Two Tu-95 outside Northern Norway
The Russian strategic bomb planes were met by Norwegian F-16s.
The bomb planes took off from Engels airbase in central Russia Thursday evening and the two Norwegian F-16 jetfighters on duty was scrambled from Bodø airbase in Northern Norway just before 2 am Friday morning to identify the Russian bombers as they were flying southbound the coast of Northern Norway.
Read more:Russia to modernize strategic bombers
The Russian Ministry of Defence reports that the two bombers made a routine patrol flight over neutral waters of the Arctic Ocean. Simultaneously as the two bombers flied outside Norway, two other Russian bombers patrolled the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan where they were shadowed by South Korean and Japanese F-15 and F-2 fighter-interceptors according to the Defence Ministry.
The press-release from the Defense Ministry underlines that all Russian air force flights are carried out in strict accordance with International regulations on the use of airspace over neutral waters, without violating the borders of other states.
Read more: Bomber flights on same level
In 2009, a total of 77 Russian military aircraft, mainly strategic bombers, were identified by Norwegian fighters under NATO command. The numnbers were down from 2008, when NATO fighters scrambled 32 times to identify 87 Russian bombers outside Norwegian territory.
