Old friends meeting in mid-air...
 

"...and exchanging smiles."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6938856.stm

The world is changing. Again. Probably in a way not many have seriously excepted. At least not expected so soon. Anyone remembering the comments just some yars ago like "The Russians won't be back for the next three generations", and such talkings? :D

I read this about 15 minutes ago, and the frontpage page spoke of Russian "jets".

Alright guys, who complained? :p

A return to the good old days. ;)

I can't wait to get back to hating the Russians and calling them commie bastards and being on the brink of nuclear war again! Putin is putting us on the path.

Acctually i personaly think its putin making a stand to bush saying his country will no longer be bullied or harrassed by the americans, not only that that he will no longer stand there and watch america use and abuse its "status"

I am glad that we are on the other side this time. :D

Sigh. And I was having a bad enough day already. :(

You know, as someone who's (totally unfairly) experienced the residue of some of these original sentiments, I really really resent that.

I have to agree about the Putin part - he is really putting us on that path.

-S

CCIP, you're back among the living?
New rig?

Yup, I've been lurking around for the past few days. It's kinda hard to just jump back in, but I'll be back to action soon enough.

Those dual-cores are sure sweet :D

And eh, again - I don't like Putin, but you know what they say about seeing a straw in another's eye... :roll:

I don't think you quite need to start digging a fallout shelter yet. For years the Russian Air Force was in real neglect following the break up of the Soviet Union, and now they are getting it back in good shape, so it's only natural that they will be flying some sorties of this nature. After all, a long range bomber like the Tupolev's job is to fly long range and bomb stuff (or at least launch missiles, or perform reconaissance), so they have to practice stuff like that.

In any case, its capabilities are not anywhere near the kind of threat they were 30 years ago.

This sortie is not a surprise, several similar ones took place to the edges of UK airspace a few months ago where they observed a large combined forces naval exercise, eventually having been met by Tornados if I recall correctly. Similar probing missions came near to US airspace a few months ago, on that occasion being 'intercepted' by F-15s. It was not a secret, nor deemed a threat, there were even some articles and photos of it in several of the big aviation magazines, and despite how the press like to report on such happenings in a dramatic fashion, they are generally good-natured affairs between the pilots, who often used to pose for photographs and wave to one another during such meetings.

You would have thought the BBC would have actually bothered to note that instead of stating that they believed it was the first one since the end of the Cold War, which it most certainly wasn't. More poor reporting and lax research from some half-assed reporter, who ought to know better than to not bother confirming sources and facts, as this is fundamental to reporting stuff.

:D Chock

Makes you wonder if editors actually ask their reporters questions or not anymore.

Well, it's the first time in a while that they have landed at a US base, surely?

They were resupplying the base's Vodka... the first steps to an alliance. :p

Some Duty Free shopping???:hmm::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: