Canadian jets scrambled to intercept Russian bomber before Obama visit

[hammond]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/02/27/arctic-russia.html

Canadian fighter jets were scrambling to intercept a Russian plane approaching Canadian airspace shortly before U.S. President Barack Obama visited Ottawa, the defence minister said Friday.

Peter MacKay said he wasn't accusing Russia of deliberately timing the flight to coincide with the visit — when Canadian security was focused in Ottawa — but he did call it a "strong coincidence."

"It was a strong coincidence which we met with … CF-18 fighter planes and world-class pilots that know their business," said MacKay.

"[The pilots] sent a strong signal they should back off and stay out of our airspace."

MacKay confirmed the incident at a news conference Friday in Ottawa with the chief of the defence staff and the commander of NORAD.

The CF-18s took off from Cold Lake, Alta., on Feb. 16 after NORAD detected the bomber headed for Canadian airspace. The aircraft never did enter North American airspace.

Obama arrived in Ottawa on Feb. 19 to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He spent six hours in the nation's capital.

Russian aircraft regularly probed into North American airspace during the Cold War and Canadian and American fighters routinely tracked the snoopers and escorted them back into international air space.

Such flights were suspended for years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but resumed in recent years as Russia pushed its claim on the Arctic and oil wealth allowed the country to spend more on its military.

MacKay said Canada has seen "increased activity" in recent years.

Last summer, then-foreign affairs minister David Emerson said Russian intrusions into Canadian air space had greatly increased.

 

[George Wallace]

And all the while, the Canadian Public slept safely in their beds, in ignorant bliss, caring nothing of those who stand on guard to protect them.

 

[ltmaverick25]

Someone should make sure Jack Layton gets a glimpse of this article.  Maybe the perceived thread to Laytons beloved idol will encourage him to wake up.

 

[Kebel]

Count on me to forward it to every single Québec separatists..

 

[leroi]

And all the while, the Canadian Public slept safely in their beds, in ignorant bliss, caring nothing of those who stand on guard to protect them.

Mr. Wallace, I care God bless those pilots. :yellow:

I want to point out that after the visit I'd done searches and Ottawa officially published security reports to the effect that nothing un-towards had occurred during the Obama visit. (Sorry can't remember exactly where I'd searched--might have been an RCMP news brief.)

Hmm ... "strong coincidence??" ... although it's good to see Peter MacKay's diplomacy skills are intact, this ciivy doesn't believe it was a "coincidence."

 

[Civvymedic]

So what would they have been doing? Trying to test our response during a time of increased security obviously, but would the aircraft have been carrying electronic surveillance? Would it be empty and just there to assist with claiming sovereignty over the arctic if we dint respond? Would ships and a base come next over time if we didn't respond?

Not my area...just curious?

 

[leroi]

Civvymedic,

I sure can't answer that but I think they should have known to stay out of the airspace before, during and directly after the visit.

 

[Kebel]

In fact, they should stay out of our airspace, period. No matter if Obama is around or not.

 

[leroi]

Kebel:  :nod:

Not sure of the rules wrt airspace.

My mom just suggested Russia was working with CF and trying to protect Canada?? (She's a worrier and elderly and likes to think Russia's no longer a threat.)

Anyway, as stated, I don't have the answers; I'm grateful to ltmaverick25 for posting the item; grateful that I was protected.

I'd like to know what the Russians were doing too but I guess I'll never know--maybe it's OPSEC ...

 

[ltmaverick25]

You can safely assure your mother that Russia was not sending a bomber capable of carrying nuclear warheads towards Canadian air space with the intention of helping us guard our air space.

 

[Kebel]

leroi:

Unless approved, Russians military airships have to stay out of our airspace

and yes, russians were not here to make sure everything goes well lol.. In my mind it was probably the russian way to say "hello world, we're here!"

 

[SoldierInTheMaking]

Well they didn't even make it into Canadian airspace our CF-18's were on top of it so who knows what they we're doing...

 

[leroi]

Thanks, ltmaverick25, I'll give it a try. She's elderly and and sometimes talks about the Irish "troubles" and "the hunger" as if the famine's still going on. Although she was born in Canada, she remembers her parents talking about Ireland. It formed a backdrop to her early childhood.

Good information everyone.

 

[OldSolduer]

I remember the days when our planes were sent to intercept Soviet Bears practically daily.
This was no coincidence; this was Mr. Putin showing President Obama that the new Russia is a force to be reckoned with.
Regardless of who is nominally in charge of Russia, you can be sure Mr. Putin is pulling the strings.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Its not the first, and won't be the last, time Ivan has sent aircraft towards, into, around, etc NORAD airspace.

Personally, I hardly see this as news, other than whats-his-face from the US was here.  :boring:

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

And some of the inbred comments made on the CTV newsnet site just make me shake my head at the stupidy and naivete of the average Canadian. :

 

[belka]

The frequency of intercepts have been slowly increasing and happen more often than the public thinks/knows. This is nothing new and only made the news because Obama was in town. It's all fun and games until someone eats an AIM9.

 

[GDawg]

They haven't got a natural gas pipeline to use to remind us that they exist so this is what they do. I figure if they had a more modern aircraft in the works to replace the Bear that might be a more ominous sign. I wonder if they've ever had a Bear crash on one of these flights, it must be a fairly substantial flight from their home airfield and back.

 

[belka]

I wonder if they've ever had a Bear crash on one of these flights, it must be a fairly substantial flight from their home airfield and back.

Without going into greater details, there have been a few "incidences" last year that didn't make the news.

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

I remember the days when our planes were sent to intercept Soviet Bears practically daily.
...

Indeed, I have a photo given to me by my uncle of a 416 squadron Voodoo flying wingtip to wingtip on a Bear.