U.S. 5th-generation fighters shadow Russian bombers on patrol mission

[FarCenter]

MOSCOW, September 30 (RIA Novosti) -- Two Russian Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers that carried out a routine patrol flight over the Pacific Ocean were shadowed by U.S. fifth-generation fighters, an Air Force spokesman said on Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik said the bombers had spent over 15 hours in flight on Tuesday and were shadowed by two U.S. F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft that use stealth technology.

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is the only fifth-generation fighter aircraft in the world, as well as the most expensive fighter aircraft ever built.

Russian strategic bombers resumed patrol flights over the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans in August 2007, following an order from then-president Vladimir Putin, and are usually shadowed by less sophisticated NATO aircraft.

All flights by Russian aircraft are performed in strict compliance with international law on the use of airspace over neutral waters, without intruding in the airspace of other states, Drik said.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090930/156302434.html

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TU-95 Bear first flight was in 1952.

[Selatius]

1. The Russian Bear heavy bombers have become the workhorse of their bombers, like the US B-52 here.

Here, we have an older F-15 escorting a Russian Bear Tu-95.

[midnight armadillo]

2. Good thing it wasn't raining...

...since the F-22's radar-defeating skin apparently falls off in the rain.

[anonymous171]

3. 30 hours later, they could be used again. nt

[Hoopla Phil]

4. A couple of questions on this.

1) How do the Russian's know this?
2) What the Hell is Russia doing flying those bombers again and have we followed suit by re activating our 24 - 7 rotation of our strategic bombers?

[DemoTex]

5. Here are my pics of two F-22s with the tanker

Two F-22s with two tankers (tanker #2 is out of picture in trail formation). This gaggle came in from the north over my lookout tower about three weeks ago. My guess is that the F-22s had already refueled after a mission and the whole group was headed south to Nellis AFB. A higher resolution study of this photo by a fighter pilot friend confirmed the fighters as F-22s.