Blackjack Evades UKADGE/QRA
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Time to get the ROC back and stick them on the rigs off the coast..... 
No doubt the ruskies will be flaunting their Tu-160s and 95's next week up off Scotland too....
No doubt the ruskies will be flaunting their Tu-160s and 95's next week up off Scotland too....
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"No it would not. We would react as we wished and when we wished - provided we detected them, of course," said Adm. Kimmel in the autumn of 1939.
It seems to me that Britain's basic air defense problem isn't reacting to a threat, or the quickness thereof. Instead, what is shocking is the apparent lack of radar coverage to the north and east of the home islands.
Or maybe air defense radar coverage is much better than this recent incident indicates, but your MoD is keeping the good performance under their hats so as to keep the Rooskies guessing. I'm sure that's the case, aren't you?
:0]
It seems to me that Britain's basic air defense problem isn't reacting to a threat, or the quickness thereof. Instead, what is shocking is the apparent lack of radar coverage to the north and east of the home islands.
Or maybe air defense radar coverage is much better than this recent incident indicates, but your MoD is keeping the good performance under their hats so as to keep the Rooskies guessing. I'm sure that's the case, aren't you?
:0]
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I would like to think that in future the MoD will offer the statement that we do not scramble QRA for every peacetime intrusion.
See, it's OK. Your MoD is already following that policy. Those Tupolev bombers were detected while they were far away from the shores of G.B. The MoD just does'nt want to let 'em know that they know, understand?
See, it's OK. Your MoD is already following that policy. Those Tupolev bombers were detected while they were far away from the shores of G.B. The MoD just does'nt want to let 'em know that they know, understand?
SAM
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No doubt the ruskies will be flaunting their Tu-160s and 95's next week up off Scotland too....
Funny that, whilst we were all looking West, the Blackjack swans (sorry) in from the East. Almost like they planned it.
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Suprise Suprise!
No not really, the number of military radars in the UK has been cut and cut over the past few years. Remember Saxa, Faeroes, Trimingham, Hopton, Ty Croes, Bishops Court to name but a few! I suppose it came as a bit of a shock, but shouldn't have - the Russians know all the weak points and all they have to do is stop sqwarking. I hope this serves as a wake-up call and money is found to replace what we have got before it is too late, then we can look at plugging some of the gaps created over the past 20 years.
AonP
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Interesting that the two Blackjacks that visited Venezuela in a highly publicized fashion did not appear in any photographs taken by either NATO or Russia on their outbound or return trips across the Atlantic.
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Quoe
No not really, the number of military radars in the UK has been cut and cut over the past few years. Remember Saxa, Faeroes, Trimingham, Hopton, Ty Croes, Bishops Court to name but a few! I suppose it came as a bit of a shock, but shouldn't have - the Russians know all the weak points and all they have to do is stop sqwarking. I hope this serves as a wake-up call and money is found to replace what we have got before it is too late, then we can look at plugging some of the gaps created over the past 20 years.
Reply
I agree, Bring back the ROC on the platforms.
Or a QRA satellite base in Norway would be a bit closer to the Russians.
When Leeming finally goes where will the QRA on 25 end up?
Bet a 'Lightning' would have had a good run at the Blackjack.
No not really, the number of military radars in the UK has been cut and cut over the past few years. Remember Saxa, Faeroes, Trimingham, Hopton, Ty Croes, Bishops Court to name but a few! I suppose it came as a bit of a shock, but shouldn't have - the Russians know all the weak points and all they have to do is stop sqwarking. I hope this serves as a wake-up call and money is found to replace what we have got before it is too late, then we can look at plugging some of the gaps created over the past 20 years.
Reply
I agree, Bring back the ROC on the platforms.
Or a QRA satellite base in Norway would be a bit closer to the Russians.
When Leeming finally goes where will the QRA on 25 end up?
Bet a 'Lightning' would have had a good run at the Blackjack.
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Bet a 'Lightning' would have had a good run at the Blackjack.
Doh!
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Interesting that the two Blackjacks that visited Venezuela in a highly publicized fashion did not appear in any photographs taken by either NATO or Russia on their outbound or return trips across the Atlantic.
Photos: Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Photos: Tupolev Tu-160 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Trust me guys, it didn't happen!
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RAF Leeming
Quote
"When Leeming finally goes where will the QRA on 25 end up?"
I thought QRA moved from Leeming years ago. Arent Conningsby and Leuchars the only QRA capable bases we have left?
"When Leeming finally goes where will the QRA on 25 end up?"
I thought QRA moved from Leeming years ago. Arent Conningsby and Leuchars the only QRA capable bases we have left?
WestCoast wrote
The Russians released the following video from their flight down to Venezuela. The F-15C intercept was apparently near to Iceland. If the Russians flight planned the trip to Venezuela I can imagine USAF conducting a temp deployment to Iceland.
YouTube - TU-160 in Venezuela. Visit proceeds. ??-160
2 Russian Tu-160 bombers fly to Venezuela - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times
'NATO fighters escorted the two Russian bombers on their 13-hour trip to Venezuela over the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, the Defense Ministry said'
TJ
Interesting that the two Blackjacks that visited Venezuela in a highly publicized fashion did not appear in any photographs taken by either NATO or Russia on their outbound or return trips across the Atlantic.
YouTube - TU-160 in Venezuela. Visit proceeds. ??-160
2 Russian Tu-160 bombers fly to Venezuela - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times
'NATO fighters escorted the two Russian bombers on their 13-hour trip to Venezuela over the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, the Defense Ministry said'
TJ
AonP,
The two Blackjacks flew back on the 19 September.
RIA Novosti - Russia - Russian strategic bombers return home from Venezuela
The two Blackjacks flew back on the 19 September.
RIA Novosti - Russia - Russian strategic bombers return home from Venezuela
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I can reveal the secret new defence policy for the UK which does not rely upon expensive radar, Typhoons etc.....
The plan is to put up a royal in a dH126 whenever there is a significant threat and declare Purple Airspace for the North Sea... nothing is ever going to get through that! The press misheard that Prince William was to join the RAF as a pilot.... in fact, he will be part of the "Pilot Project" that will involve him launching from standby in a Seaking whenever the Norweigians detect an intruder. Once the Royal Helicopter Flight concept has been trialled, it is understood that other junior royals will be used in fixed wing aircraft to finalise the concept.
Thus, the Blackjacks will be kept at bay by the Queen's Royal Aircrew (QRA) at great savings to the Nation (on the basis that the Royal Family is cheaper to run than the PAS).
PS, I understand that Hull was used as a target because Chelsea are in danger of suffering the same setbacks as Arsenal last week - the owner of Chelsea apparently using his influence within the Russian parliament to practise the target run that will be carried out for real should there be a risk of loosing 3 points at home later in their title challenge.
The plan is to put up a royal in a dH126 whenever there is a significant threat and declare Purple Airspace for the North Sea... nothing is ever going to get through that! The press misheard that Prince William was to join the RAF as a pilot.... in fact, he will be part of the "Pilot Project" that will involve him launching from standby in a Seaking whenever the Norweigians detect an intruder. Once the Royal Helicopter Flight concept has been trialled, it is understood that other junior royals will be used in fixed wing aircraft to finalise the concept.
Thus, the Blackjacks will be kept at bay by the Queen's Royal Aircrew (QRA) at great savings to the Nation (on the basis that the Royal Family is cheaper to run than the PAS).
PS, I understand that Hull was used as a target because Chelsea are in danger of suffering the same setbacks as Arsenal last week - the owner of Chelsea apparently using his influence within the Russian parliament to practise the target run that will be carried out for real should there be a risk of loosing 3 points at home later in their title challenge.
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In days of yore - and they're yore enough not to be giving anything startling away I'm sure -
- when bad guys came visiting we'd find out as they were detected approaching/rounding North Cape, various comms would be passed via equally various means (most of which sounded to me like somebody with a speech impediment was speaking through badly behaved marbles...that's my excuse for telling the boss that there were 3 pairs of Bears approaching the Isle of Man anyway...)
They'd be tracked on various radars through the Icelandic sea (which might include a wheezing..sorry, I meant shiny... Shacklebomber provided the USSR had booked far enough in advance), intercepted by a variety of aircraft of several nationalities at numerous stages, and then they'd be "escorted" through the UKADR by a pair of F4's or similar. Sometimes a mighty brown bomber from the kipper fleet would get involved. (I used to pray not -the paperwork afterwards was awful). Sometimes the Shack was pronably needed to supply impromptu ATC services due to the number of NATO potatoes queueing up for a photo op.
Of course anything coming from the Baltic would be cheating. (I think we relied on there being a 'Battle of Denmark', a bit like 1940 but with everyone riding bicycles - or is that Holland? Anyhow, I'm sure Kenneth Moore and Jack Hawkins would have been in the film version).
Nowadays what's left to do all that? Not just our part in it - our allies' assets don't seem to be as numerous any more... it'd take a serious reinvestment for more than the UK to return to the capability we had 20 years ago - and if you remember that far back, it wasn't that impressive then, was it?
I console myself with 2 thoughts:
1 - Why would any sane Russian want to try to run the UK.
2 - It would take a serious amount of bombing before the damage done equalled what casual vandalism runs up daily.
Oh, and as for - 'A spokesman said in a statement: “We are satisfied we have the flexibility to launch as many aircraft as the situation requires.'
- what complete and utter bollards, if he really believes that he's a bigger f****wit than he apparently takes the rest of us for!
Dave
(Getting old and crusty, obviously)
- when bad guys came visiting we'd find out as they were detected approaching/rounding North Cape, various comms would be passed via equally various means (most of which sounded to me like somebody with a speech impediment was speaking through badly behaved marbles...that's my excuse for telling the boss that there were 3 pairs of Bears approaching the Isle of Man anyway...)
They'd be tracked on various radars through the Icelandic sea (which might include a wheezing..sorry, I meant shiny... Shacklebomber provided the USSR had booked far enough in advance), intercepted by a variety of aircraft of several nationalities at numerous stages, and then they'd be "escorted" through the UKADR by a pair of F4's or similar. Sometimes a mighty brown bomber from the kipper fleet would get involved. (I used to pray not -the paperwork afterwards was awful). Sometimes the Shack was pronably needed to supply impromptu ATC services due to the number of NATO potatoes queueing up for a photo op.
Of course anything coming from the Baltic would be cheating. (I think we relied on there being a 'Battle of Denmark', a bit like 1940 but with everyone riding bicycles - or is that Holland? Anyhow, I'm sure Kenneth Moore and Jack Hawkins would have been in the film version).
Nowadays what's left to do all that? Not just our part in it - our allies' assets don't seem to be as numerous any more... it'd take a serious reinvestment for more than the UK to return to the capability we had 20 years ago - and if you remember that far back, it wasn't that impressive then, was it?
I console myself with 2 thoughts:
1 - Why would any sane Russian want to try to run the UK.
2 - It would take a serious amount of bombing before the damage done equalled what casual vandalism runs up daily.
Oh, and as for - 'A spokesman said in a statement: “We are satisfied we have the flexibility to launch as many aircraft as the situation requires.'
- what complete and utter bollards, if he really believes that he's a bigger f****wit than he apparently takes the rest of us for!
Dave
(Getting old and crusty, obviously)