Rotterdam]

Bit of a detour to go Caribbean, Eastern Pacific, Southwestern coast of the US to Venezuela... all the way from Engels? Did someone get their topography wrong?

[Stratofreighter]

Bit of a detour to go Caribbean, Eastern Pacific, Southwestern coast of the US to Venezuela... all the way from Engels? Did someone get their topography wrong?

Yep, "un-refuelled" apparently...
But that 10,000 kilometres can still not be explained, it must have been the "Atlantic route". Venezuela hasn't got a Pacific coast, and I cannot really see many South American nations granting access to overfly two Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear bombers that easily...

Two Tu-95 Bears were used for "radio relay" according to reports.

[Flyingdutchman]

In these training flights it's most likely that they exercise on long-range missions. So the route flown doesn't necessarily has to be short.

[K2G]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 946&type=1

RF-94104 and RF-94109

[RogierV]

Now in Nicaragua!

http://en.ria.ru/world/20131031/1844461 ... ragua.html

So that answers the question which country would grant access to cross between Pacific and Atlantic oceans Further I think it could be the spokesperson was talking about the regions that will be navigated during the complete trip. It wouldn't surprise me if they return to the motherland via the Pacific.

Nice way to celebrate your number 1 spot in the Forbes list

[CJ van der Ende]

Thus summarizing the above: the Tu-160 flew via Norway over the Atlantic to Venezuela. Their return route would seem to be via Nicaragua, the eastern Pacific back to Russia. A nice trip for the Russians involved! They could have approached the Brazilians asking them to participate in the multi-national exercise CRUZEX V that is about to start at Natal. The Brazilians, just held a naval exercise with two Chinese war ships so they seem to be open for "new" ideas! Who knows, in two years time.

CJ.

www.cjvanderende.com

[CJ van der Ende]

The two Russian bombers violated the Colombian airspace as they moved from Venezuela to Nicaragua. The Tu160s were intercepted by two FAC Kfirs and subsequent protest followed to the Russian government.

CJ.

www.cjvanderende.com

[Stratofreighter]

The two Russian bombers violated the Colombian airspace as they moved from Venezuela to Nicaragua. The Tu160s were intercepted by two FAC Kfirs and subsequent protest followed to the Russian government.

CJ.

http://www.cjvanderende.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MawBkkbUyqs

...not the best quality. After 0.27 things become recognisable...

[PH-BRAD]

If I'm not mistaking there're 3 blackjacks in the film?

[mwpeters]

If I'm not mistaking there're 3 blackjacks in the film?

If I am not mistaking I believe the third one is an An-124 Ruslan

[PH-BRAD]

I'm indeed mistaking

[Paul van der Linden]

Russian Tu-160 Strategic Bombers Land in Venezuela

MOSCOW, October 29 (RIA Novosti) – Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers on Monday flew from an airbase in southwestern Russia and landed in Venezuela, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The nuclear-capable bombers, which took off from the Engels airbase in the Volga region, “flew over the Caribbean, the eastern Pacific and along the southwestern coast of the North American continent, and landed at Maiquetia airfield in Venezuela,” the ministry said in a statement.
According to the Russian ministry, the bombers covered a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles) during a 13-hour non-stop flight. Two NATO F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from Bodo airbase to monitor their flight near the Norwegian airspace.
The ministry said the current mission was carried out “in line with the program of combat training.”
Russian strategic bombers conducted a similar mission in 2008. It was followed by a visit to Venezuela by a Russian naval task force, which took part in joint exercises with the Venezuelan navy.
The Tu-160 Blackjack is a supersonic, variable-geometry heavy bomber, designed to strike strategic targets with nuclear and conventional weapons deep in continental theatres of operation.

Source: http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20131029 ... zuela.html

The earth isn't flat and one doesn't necessarily have to travel from east to west so if they fly north from Engels and fly a route that brings them over the northpole they would end up at the west coast of the USA.

I remember the strategic maps from the Cold War when everybody figured that an ICBM war would bring their missiles overhead europe. When you looked at the strategic maps it became visible that the ICBMs would be travelling overhead the northpole. Take a look at the map on this page http://www.zerohedge.com/news/complete- ... ate?page=1.

Greetings, Paul

[Poljot1]

Published today 8-11-2013:

RF note Colombia is studying an abuse of its Tu-160 air space
12:46 11/08/2013 (Updated: 11/08/2013 16:04) 2 356 1 3

The President of Colombia said that the Russian Tu-160, the perpetrators of last week's scheduled flight to patrol remote areas, crossed the Colombian airspace without permission.

MOSCOW, November 8 - RIA Novosti. Moscow received a protest note from Colombia in connection with the alleged violation of the Russian Tu-160 air space of the country, now it is studying, said Friday the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.

"Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the note, and we are now very carefully analyze the contents of the note. We are in close contact with our colleagues from the Department of Defense is actively looking at this situation, the study transmitted a note of protest" - said Lukashevich.

Two Russian long-range aviation aircraft Tu-160 began Oct. 28 flight plan patrol remote areas along the coast of Norway were accompanied by two fighter F16, and passed over the Straits of Iceland and the UK over the Atlantic Ocean and landed at the airport "Maiquetia" in Venezuela. Then the Russian aircrews flying over the Caribbean, and landed at the airport in Managua, Nicaragua, and November 5 back in Russia.

On Tuesday, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said that the Russian Tu-160 last week crossed the Colombian airspace without permission and his government will send a protest note to Moscow.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that all flights of the Air Forces of Russia carried out in strict accordance with international regulations on the use of airspace.

The most formidable weapon on the domestic version of the RIA Novosti
What tasks you can perform strategic bomber Tu-160

In two vnutrifyuzelyazhnyh gruzootsekah can accommodate different target load weighing up to 40,000 lbs. It includes strategic cruise missiles.

"Red button on board we do not, the system has many degrees of protection. Our task in the case of receipt of the order to deliver a means of defeating a certain square in the specified time, it will fly to any of the missiles, we do not know" - told RIA Novosti commander Aviation Unit. More in the video RIA News >>

As for the Russian Air Force aircraft lifted its fighters Japan

In mid-July, two Russian Tu-95 and Il-20 flying near the airspace of Japan over the Kuril islands, four of which are the subject of the Sino-Russian territorial dispute. Representatives of the Japanese authorities then noted that the Russian aircraft did not violate the airspace of Japan. Read more >>

In early October, Russian anti-IL-38 flew along the central part of the island of Honshu from the Sea of Japan. Airspace, according to the Joint Staff of the Self-Defense Forces, was not violated, but the air defense forces were put on alert. Read more >>
According to statistics from the Joint Staff, from July to September this year, the fighters of the Air Self-Defense Forces of Japan 105 times the alarm raised by the appearance of Russian aircraft. During the same period, China's aircraft appeared close to Japan 80 times. During the period April-September 2013 Japanese fighters 308 times raised the alarm. Besides Russia and China have become the cause of alert aircraft DPRK (9 times), Taiwan (1 time) and "other countries" (13 times).


http://ria.ru/politics/20131108/9755182 ... z2k3TjmuLk