RAF jets scrambled twice in one week to intercept Russian nuclear bombers



RAF fighter jets have been scrambled to intercept Russian nuclear bombers near British airspace twice in the last week, it emerged today.

The alarm was raised after the huge Tupolev Tu95 'Bears' were spotted on Monday and Tuesday, flying in a Nato-policed zone close to the UK.



Tornados from RAF Leuchars in Fife were despatched to identify and escort the bombers back to international air space.

The incident is the the latest in a long line of cat-and-mouse engagements between RAF fighters and Russian aircraft, as the Kremlin seeks to test Western response times.

A Tupolev 95 Bear long-range bomber like the one intercepted by RAF Tornados earlier this week A Russian Blackjack bomber (Tupolev Tu 160) being intercepted by an RAF Tornado F3 fighter near Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, earlier this year

Earlier this year, it emerged that the RAF's elite 'Quick Reaction Alert' force had taken to the air 64 times since 2006 - at least once a month - to head off Russian aircraft.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Tornado aircraft from RAF Leuchars were launched last week to determine the identity of aircraft that entered the Nato Air Policing Area and which could not be identified by other means.



'The aircraft were identified as Russian military aircraft.'

Reports of the latest engagements emerged as Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond hit out at the 'lack of clarity' from the Coalition Government over the future of two RAF bases threatened with closure.

The fates of RAF Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth in Moray are hanging in the balance as a result of the sweeping military cuts announced by Prime Minister David Cameron last week.

An order for nine Nimrod MRA4 surveillance aircraft, due to have been based at Kinloss, was cancelled as part of the defence review.



Lossiemouth is home to part of the UK's Tornado strike force, which is being reduced and could be moved to a single base in England.

Mr Salmond said: 'We will not take this lying down. To close RAF Lossiemouth would be catastrophic for an area for which defence has been a vital component for 70 years. Together the RAF bases represent around a quarter of Scotland's defence footprint.'

Locals - backed by Colin McGregor, the former jet-pilot brother of Hollywood star Ewan - have launched campaigns to save the two bases from the axe.



The bases employ about 4,000 people directly and are worth some £158 million annually to the local economy.

McGregor, 41, who spent his flying career at Lossiemouth and left the RAF three years ago, told reporters that closing the base would 'have a devastating effect on my family and Moray'.