November 15, 2009 - BRITISH passenger jets are being endangered by long-range Russian bombers flying secret monthly missions around UK skies, the Government has warned. The Ministry of Defence fears a catastrophic collision between civilian airliners and Russian “Bear” bombers, which have been heading towards Britain without notifying air traffic controllers.
The escalating risk is so serious that RAF fighters have been scrambled 10 times this year, and on 16 further occasions since 2007.
On each one, Tornado and Typhoon pilots made contact with Russian counterparts as civilian jets prepared emergency diversions to standard flight paths.
The ageing Russian Tupolev-95 bombers are believed to take off from bases near Archangel in Russia then fly at 25,000ft over the North Sea and travel as far as Hull and Lowestoft, testing and tracking British defence echanisms.
In a report last week, the Government agreed with the findings of backbench MPs who said Russia’s cat and mouse actions “risk leading to serious accidents” in “some of the busiest air routes in the world”.
Yet despite demands by the Commons Defence Committee for the Government to take a “more robust” approach with Russia, the Sunday Express has discovered that not one representation has been made to Moscow on the issue.
Last night, MP Bernard Jenkin, a Tory member of the defence committee, said he was “astonished” by the Government inaction.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association voiced its own concerns, calling for immediate assurances from Russia that it would start complying with international regulations.
However, defiant Russian officials said they would continue their hard line approach.
The escalating risk is so serious that RAF fighters have been scrambled 10 times this year, and on 16 further occasions since 2007.
On each one, Tornado and Typhoon pilots made contact with Russian counterparts as civilian jets prepared emergency diversions to standard flight paths.
The ageing Russian Tupolev-95 bombers are believed to take off from bases near Archangel in Russia then fly at 25,000ft over the North Sea and travel as far as Hull and Lowestoft, testing and tracking British defence echanisms.
In a report last week, the Government agreed with the findings of backbench MPs who said Russia’s cat and mouse actions “risk leading to serious accidents” in “some of the busiest air routes in the world”.
Yet despite demands by the Commons Defence Committee for the Government to take a “more robust” approach with Russia, the Sunday Express has discovered that not one representation has been made to Moscow on the issue.
Last night, MP Bernard Jenkin, a Tory member of the defence committee, said he was “astonished” by the Government inaction.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association voiced its own concerns, calling for immediate assurances from Russia that it would start complying with international regulations.
However, defiant Russian officials said they would continue their hard line approach.
