RAF Typhoon fighter jets scramble to intercept Russian bombers heading for UK airspace TWICE in one week
- Britain deployed RAF Typhoon fighter jets to intercept Russian bombers
- Russian military aircraft flew in a 'UK area of interest' off Scottish coast
- Bombers were detected on October 12 and four days later on October 16
- It came as Russia sailed fleet of warships through English Channel
Britain deployed RAF fighter jets to intercept Russian bombers nearing UK airspace twice in four days - as Putin sailed a fleet of warships towards the English Channel.
The Russian military aircraft flew in an 'area of interest' off the coast of Scotland in the middle of the night on October 12 and again on October 16, the MoD revealed.
Typhoon jets from RAF Lossiemouth near Elgin, Scotland, were scrambled in response, supported by Voyagers from Brize Norton.
It came as the Royal Navy was placed on red alert after it emerged Russia was sailing a fleet of warships along the British coast en route to Syria.
Two days after the first bombers were detected, the Royal Navy revealed plans to escort Putin's heavily armed flotilla, led by aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.
Britain has deployed RAF Typhoon fighter jets (stock) to intercept Russian bombers approaching UK airspace - twice in one week
An MoD spokesperson said: 'Quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft from Lossiemouth intercepted Russian Military Aircraft and escorted them while they were in the UK area of interest.
'At no point did the Russian aircraft enter UK territorial airspace.
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'Air-to-air refuelling support is often provided by a Voyager aircraft from RAF Brize Norton.'
The Russian Bear bombers were detected on October 12 at 11.35pm and the second interception came at 9.20pm on October 16.
The RAF scrambled Typhoon jets from RAF Lossiemouth near Elgin, Scotland (shown)
It came as the Royal Navy was placed on red alert after it emerged Russia was sailing a fleet of warships along the British coast en route to Syria
On October 14, Russia's plans to sail a fleet close to Dover were revealed.
The Royal Navy responded by deploying three British warships to ‘man-mark’ the fleet - including an aircraft carrier and nuclear-powered battlecruiser.
The Russians boasted they were ‘seizing control’ of the seas and had ‘no equal’ in terms of naval power as the fleet made its way through the Mediterranean to Syria.
Type-45 destroyer HMS Duncan – the world’s most advanced air-defence destroyer – and HMS Richmond were both deployed.
As well as the Royal Navy, the Royal Norwegian Navy, Finnish Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy all had vessels surrounding the North Sea.
NATO aircraft was also patrolling the area, with tanker aircraft on station ready to refuel any fighter jets tasked with observing the Russian fleet.
Type-45 destroyer HMS Duncan – the world’s most advanced air-defence destroyer – was deployed to 'man mark' the fleet
The heavily armed eight-ship fleet, led by flagship Admiral Kuznetsov, passed through the English Channel last week.
Putin seemed intent to give a show of strength right on the doorstep of the UK amid rapidly escalating tensions between the west and Russia.
The MoD said nine Quick Reaction Alerts were launched this year - most of which were in response to civilian aircraft.
Earlier this month, Two Russian Blackjack bombers were intercepted flying back and forth to Northern Spain from the direction of Norway, it has emerged.
Four nations - Norway, the UK, France and Spain - all deployed their own jets as the TU-160 planes skirted the airspace of each country.
In September last year a senior Russian officer said flights by Russian bombers on the edge of British airspace should not be considered provocative, the Telegraph reported.
British military bosses held talks with Army officials in Moscow in December last year over 'incursions' of Russian aircraft around the UK.
MOUNTING TENSIONS:THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF RUSSIAN INTERCEPTIONS
The scrambling of Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth to intercept Russian bombers is the latest in a long line of incidents of Russian planes nearing British airspace:
September 19, 2014: Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland shadow a pair of Tu-95 Bear bombers approaching a Nato defence zone in the North Sea.
October 29, 2014: Two more bears are intercepted approaching the UK from the Norwegian sea as part of a large sortie of Russian planes including MiG fighters.
A Russian bear bomber is escorted by an RAF fighter jet (file picture)
October 31, 2014: Typhoons from Lossiemouth escort a lone bear away from UK airspace.
January 28, 2015: Civilian flights are diverted away from Britain after bear bombers are spotted off the coast of Bournemouth and Portsmouth after passing the west coast of Ireland and flying around the English Channel. The Foreign Office questions the Russian Ambassador as to why the bombers were flying so close to commercial flights.
February 18, 2015: Two Typhoons from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire scrambled to intercept a pair of Bear bombers flying off Cornwall. They are escorted south.
April 13, 2015: Two Typhoons are sent from Lossiemouth after two bears are seen in international airspace near north Scotland, shortly after several Nato warships are gathered off the Scottish coast for training exercises.
May 14, 2015: Two Typhoons were scrambled from Lossiemouth to intercept a pair of Tu-95 bombers flying towards UK airspace north of Scotland. But they did not enter the airspace and were not considered a threat.
September 11, 2015: Two Blackjack bombers are seen off the coast of Northumbria, prompting Typhoons to be scrambled from Lossiemouth. The UK jets closed in on the Russian planes which then flew off towards the Baltic Sea.
November 20, 2015: Blackjacks heading to a bombing raid in Syria on an unusual 8,000-mile round trip around Europe come close to entering UK airspace. Typhoons are sent from Lossiemouth to intercept and escort them away via the Atlantic Ocean and Gibraltar.
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