Four Russian strategic bombers fly near NATO airspace
The Russian MoD reported on 29 April that two Tu-160 (NATO: Blackjack) strategic missile carriers completed a planned flight in airspace over the Baltic Sea.
At certain parts of the 8h long flight, the aircraft were escorted by Finnish F-18C/Ds, F-16C/Ds from Poland and JAS 39 Gripen from Sweden.
The MoD claimed in a statement: ‘All flights of the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in strict accordance with the International Airspace Management System without violating the borders of other states.’
This exercise came after two Russian Tu-22M3 bombers (pictured) flew over neutral waters in the Barents and Norwegian Seas on 28 April. This flight exercise lasted 4h and was accompanied by Norwegian F-16 fighter aircraft.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Germany acquires additional 20 H145M helicopters]()
Germany acquires additional 20 H145M helicopters
The order for the extra helicopters comes from an agreement penned in December 2023, with the German Army receiving the bulk of the platforms.
-
![Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace collaborate on British Army ACP bid]()
Anduril UK and GKN Aerospace collaborate on British Army ACP bid
The pair will submit their demonstrator concept for Project Nyx, a development project for the British Army’s Land Autonomous Collaborative Platform.
-
![US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress]()
US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress
The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is designed to overcome the issue of unique integration methods between lethal payloads and drones as well as avoiding problematic acquisition conditions created by vendor lock.
-
![Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test]()
Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test
The investment includes new contracts for six MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, as well as provisional funds to invest in the development of a Block 3 prototype.
-
![US approves potential $4.7 billion missile and air defence system sales to Denmark and Italy]()
US approves potential $4.7 billion missile and air defence system sales to Denmark and Italy
Italy could field the JASSM-ER for its combat aircraft including the F-35, while Denmark has been approved for AMRAAM and an Integrated Battle Command system procurement.
-
![Northrop Grumman to fly new Project Talon CCA by late 2026]()
Northrop Grumman to fly new Project Talon CCA by late 2026
The newly unveiled collaborative combat aircraft looks to strike a balance between capability and cost-effectiveness, according to the company.
