USS Nimitz Buzzed By Russian Bombers – Intercepted By F-18 Fighter Jets
February 11, 2008 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
A pair of Russian TU-95 Bear bombers overflew a US aircraft carrier in the western Pacific at an altitude of 2,000 feet (660 meters) over the weekend, prompting US fighter jets to scramble, a US defense official said Monday.
Four F-18 fighters jets intercepted the Russian bombers Saturday morning, but not before they had overflown the USS Nimitz, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Japanese F-15 fighters had earlier scrambled to intercept another pair of Bear bombers, and escorted them out of the area, said a US military official who asked not to be identified.
The Japanese government issued a strong protest with Moscow, but Russian officials denied their aircraft had crossed into Japanese airspace.
The second pair of bombers were flying south of Japan when they “essentially turned inbound toward the USS Nimitz, and USS Nimitz aircraft launched and intercepted the bombers,” said the defense official.
The US F-18s escorted the bombers until they departed the area, the official said.
“There were no verbal communications between the Nimitz aircraft or the Russian aircraft,” the official said.
The official said one of the Russian bombers flew directly over the US carrier at an altitude of 2,000 feet, while the second bomber flew at its side at the same altitude.
The incident comes at a time when Russia is reviving the long-range air patrols that were once a standard feature of the Cold War.
It was the second time since July 2004 that a Russian Bear bomber has overflown a US aircraft carrier.
That incident involved the USS Kitty Hawk in the Sea of Japan.
The Nimitz, which was on a routine patrol in the western Pacific at the time of the incident, was back Monday in port in Sasebo, Japan, the official said.
It was not immediately known whether the United States issued any protests with the Russians.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with Russia’s deputy premier the following day on the sidelines of an international security conference in Munich.
Russia and the US are doing this to each other on a regular basis… It is a good exersize to keep both power’s defenses up on their readiness toes is it not…
It is hardly a terror – but – it is good to hear the crew of the USS Nimitz is alert and quick to respond… It is not Russia we have to worry about is it…???
One thing made me curious. How did the russian aircraft find the us warship? For an old plane to find a warship in the vast ocean, that must be really hard work.
Russian bombers have been overflying U.S. carriers for a long time. I was on the Enterprise in 1969 and Constellation in 1973 enroute to Vietnam. It was routine during transit across the Pacific for Bears to overfly our ships. It was explained that they were on a routine training mission and were patrolling the western pacific.
I’m curious as to why two boogies inbound inside the defensive perimeter of a US Navy aircraft carrier were not intercepted long before they could fly over the carrier. They have no business being in that air-space, why didn’t the carrier radar intercept the two Russians in the area long before they could fly over? Very strange!
I find it very strange that these bombers are doing this. Just recently Russian Subs have been spotted of the East Coast of the US for what reason?