Russian Planes Approach Canadian Airspace

[MHz]

Don't the new heavy-lifters operate on a cushion of air no more than 20 ft from the surface. Take away the moisture due to the cold and air resistance on the deck is minimal. The oxygen content is as high as you can get and still be flying so engines perform at max efficiency. A trans-arctic crossing (with/without ice) could a lot faster than a prop @ altitude, tri-sonic anyone?

 

[Tyr]

CTV has a nice shot of one of our CF-18's escorting a Bear:

A CF-18 Hornet, left, from 4 Wing Cold Lake flies next to a Russian Tu-95 'Bear' long-range strategic bomber on Sept. 5, 2007.

CTV.ca | CF-18s intercepted Russian plane before Obama visit

It's nothing serious to worry about.... They used to do it all the time in the past and are just simply stepping it up again to test our defenses and response time.

Just do it back to them a few times and see how they like it and perhaps it'll stop.

They do it on pretty much a weekly basis - a few miles into "the zone".. It's a big country and they would have to do a lotta flying to get near anything that mattered.

It ranks as "annoying" somewhere on the scale below "mad cow" disease

 

[Spade]

Morning Tyr,
Looks like no one has done the math!
Take care.
PS
Well below "mad cow."

 

[Socrates the Greek]

Hello to all, the only reason that happened for the 2 Russian fighters to be this close to Canadian air space is not a spy mission of any kind but rather a very good chance the pilots were drunk and fly.

It is known that during the cold war years at the end of the Reagan Gorbachofe era, many of the silos that were storing the Russian war heads pointing at the US, the solders guarding the secret location of the weaponry were drunk every day.
We were this close to a catastrophe, thank God that some safeguard mechanisms were in place that did not let anything like that take place. Or we escaped by pure luck.
Oh yes, very hard to resist Smirnof Vodca in Russia.

 

[EagleSmack]

Hello to all, the only reason that happened for the 2 Russian fighters to be this close to Canadian air space is not a spy mission of any kind but rather a very good chance the pilots were drunk and fly.

Do you really believe that?

 

[Socrates the Greek]

very good possibility, they are on record getting drunk because alcohol is free in the army as well in many areas of Russia the solders do not get paid anything for serving the country instead they are given free cigarettes and free alcohol to keep them from up rising. I am not making that up it is fact.

 

[Spade]

No one has done the math!

 

[lone wolf]

Oops.... Bear!

 

[Machjo]

This is and has always been par for the course. The Russians have just cranked it up a little as of late. Both sides do this and will continue to do so.

Then before Canada makes an issue out of this, why doesn't it stop doing the same to the Russians? Do we really need to be creating enemies in the world? Haven't we got enough enemies already?

When we were in the Med Sea we had a Soviet destroyer right off our starboard quarter the whole time. It stayed with us as soon as we entered the Eastern Med and did not let go.

How kind of them, ready do assist upon request;-)

But seriously... do you think pulling out of an alliance is going to keep the Russians from pulling this? Do you think they give a care about Canada? Maybe you can enter into an alliance with them!

That depends. If Canada stops playing these games and pulls out of alliances with countries that play these games too, then at least it woud have some moral ground to stand on when criticizing Russia whenever it does such things.

I am a patriotic Canadian, and as such believe that I should look out that my government not mar the country's reputation abroad.

 

[Machjo]

Just do it back to them a few times and see how they like it and perhaps it'll stop.

That would just send them the same message their actions are sending us.

 

[EagleSmack]

Then before Canada makes an issue out of this, why doesn't it stop doing the same to the Russians? Do we really need to be creating enemies in the world? Haven't we got enough enemies already?

To be honest with you... I bet Canada doesn't have long range planes or engages in sending planes to their airspace. I could be wrong so a little help is needed.

How kind of them, ready do assist upon request;-)

Nope... they were up our butts following us. They worked themselves right into the pattern and sailed along keeping an eye on us.

That depends. If Canada stops playing these games and pulls out of alliances with countries that play these games too, then at least it woud have some moral ground to stand on when criticizing Russia whenever it does such things.

I am a patriotic Canadian, and as such believe that I should look out that my government not mar the country's reputation abroad.

Well that's just because you want to be even MORE boisterous about things. Thumbing your nose at NATO etc.

But I would bet that Canada doesn't send planes towards Russian airspace and just reacts to Russian planes. So what does that tell you?

 

[lone wolf]

We're not looking for a fight?

 

[EagleSmack]

We're not looking for a fight?

And they are.

 

[Praxius]

That would just send them the same message their actions are sending us.

So in other words, we should just let them keep doing it as if it's ok?

 

[lone wolf]

And they are.

My bet's they're bluffing....

 

[L Gilbert]

I think it's a big todo over nothing. It's obviously not a spyplane (thinks of J Bond driving a semi ), and even if it does 870 MPH, it is only 1 plane and it'd be pestered by interceptors long before it got anywhere near a target.
So what if it "nears" Canadian airspace?

 

[lone wolf]

I think it's a big todo over nothing. It's obviously not a spyplane (thinks of J Bond driving a semi ), and even if it does 870 MPH, it is only 1 plane and it'd be pestered by interceptors long before it got anywhere near a target.
So what if it "nears" Canadian airspace?

Hours logged....

Our guys don't get a lot of flyn' time....

 

[Machjo]

So in other words, we should just let them keep doing it as if it's ok?

That depends. If they come near Canadian airspace, there's not much we can do about it as it's their right to fly in international air sapce. But the second they should trespass into Canadian airspace, we bring it up at the UN General Assembly, expressing our concern, and see where it goes from there. If they continue to insist on violating Canadian airspace, we bring up the possibility of sanctions. After all, Russia has to maintian its reputation too. If Russia trespasses regularly onto Canadian airspace, what message does that send Russia's neighbours. Certainly they would not appreciate such media attention internationally since it would have spin off effects in their relations with neighbouring countries too.

I believe that over time, this could help put an end to such Russian intrusions without needing Canada to stoop equally low. If you trespass on to my property, no, I won't stoop as low by trespassing onto your property; I'll just take the legal route to make sure you don't do it again.

 

[Machjo]

I think it's a big todo over nothing. It's obviously not a spyplane (thinks of J Bond driving a semi ), and even if it does 870 MPH, it is only 1 plane and it'd be pestered by interceptors long before it got anywhere near a target.
So what if it "nears" Canadian airspace?

That is a good point. It has every right to near Canadian air space as we have a right to near Russian airspace. But from a diplomatic standpoint, it would obviously be preferable that they not do so without good reason and inform us ahead of time so as to not raise eyebrows on our side. But I suppose that as long as they don't trespass onto our airspace, we really wouldn't have a case against it.

 

[Spade]

Will someone kindly do the math! I love Peter MacKay, and I know he was chatting up the brass from NORAD, and I know we want the US to love us, especially now that Obama is the Pres, but who seriously believes this story? Do the math. Get back to me; I'll be eating hot cross buns the mis'ess picked up from the store!

Pass the butter please!