Russia Recently Sent this Deadly Supersonic Bomber Close to North America

Mark Episkopos

Security,

Why?

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled three U.S. and two Canadian aircraft to intercept two Russian Tu-160 “Blackjack” strategic bombers flying close to the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), an area of controlled airspace where unidentified aircraft may be intercepted for identification purposes.

The Tu-160 is a Soviet nuclear-capable bomber, travelling at maximum and cruise speeds of 2,220 and 960 kilometers per hour respectively, and boasting a flight range of around 12,000 kilometers depending on payload. The Blackjack is due for a modernization later this year with the upcoming Tu-160M2 variant, promising a more fuel-efficient NK-32 02 engine and upgraded avionics suite.

As opposed to many of the prior disputes that arose over Russian aircraft flying in close proximity to North America, both parties generally agree on the facts. TASS, a Russian state news outlet, cited a statement provided to them by NORAD’s press office: “An E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, two F-22, two CF-18 fighter jets from North American Aerospace Defense Command positively identified two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers entering the Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone on January 26, 2019. Bombers remained in international airspace and did not enter sovereign territory.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense does not dispute the statement, only adding that the Tu-160’s were on a scheduled, fifteen-hour exercise flight to practice refueling routines. The Russian Ministry of Defense later published footage of the flight, which took the two Tu-160’s across the Barents, Laptev, and Kara seas. The disagreement, if any, is more semantical than concrete: Russian sources insist that the interception occurred in the “Arctic,” while U.S. headlines prefer the “North American coastline.”