U.S. intercepts Russian bombers and fighter jets off Alaska coast

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/05/21/u-s-intercepts-russian-bomber.html

Russian nuclear capable long-range bombers flew within 200 miles of Alaska’s coast

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What the actual fucking fuck?!?!? Is this 2019 or 1983?

Also… typo? I assume the second May 20 should also be 2019?

[ETA] Also, also… this also seems designed to drum up support for US recruitment as well. And if this regularly happens, why isn’t it regularly reported? Why now, at this moment, has this popped up on CNN, if not the advertise the dangerous and exciting work in the US Air Force?

I have intersecting and confused alarm bells going off here, which is likely the intention on all sides!

I’m guess the Dutch don’t have nukes at their disposal… But I’m not surprised, since Europe is closer, so it’s likely cheaper to pull such things there instead of out in Alaskan waters.

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at no time did the aircraft enter United States or Canadian sovereign airspace.

The Russians are much bolder when it comes to European airspace:

https://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/23/world/europe/russian-bombers-intercepted/index.html

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We borrowed some of yours :stuck_out_tongue:

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Oh, that’s where we left that thing! Well, you better take care of it… you know how dangerous nukes are! :wink:

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This is not at all surprising. and really nothing to get too alarmed over. We play our games, they play theirs.

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I’m not sure the 80s ever really finished.
Nena, anyone?

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Those Russians wanted to defect, they told me so.

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And almost half of all pop songs from the 80s, too…

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We’ve had mention of Hey Mickey, Safety Dance and now even more appropriately 99 Red Balloons. Must be the oldies in tonight :smirk:

Wish the news was more current, though, I didn’t enjoy the Cold War the first time around…

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They were feeling cute, might check back when we’re distracted with Iran.

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Wow. The Russians are STILL flying the Bear???

Here is an intercept photo from the 60s.

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There’s nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

Meet the Cold War, same as the old war.

– The Who

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Not oldies! Most of those songs were from the 80s, which was only 30 something years ago!

Shit! I’m old!

Seriously, though… I keep remember things from the 80s and 90s, and thinking that it wasn’t that long ago, and then realizing, well actually…

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I’ve found denial helps.

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What does it for me is the realization is that the Berlin Wall has been down longer than it was up.

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TFW the songs you listened to turn up on the GTA5 Classic Rock station and it puts you off stealing your money back off that hooker and makes you rethink your life.

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Probably one of the few Soviet engineered planes that doesn’t crash that much.

First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Soviet Union in 1956 and is expected to serve the Russian Aerospace Forces until at least 2040.

Like its American counterpart, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the Tu-95 has continued to operate in the Russian Air Force while several subsequent iterations of bomber design have come and gone. Part of the reason for this longevity was its suitability, like the B-52, for modification to different missions. Whereas the Tu-95 was originally intended to drop free-falling nuclear weapons, it was subsequently modified to perform a wide range of roles, such as the deployment of cruise missiles, maritime patrol (Tu-142), and even civilian airliner (Tu-114). An AWACS platform (Tu-126) was developed from the Tu-114. An icon of the Cold War, the Tu-95 has served, not only as a weapons platform, but as a symbol of Soviet and later Russian national prestige. Russia’s air force has received the first examples of a number of modernised strategic bombers in Tu-95MSs following upgrade work. Enhancements have been confined to the bomber’s electronic weapons and targeting systems.

ETA: nope…plenty of crashes. Looks like the engines have a nasty habit or either falling apart or exploding.

https://www.baaa-acro.com/aircraft/tupolev-tu-95

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