DTN News: Canadian Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Military Planes

DTN News: Canadian Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Military Planes * Canada Scrambles Jets to Repel 2 Russian Bombers 26 days ago * DTN News: Canadian Jets Repel Russian Bombers - July 30, 2010 Source: DTN News - - This article / report compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including AOL Canada

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 26, 2010: Russia has been caught once again poking its nose in Canadian airspace.

Two Canadian fighter jets were called upon to intercept a pair of Russian military planes on Tuesday as they flew close to Canadian soil.

The CF-18s were scrambled to greet the Russian TU-95 Bear bombers after they were spotted about 56 kilometres north of Inuvik, N.W.T.

The CF-18 jets from 4 Wing Cold Lake base in Alberta shadowed the Russians until both planes turned around. The Canadian jets returned to base without incident.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday said: "Thanks to the rapid response of the Canadian Forces, at no time did the Russian aircraft enter sovereign Canadian airspace."

Spokesman Dimitri Soudas said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is in the Canadian North for his annual Arctic tour, was briefed about the mission.

This isn't the first time Canadian jets were sent out to intercept potential intruders.

On Sept. 5, 2007, a CF-18 Hornet was scrambled from 4 Wing Cold Lake to escort a Russian bomber plane flying outside Canada's Arctic airspace.

Russia has increasingly been probing Arctic airspace as the former-Cold War power tries to re-establish itself on the world stage, analysts say.

**Link to this article " Canadian Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Military Planes - AOL Canada "

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com