At the beginning of the sixties, various military radars installed in the extreme north of Alaska frequently detected enormous echoes approaching from the polar horizon. For a few minutes, the operators did not know if they were seeing simple patrol flights or the beginning of something much more serious. These constant alerts ended up transforming the Arctic into one of the most monitored places on the planet. Because in the coldest and emptiest regions of the world, any air movement can have enormous meaning.
The return of strategic bombers to the Arctic. It announced the same social networks of the Russian Armed Forces along with a video so that it was clear. Russian strategic bombers Tu-95MS They had just flown over the Polar Circle armed with Kh-101 cruise missile while they were escorted by fighters and supported by tankers near NATO airspace. There is no doubt, the image recovers a scene very typical of the Cold War: large nuclear deterrence platforms patrolling for hours on Arctic routes while Western forces monitor them from a distance.
As we said, Moscow also wanted the deployment to be visible, disseminating images of the missile under the wings of the bomber and indirectly reminding that these devices can carry up to eight Kh-101 thanks to your AKU-5M systems. Although several analysts believe that the missile shown was an inert version training, the message remains evident: Russia wants to normalize the presence of armed strategic bombers near the borders of northern Europe.
A patrol designed to send a message. The mission lasted more than seven hours over the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea and included two Tu-95MS, at least one escort Su-30SM2 and a Il-78M tanker aircraft to practice in-flight refueling. The Russian Ministry of Defense published detailed images of takeoff, aerial maneuvers and the return of the bombers still armed, something unusual even for this type of operations.
Moscow insisted that everything was done over neutral waters and in accordance with international standards, although he added an important detail: during part of the route the planes were accompanied by fighters from other countries, probably NATO aircraft who followed the patrol closely. The Arctic thus once again shows signs of constant aerial surveillance between both blocks.
The Kh-101 completely changes the meaning of flight. The presence of the Kh-101 missile turns these patrols into something much more serious than a simple routine exercise. This cruise missile, widely used for Russia in Ukrainecan reach targets located at approximately 2,800 kilometers and continues to evolve with new variants equipped with penetration systems, decoys or different types of guidance.
Even if the version carried during the flight was only for testing, displaying it over the Arctic serves as a strategic demonstration towards the West. Russia makes it clear that it maintains active its ability to launch long-range attacks from polar corridors that are once again gaining enormous military importance.
An increasingly constant air pressure. Plus: These flights fit into much broader Russian military activity around Europe and the Pacific. In recent months too Tu-22M3 have been seen armed with Kh-22 or Kh-32 missiles, MiG-31 carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and Su-24 conducting raids near the Baltic airspace.
Precisely one of those episodes recently forced the Rafale fighter deployment French from Lithuania within the NATO air policing mission, together with Romanian F-16s. At the same time, the Tu-95MS themselves have continued to carry out flights of more than ten hours near Alaska and the Sea of Japan, forcing both NORAD and allied European and Asian forces to react.
The north once again resembles the Cold War. For years, the Arctic was seen above all as a strategic region for its resources and sea routes, but for some time now it seems to be becoming a priority military corridor. The Russian decision to show armed strategic bombers flying over the Polar Circle with fighter escort and resupply support conveys precisely that idea.
If you like, the Kremlin seems to assume that the military rivalry with the West will be long-lasting and that the northern routes will have a central role in any future scenario. The final image that remains is difficult to ignore: nuclear bombers, cruise missiles, Western interceptors and long-distance patrols once again cross paths over the frozen skies of the Arctic.
Image | Telegram
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