BREAKING NEWS: Typhoon Fighter Jets Scrambled to Intercept Two Russian Bear Bombers Off the Coast of Cornwall, UK
- Two Russian Bear bombers seen in skies off south west coast of England
- RAF fighter jets scrambled to intercept and escort them away, RAF says
- Comes the day after UK Defence Secretary warned of Russian aggression
- Earlier this week, a Russian warship had to be escorted through Channel
- Video emerges filmed from Russian bomber showing escort by Nato planes
Daily Mail UK, 19 Feb 2015
RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled to escort two Russian Bear bombers spotted in international airspace off the coast of Cornwall, the Ministry of Defence has said.
It is the latest in a series of military manoeuvres by Russian forces around the UK as relations between Vladimir Putin's regime and the West continue to sour.
An MoD spokesman said:
'RAF Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon fighter aircraft were launched yesterday after Russian aircraft were identified flying close to UK airspace.'
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The RAF scrambled two Typhoon fighters to escort two Russian Bear bombers over the UK. File photo
The approach by Russian bombers came the day after Defence Secretary Michael Fallon (top) said the regime of Vladimir Putin is as big a threat to Britain as Islamic State
The spokesman added:
'The Russian planes were escorted by the RAF until they were out of the UK area of interest. At no time did the Russian military aircraft cross into UK sovereign airspace.'
The move came on the day Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said that Nato is getting ready to fight back against Russian aggression as it poses a 'real and present danger' to the Baltic States.
He told of the threat to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as Vladimir Putin continues to 'test us' by deploying submarines and warplanes near British territory.
It comes after a similar approach by two identical Russian planes last month off the coast of Bournemouth.
Experts said then that the manoeuvre could have been designed to ‘probe the RAF speed of reaction’ – raising fears that the Russians were looking for weaknesses in the British fighter force.
Russia is said to have stepped up military manoeuvres as Britain joins the chorus of international condemnation of Vladimir Putin's support and alleged arming of rebels in Ukraine.
Footage, apparently shot from a Russian bomber and showing Nato jets, emerged on Russian TV last night
The footage - which shows how close British and other Nato fighters get to the Russian planes - is not believed to be from yesterday's incident but one of the many similar interceptions in recent months
During the similar incident last month, the Typhoons were so close to the Russian planes – roughly 1,000ft away – that they could signal to the pilots.
Earlier this week, a Russian warship was intercepted by the Royal Navy as it strayed close to the UK while passing through the English Channel.
The vessel – equipped with missiles, anti-aircraft guns and torpedoes – was monitored and escorted by a heavily-armed British frigate, HMS Argyll.
Britain summoned the Russian ambassador for a dressing down after long-range bombers flew over the Channel close to UK airspace last month, disrupting civil aviation and prompting Britain, like today, to scramble two Typhoon jets.
Fears have been raised that a Russian military plane could crash with an airliner after a near-miss in the skies over a Sweden last year when a spy-plane switched off its transponders, making it invisible to commercial radar.
More than 100 Russian aircraft were intercepted last year, three times more than during the whole of 2013.
It comes after the Royal Navy's HMS Argyll had to shadow the Russian warship Yaroslav Mudryy this week
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