TWO RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth on 15 January to shadow a pair of Russian Tu-160 ‘Blackjack’ supersonic strategic bombers over the North Sea. The intercepting aircraft were supported by a Voyager tanker operating from RAF Brize Norton.
The Blackjacks were intercepted between Denmark and the Netherlands as they flew down the North Sea, they turned towards the Low Countries and the UK before heading back north. At no point did they leave international airspace, although in addition to the RAF’s QRA fighters, a pair of Belgian F-16s were also scrambled to monitor the patrol.
Russia’s long-range patrols have been relatively commonplace since their reintroduction in 2007, concurrently the dispatching of RAF aircraft to monitor such activities has also become routine. However, such activities are typically completed by Tu-95 ‘Bear’ aircraft, rather than the more capable Tu-160. While, according to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, such activity is ‘intensifying’, Russian aircraft have never entered British airspace without authorisation.
A week earlier, the Royal Navy’s Type 23 Frigate HMS Westminster, standing by on rotation as the Fleet Ready E…
