Pictured: Moment RAF Typhoons turned back Russian bomber from British airspace

Jets were scrambled to escort nuclear-capable Tu-160 away from UK.

Scramble... Typhoons (bottom right) zoom towards Blackjack bomber

THIS is the moment a pair of RAF fighter jets turn back a Russian bomber heading for Britain.
The high-tech Typhoon warplanes escorted the fearsome Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack away from UK airspace yesterday.

Bomber... Russian Tu-160 Blackjack can carry nukes

The rapid response jets were scrambled after two Blackjacks  which can carry a payload of 16 nuclear warheads – were picked up on radar headed for the UK. Images from the RAF show the jets escorting the Russians away on Wednesday afternoon.

RAF Typhoons scrambled to intercept Russian bombers

 The emergency mission was launched when the Russian pilots hit the ‘area of interest’ which surrounds the UK. They stopped the Blackjacks short of British airspace, which extends 12 nautical miles from the shore.


It is not clear exactly where the planes met. The British fighters were sent out from RAF Conningsby, Lincs. “We can confirm that quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby have intercepted two Russian Blackjack bombers and escorted them while they were in the UK area of interest. At no point did the Russian aircraft enter UK territorial airspace.”

It is the latest in a string of RAF interception missions after Russian planes came too close to Britain.
Six interceptions took place in 2015, with similar numbers in the years before.
Defence experts see the missions as probes to test the RAF’s reaction times of Russia and other Nato members.