Free Republic

When someone shows up at a U.S. port of entry asking for admission and claiming to have information of interest to the United States, CBP and the Department of Homeland Security are tasked with verifying the information provided. If the information is confirmed as true and the person is deemed credible, they are then passed off to the FBI. “The deal with a walk-in is his ID has to be verified and his story checked as well — that could take some time,” explained one U.S. intelligence official. “If and only if he checks out, meaning he is who he...

The 20,000 km long flight took place from the Engels air base in southern Russia, via the Barents Sea to the central part of the Arctic Ocean, over the Northern Sea Route towards the Pacific with return over Siberia back to the airport. World record for this type of aircraft, according to the Defense Ministry. The two Tu-160 supersonic long-range bombers made three mid-air refueling from six Il-78 tanker planes during the 25 hours flight. After flying north to the Barents Sea and the central Arctic Ocean, the plane flew over the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas as...

RUSSIA has secretly installed nuclear missiles in Venezuela a US politician has sensationally claimed in a chilling echo of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Republican congressman Mario Diaz-Balart said he believes Vladimir Putin's hidden nukes are now a direct threat to the "national security" of the United States. He made his astonishing allegations hours after Venezuela was pushed to the brink of civil war when opposition leader Juan Guaido called for rival Nicolas Maduro to be ousted from office. Diaz-Balart told Fox News if Maduro stays in power it could be "an open door for the Russians and for the Chinese...

When two of Russia’s most modern, nuclear-capable bombers landed in Venezuela earlier this week, American officials quickly took note. #Russia's government has sent bombers halfway around the world to #Venezuela. The Russian and Venezuelan people should see this for what it is: two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer. pic.twitter.com/bCBGbGtaHT — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) December 11, 2018 The arrival of the Tu-160 “White Swan” strategic bombers in Caracas on Monday serves to remind the United States that Russia can still project military might into the Western hemisphere. The Tu-160 bombers were manufactured...

Vladimir Putin today vowed to create a son of Concordski - a jinxed Soviet airliner now in the scrapyard - to fly VIPs around the world. He is basing his ambitious vision of new luxury passenger high speed jet on the fearsome Tu-160 nuclear bomber which sends shivers throughout the West. The Kremlin leader wants a civilian version of the long range strategic bomber to earn roubles to support the low-flying Russian economy. The Tu-144, nicknamed Concordski and made by Tupolev, became a laughing stock in the Soviet era, and never rivalled the Anglo-French Concorde which had a successful lifespan...

Russia Is Improving the Biggest Bomber Ever New mission systems and engines Russia Is Improving the Biggest Bomber Ever WIB AIR November 14, 2017 Dave Majumdar Russia75 Tu-1603 Early next year in February, the first of Russia’s new production Tupolev Tu-160M2 Blackjack supersonic strategic bombers will take to the air. The new bomber is essentially a prototype of a next generation variant of the venerable Blackjack, the first generation of which was built during the 1980s in the last days of the Soviet Union.

Russia’s upgraded Tupolev Tu-160M2 Blackjack supersonic bomber is expected to make its first flight in 2019. Moscow currently has sixteen of the original version of the Mach 2.0-capable bomber, which are the last surviving examples of the thirty-five aircraft built by the Soviet Union before its demise. Moscow hopes to build fifty new Tu-160M2 aircraft to upgrade its aging strategic bomber force. “I believe that in 2019 this plane, upgraded and manufactured, will make its maiden flight,” Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev, commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces told the Moscow-based TASS News Agency on March 2. Russia made the decision...

Russia to replace current bombers with subsonic flying wing The Russian air force has selected a subsonic Tupolev flying wing proposal as the basis for its PAK-DA long-range bomber programme, according to command sources quoted by local media. If confirmed, the choice would end a long campaign by deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin to develop a hypersonic aircraft, which appears to have been abandoned as technically incompatible with the air force's insistence on extended-range performance and stealth characteristics. Moscow announced a competition for bomber designs during 2012. Its programme "attracted several proposals from various design bureaus, including the Tupolev flying-wing...

Two Russian Tu-160 heavy bombers recently completed a record 23 hour long, 18,000 kilometer flight around the periphery of Russia. This required two in-flight refuelings from Il-78 tankers. This feat was nothing new. Last year, a Tu-160 completed a 21 hour flight. Although designed as a heavy bomber, the Tu-160 has largely been used, in the last few years, as a long range reconnaissance aircraft. But even in that role, the Tu-160 can carry cruise missiles and other air-to-ground weapons. Two years ago, Russia received its first new Tu-160 heavy bomber since the early 1990s. Production had been revived four...

-- Russia is increasingly flexing its military muscles by penetrating Western airspace. European defense officials have been worried about an increasing number of Russian bombers entering Western airspace. A pair of Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers -- the largest jet-powered combat aircraft ever built, capable of carrying nuclear missiles -- last month entered British airspace over Northern Scotland, Deutsche Welle reports. Two Tornado fighter jets from the British air force intercepted the supersonic bombers, accompanying them for four hours until they left British airspace. Similar incidents have occurred in recent years; London has said Russian planes have penetrated British airspace more...

In the most recent reported incident, two Tu160 Blackjack bombers, capable of travelling at 2,220kmph and carrying up to almost 40,000kg of ordnance including either cruise or short-range nuclear missiles, infiltrated British airspace over Northern Scotland on March 10. In this case, the Tu160s were intercepted by two RAF Tornado F3 fighters and, after a four hour stand-off, the Russian long-range bombers eventually left the borders of UK airspace and the RAF planes returned to base. The incident over Stornaway was far from an isolated case. Defense analysts have been recording a steady increase in airspace violations by Russian military...

STORNOWAY, Scotland, March 25 (UPI) -- The Ministry of Defense said two Russian Blackjack bombers were found in the skies above Scotland and were escorted out of British airspace. The ministry confirmed the March 10 incident involved a pair of Royal Air Force Tornado F3 fighter jets, which were used to shadow the Russian bombers until they departed British airspace, The Times of London said Thursday. Wing Commander Mark Gorringe applauded the response capabilities of the military in regards to the incident.

In 2009, NORAD launched fighter aircraft on 14 occasions in response to unannounced flights of Russian Tu-95 Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers that were in international airspace, but were close enough to US and Canadian airspace to warrant a closer look, Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, NORAD boss, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday in written testimony. He said they "were not considered threats," but it is NORAD's practice to dispatch fighters to identify any unknown aircraft in such scenarios. In response to a Senator's question during the hearing, Renuart said there have also been "a couple of instances"...

Russia’s new strategic bomber will use stealth technologies and is expected to enter service in 2025-2030, the commander of Russia’s strategic aviation said on Tuesday. According to Maj. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev, the stealth technology will make "the new aircraft difficult to detect by radar, although it is impossible to make airplanes of this type completely invisible.” "However, new technologies and materials will help reduce the possibility of detection,” Zhikarev said, adding that the new airplane was expected to enter service in 2025-2030. The new strategic bomber will replace the Tu-95MC Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers, and Tu-22M3 Backfire long-range...

The number of strategic bombers performing routine patrols could be doubled if the Russian General Staff makes such a decision, the commander of Russia's strategic aviation said Tuesday. Russia resumed strategic bomber patrol flights over the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans, the Black Sea and along the borders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in August 2007, following an order from then-president Vladimir Putin. "As a rule, up to four strategic bombers perform patrol flights simultaneously. However, under specific circumstances and on orders from the General Staff, their number could be increased to up to eight aircraft," Maj. Gen. Anatoly...

Excerpt - MOSCOW. Sept 16 (Interfax-AVN) - Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers have patrolled the eastern coast of South America, aide to Russian Air Force commander Col. Lieut. Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN. "The aircraft took off from the Libertador military airfield in Venezuela at 4.30 p.m. Moscow time [on September 15]. They flew over neutral waters along the eastern coast of South America in the direction of Brazil. They landed at an airfield in Venezuela at 10 p.m.," Drik said. The Alexander Molodchy and Vasily Senko bombers were in air for about six hours. The crewmembers practiced synchronization and...

The Soviet glory days are back at this nuclear bomber base in southern Russia: the US is none too popular and the crews say they are ready to fly anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. "It's like the good old days," Oleg Mikhailishchin, a pilot in camouflage uniform, told reporters during a rare visit by foreign media to the Engels base last month, before the war with Georgia further raised tensions with the West. More than 20 Tu-160 and Tu-95 bombers could be seen on the runway near the Volga River at this once top-secret base, where the...

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez says two Russian bombers have arrived in the country to carry out training flights. The Russian Air Force said the bombers would be based in Venezuela for several days and fly over neutral waters. Earlier this week Russia confirmed that it would send a Navy squadron and long- range patrol planes for joint exercises with Venezuela in November. Mr Chavez has developed close relations with Moscow, including the purchase of Russian arms and co-operation on oil. Hugo Chavez announced that two Tu-160 bombers would carry out manoeuvres, saying that it was part of a move towards...

Russian strategic bombers in Venezuela for 'training': Chavez CARACAS (AFP) — Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers were in Venezuela on Wednesday for "training flights," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said, adding he would be piloting one of the aircraft. "I hope that stings, 'pitiyanquis'," he said, using a derogatory term for Venezuelan opponents who have perceived US sympathies. "What's more, I'm going to take the controls of one of these monsters," boasted the president, a former paratrooper and left-wing politician who has avowed antagonism towards the United States. "It's been a while since these planes have been around these parts, and...

Russia to Revive Serial Production of Strategic Tu-160 Bombers Given that strategic Tu-160 bombers have resumed their regular patrol, Russia will probably have to revive their full-scale serial production at Kazan Aircraft Production Association, Interfax-AVN reported. “In Kazan, there are the planes [Tu-160], which construction hasn’t been completed. One of them is to be handed over to Air Force this year, the next one – presumably in a year. Afterwards, of course, we have to resume all production cycle and revive all cooperation releasing component parts,” said Tu-160 Chief Designer Valentin Bliznyuk. “Then it will be really good support to...