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| UK jets shadow Russian bombers | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The UK's Royal Air Force has launched fighter jets to intercept eight Russian military planes flying in airspace patrolled by Nato, UK officials say. | The UK's Royal Air Force has launched fighter jets to intercept eight Russian military planes flying in airspace patrolled by Nato, UK officials say. |
| Four RAF F3 Tornado aircraft were scrambled in response to the Russian action, the UK's defence ministry said. | Four RAF F3 Tornado aircraft were scrambled in response to the Russian action, the UK's defence ministry said. |
| The Russian planes - long-range bombers - had earlier been followed by Norwegian F16 jets. | |
| Russia recently revived a Cold War-era practice of flying bombers on long-range patrols. | Russia recently revived a Cold War-era practice of flying bombers on long-range patrols. |
| In a statement the MoD said the eight Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear aircraft, flying in loose formation of four pairs, were initially intercepted by the Norwegian air force. | |
| Radar tracking | |
| They were tracked by the Norwegian aircraft until entering the Nato area for which the UK has responsibility in the early hours of Thursday morning. | |
| Under established Nato procedures the MoD said it launched quick reaction alert aircraft in order to identify the bombers, as is routine. | |
| Four F3 Tornados were launched in two waves from RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire. | |
| A Boeing E-3D airborne warning and control aircraft and a VC-10 refuelling tanker supported the operation, the MoD said. | |
| The Russian bombers eventually altered course to leave the Nato zone, being tracked by UK aircraft and the radar station at RAF Boulmer, Northumberland. | |
| Norway is following the increased Russian activity in the far north with interest Lt Col John Inge OeglandNorwegian air force | |
| They were presumed to be heading back to their base. | |
| The incident was the latest this summer in which British fighters have been used to warn off long-range Russian reconnaissance aircraft. | |
| An MoD spokesman said: "The re-emergence of long-range flights from Russia is something the Russians are entitled to do. | |
| "All countries have the right to maintain or up-grade and exercise their defence capabilities. | |
| "The motivation behind any Russian military activity is a matter for the Russian government." | |
| 'Several incidents' | |
| Earlier an MoD spokesman said the Russian bombers had approached but were not in British airspace. | |
| A Norwegian officer, Lt Col John Inge Oegland, told the BBC the Russian bombers flew in international airspace from the Barents Sea to the Atlantic, before turning back. | |
| Two Norwegian F-16s shadowed them on Thursday morning and another two went up later, he said. | Two Norwegian F-16s shadowed them on Thursday morning and another two went up later, he said. |
| There have been several similar incidents in recent months, Lt-Col Oegland added. | There have been several similar incidents in recent months, Lt-Col Oegland added. |
| "Norway is following the increased Russian activity in the far north with interest," he told the BBC News website. | "Norway is following the increased Russian activity in the far north with interest," he told the BBC News website. |
| He said the Russian flights were not causing alarm in Norway. "Our systems are adequate," he said, when asked whether Norway was bolstering its security in the area. | He said the Russian flights were not causing alarm in Norway. "Our systems are adequate," he said, when asked whether Norway was bolstering its security in the area. |