The Pentagon once again announced that US Air Force aircraft “intercepted” Russian Tu-95 long-range missile-carrying bombers.
On September 1 and 11, 2018, F-22A stealth fighters flew to “intercept” two Tu-95M turboprops located in international waters near Alaska. At the same time, Russian planes did not enter the airspace of either Canada or the United States. On September 11, the bombers were accompanied by Su-35S fighters.
It would be more correct to call such meetings not interception, but escort, because The "Raptors" flew on the same course as the "Bears" at a distance, without approaching or showing any aggressive actions. Both Russian pilots and American pilots carried out their tasks - ours practiced long flights with refueling in the air and indicated their presence near the areas of responsibility of a potential enemy. The Americans practiced response time to the appearance of Russian aircraft - takeoff, approach, escort and return to the airfield, and also observed the flight of bombers and practiced aiming weapons.
Interception is a slightly different action on both sides. The interceptor pilot is tasked with finding the object, approaching it, and forcing it to either leave Russian airspace or land at an airfield on Russian territory. In extreme cases, if the violator fails to comply with the requirements, he may be shot down.
A classic example of interceptions is the actions of Su-27 fighter pilots over the Black, Barents or Baltic Seas, when planes take off to drive away all sorts of “Poseidons” and “Orions” of NATO countries from our borders. At the same time, the Pentagon calls such cases “dangerous” and “unprofessional.” But in our opinion, the appearance of Russian "sushi" near insolent US reconnaissance aircraft can only be dangerous for the American (Norwegian, Canadian, etc.) pilots themselves, because When flying out on a mission, they understand perfectly well where they are flying and for what purpose.
A clear proof of this is the actions of Senior Lieutenant Vasily Tsimbal, who took off on September 13, 1987 in his Su-27 to intercept a P-3 Orion reconnaissance aircraft.
The Norwegian plane was not just engaged in reconnaissance, it dropped sonar buoys into the channel along which Soviet submarines went to sea. Having discovered an armed Su-27 nearby, the Norwegians did not react to it and continued their work.
In order to prevent the dumping of reconnaissance equipment, Vasily Tsimbal decided to adapt to Orion’s belly, and, releasing the brake flap, began maneuvering, but did not calculate the speed of approach and touched the propellers of the Norwegian aircraft with his left fin. The propeller fragments scattered in different directions and tore through the Orion fuselage. Only after this did the Norwegian plane change course and fly towards Norway.
Su-27 was driven away by a Norwegian P-3 Orion reconnaissance aircraft
But the senior lieutenant decided to consolidate the knowledge of the reconnaissance plane crew about what Russian pilots are capable of if their “sworn friends” do not show enough respect for their “partners.” Taking a position above the “Norwegian”, Vasily Tsimbal drained some of the fuel onto the Orion cabin and only after that left for his airfield.
Did the Cymbal work professionally? Certainly! Aggressively? Naturally! But without pressure, determination and unconventional actions, it is impossible to convey to our “partners” that we cannot fly near our borders with impunity.
The speculations about the “Soviet threat”, repeated in every possible way, are necessary for the militaristic circles of Western countries to reinforce and cover up their plans for an arms race and material preparation for war. One of the activities of the Pentagon and its partners in this direction was the creation of a widely ramified system, which includes combat aircraft as active assets.
The tasks assigned to air defense aviation are formulated in the foreign military press as follows:
- destruction of single or groups of enemy aircraft invading the airspace of NATO countries;
- air cover of “dead” zones that are not protected by anti-aircraft weapons or were formed as a result of the enemy’s destruction of some missile defense positions;
- air protection of certain directions or areas of its territory.
Air defense combat aircraft
Air defense combat aircraft in the foreign press are usually called fighter-interceptors or simply interceptors. In a number of air forces of European NATO countries, conventional fighters equipped with appropriate weapons, or some modernized multi-role tactical fighters, are used to carry out air defense tasks. They are sometimes called air defense fighters. They operate, as a rule, in simple meteorological conditions.Fighter-interceptors abroad are considered to be the F-106 Delta Dart (Fig. 1), F-101 Voodoo, F-102 Delta Dagger (), F.3 and F.6 (). Fighters that are used to intercept air targets and are armed with appropriate weapons for this purpose include: F-5A (,), F-101G (,). Examples of multi-wing tactical fighters that have been modernized for air defense purposes are the -C (), F-4E 2 (USA) aircraft. They are equipped with either higher-power engines, or starting boosters, or special systems that allow you to automatically reach the target and fire weapons.
Rice. 1. A flight of F-106 interceptor fighters in flight
The difference between an interceptor fighter and a fighter, as foreign military experts previously believed, was as follows. The first one did not necessarily have to have high maneuverability characteristics. Basically, he was assigned the role of carrier of air-to-air missiles. He was required to operate in any weather conditions, day and night, reach the target without complex maneuvers and hit it mainly while catching up at the greatest possible distances from the covered object or territory.
A fighter usually destroys a target in close air combat at a relatively short distance from the covered object or group of aircraft.
However, the experience of the wars in Vietnam and also showed that air battles that began with missile launches from long distances often developed into short-range maneuvering ones. Many guided missiles did not reach the target due to restrictions on overload and the widespread use of various RPD means. Therefore, in the future, aircraft used as fighter-interceptors improved their maneuverability, on-board equipment and weapons.
In the unified NATO air defense system in Europe, control and warning centers are responsible for directing aircraft to targets.
According to foreign press reports, to expand aviation control capabilities, including guidance, the United States is developing. Aircraft equipped with this system are capable of detecting air targets long before they are registered. The aircraft crew, having identified the target, can call interceptor fighters and direct them at it.
Performing an interception
The interception flight is carried out from the “duty at the airfield (aircraft carrier)” or “duty in the air” position. An independent search for the enemy in the air can also be used.Interception from the position of “duty at the airfield” is considered the most optimal in terms of expenditure of forces and resources. It is recommended to use it when fighters manage to take off, approach the target and destroy it on the approaches to covered troops or objects (at given interception lines) even before the air enemy uses weapons.
The foreign press reported that some of the crews of NATO fighter-transmitters are on duty at airfields around the clock. They can be in 5- or 15-minute readiness for departure (for duty crews of UK fighter-interceptors, 5- and 10-minute readiness is established).
Interception from the position of “duty in the air” is that when an air enemy appears, fighters from the duty zones are sent towards him and attack him.
Duty in the air is organized in the event that fighters do not have time to intercept the enemy at a given point from the “duty at the airfield” position or for some reason it is impossible to obtain timely information about him.
Crews independently search for the enemy using onboard radar and visually. The search is usually organized in those areas and at those airspace altitudes that are not visible by ground-based radars. For orientation, the crews can be given general information about the air situation by radio: the probable location of the enemy, the nature of his actions, the number of targets, etc.
During interception, control centers direct the fighter to the target until its on-board radar is detected or captured. After this, the fighter crew attacks the target independently, taking the appropriate position and observing the missile launch range or firing from cannons.
The start of the attack depends on the target detection and acquisition range of the airborne radar (currently it ranges from 40 to 90 km), and the missile launch line is selected based on their firing ranges (for missile-launched missiles the maximum range is 15 km, and for missiles it is 25 km) .
According to foreign experts, an enemy aircraft can be attacked: from the tail, from the front, from the traverse, or on intersecting courses. The choice of attack direction depends on many factors, and primarily on the position of the target relative to the interceptor at the time of the meeting, as well as on the weapon mounted on it.
The foreign press cited the following example of a training mission performed by the crew of an F-106 aircraft to intercept an air target flying at high altitude at subsonic speed (Fig. 2)
Rice. 2. Scheme of interception (on a collision course) of an air target flying at high altitude (1 and 2 - beams of the onboard radar when viewing and locking on a target, an explanation of other designations is given in the text)
Having detected and identified the air “enemy” (Fig. 2, a), the control center transmitted commands for the fighters to take off (Fig. 2, b). The takeoff of the aircraft, armed with two Falcon AIM-4F missile launchers, took place in afterburner mode. At a speed of 350 km/h, the interceptor lifted off the runway. The afterburner was turned off at a speed of 460 km/h. Then, having reached a speed of 750 km/h, the plane began to quickly gain altitude (Fig. 2, c), increasing the speed to 950 km/h. After that, he switched to horizontal flight. The pilot established radio contact with the control center (Fig. 2, d). Next, commands to the plane were received via a telemetry line. The on-board indicator constantly displayed data (course, airspeed, altitude), which the pilot used to guide the aircraft to the “enemy” (target). At the same time, the pilot received information about it (course, speed, altitude, as well as range and azimuth).
On the cartographic indicator, the pilot saw the position of his aircraft relative to the target and determined the interception method. When the target mark was at the appropriate height and range, the pilot removed the weapon control system fuse, selected the appropriate radar viewing sector and pointed the antenna at the air “enemy” (Fig. 2.d), who was flying on a collision course at an altitude of 12,000 m (distance to it was 50 km). The attack was carried out using the “snap-up” method, which involved quickly approaching the “enemy” and then attacking him from below on a collision course. To do this, the pilot turned on the afterburner, and the plane quickly went to supersonic speed. When the target was 5° to the left of the aircraft centerline, the onboard radar captured it (Fig. 2, f). After this, the pilot contacted the control center and began to independently carry out the final stage of the attack (the aircraft can be controlled automatically or manually). Having selected the range scale “26 km” on the radar indicator screen, the pilot observed the target mark.
At a distance of approximately 22 km from the “enemy” (its superiority over the attacking aircraft was not reported in the foreign press), the interceptor began to reach the missile launch line. The direction to the target was maintained by combining the command index with the central indicator mark. The plane was put into a sharp climb. The outer range ring on the indicator screen began to narrow, and when it reached the size of the launch range ring, the missile automatically left the guides (Fig. 2, g). A signal appeared on the indicator indicating that the rocket had launched. Then the plane performed a maneuver to exit the attack (Fig. 2, h). The return of the interceptor fighter to the air base also took place according to commands from the control center.
If the air “enemy” interfered during an attack, the pilot turned on the on-board radar in the interference tracking mode and the station re-acquired the target. In this case, another rocket was automatically launched.
Approximately the same scheme for intercepting high-altitude targets, as noted in the foreign press, is also inherent in other types of interceptor fighters. Characteristic of them is take-off in afterburner mode, rapid approach to the target and a quick attack.
According to American pilots, attacking air targets using the snap-up method is the most difficult and much attention is paid to its development.
To repel a massive enemy raid, as reported in the foreign press, air defense fighters are supposed to be brought into battle in three echelons: the first - from the air duty zones (beyond the rear border of the zones affected by the first lane of missile defense fire); the second - from airfields of five-minute readiness (100-120 km from the front line); the third - from 15 minutes of readiness. In this case, the group will be guided to an air target by the leader.
Combat training
The NATO command pays great attention to increasing the combat readiness of fighter-interceptor crews. For this purpose, regular inspections of aviation units and air defense units are carried out, competitions and exercises are organized.For routine training, F-106 fighter-interceptors, for example, use the training ground at Tyndall Air Force Base (Florida). Each squadron of these aircraft conducts aerial firing there for a week every year. In addition, every day aircraft crews conduct training interceptions of targets flying at high and low altitudes using RPD systems.
The NATO command, in addition to individual pilot training, organizes annual exercises during which the tasks of air defense of troops and facilities using fighter aircraft are solved. For example, in 1974, such exercises were “Crack Force” and .
MOSCOW, November 28 – RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. Pilots of duty fighter aircraft of the Russian air defense have literally been living in the sky in recent months. NATO aircraft appear at the country's borders more and more often: more than ten times a week, according to the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, the aviation of the “Western partners” is behaving more and more boldly and assertively. However, serious incidents have so far been avoided, largely thanks to the professionalism and composure of Russian fighter pilots. Read about what air interception is according to all the rules of aviation tactics in the RIA Novosti material.
Information warfare between large states can often cast a generally routine situation in a light unfavorable for one of the parties. On Tuesday, CNN, citing sources in the Pentagon, reported that the P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the US Air Force. The crew of the fighter allegedly, for no apparent reason, “cut off” the American over the neutral waters of the Black Sea - with a sharp maneuver from right to left, he crossed the course of the Poseidon. At the same time, the R-8A was thoroughly “churned up” by the jet streams of the powerful Su-30 engines, after which the purely “peaceful” side chose not to get involved with the “bully” and went away.
As military experts and civilian analysts have repeatedly stated, the main purpose of NATO reconnaissance missions near Russian borders is to test the strength of air defense forces. How quickly they react, where they are located, what complexes they are represented by. VKS respond to each such “visit” as quickly as possible. First, other countries do not necessarily have such important information. Secondly, repelling a military aircraft defiantly heading towards the border of a sovereign state is a matter of prestige and principle. Thirdly, it is unknown what order the pilot of the potential intruder received. This means that its interception is a matter of national security. As a rule, each air operation is carried out according to a clear scenario.
“First of all, the aircraft must be escorted,” Major General, Honored Military Pilot of Russia Vladimir Popov told RIA Novosti. “The fighter on duty approaches the target and follows a parallel course with it. The main task at this stage is to identify the intruder aircraft. Next the interceptor transmits primary information to the ground: type of aircraft, nationality, tail number. Immediately after this, the fighter pilot begins to actively attract the attention of the suspicious aircraft - it is necessary to show that he is under surveillance. The pilot, continuing to move on a parallel course, makes a quick roll left and right - “flapping its wings”. On the one hand, it says: “Pay attention, I’m here!” On the other hand, it clearly demonstrates the air-to-air missiles mounted on slings under the wings.”
If the intruder does not react in any way, the fighter, maintaining the same course, increases speed and moves slightly forward in order to be guaranteed to be within the visibility range of the crew of its counterpart. When the pilot is convinced that he is being observed, he turns the control stick and makes a delicate “nod” towards the state border, hinting that it is time for the visiting guest to be honored. If the intruder does not respond, the pilot repeats all the elements in the same sequence, but from the other side of the suspicious aircraft. According to the rules of aviation etiquette, these actions are extremely correct, “gentlemanly” signals.
“In most cases, our pilots do not have contact with NATO aircraft,” Popov emphasized. “We cannot talk to the intruder pilot because we usually do not know his radio frequency. But if we do know, then, of course, we continuously bombard the airwaves with messages about "his behavior is unacceptable and we strongly recommend that he change course. In Syria, by the way, Russian and American aviation at least coordinate their actions and have a common communication channel. This allows us to avoid potential air accidents. But such cooperation today is very rare."
Impudence or breakdown
Over the past three to four years, the situation in the sky has become more tense. At NATO's initiative, many programs for interaction between Russian and Western military aviation were curtailed. If earlier representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance warned the Ministry of Defense about planned flights in countries neighboring Russia (for example, in the Baltic states), now they prefer to remain silent about them. Moreover, NATO has significantly increased the number of cross-border air operations.
“We don’t know in advance who, what and why is sniffing around our borders,” says the major general. “Maybe the plane is flying by, maybe it has a breakdown. Or maybe it’s deliberately forcing us to react so that Western politicians will later once again they stated that the “Russian bear" does not know how to behave in the air. By the way, if we take the American version of Saturday’s events on faith, then it was their Poseidon that was “rude.” If our Su-30 really “cut off” R- 8A and patted him with his jet streams, which means that the “anti-submarine man” brazenly ignored all the previous “gentlemanly” signals. And the fighter pilot had to attract the attention of the “Poseidon” in a more aggressive way. I can assume that the American side was moving at a slight angle towards ours border, so the Russian pilot could decide on such a maneuver."
If the intruder is not timid and is not frightened by turbulence, the interceptor “cuts off” him again. At the same time, he can request help from another machine. Next, two fighters take the reconnaissance aircraft in pincers and accompany it from both sides. If the intruder, even under such an escort, nevertheless crosses the border, the interceptors, with careful but unambiguous maneuvers, begin to force him to land at a Russian airfield. The second scenario is that the fighter pilot can show a “yellow card” and open fire along the intruder’s flight path from a cannon, as well as a combat or signal flare. This is both a clear threat and a last-ditch attempt to attract attention: “Where are you going?! Turn around immediately!” According to Vladimir Popov, similar situations arose regularly on the borders of the USSR in the 50s of the last century.
“I want to emphasize that today such a development of events is very rare,” said the lieutenant general. “Pilots of most countries fly politely and still do not cross the border. They provoke, yes. But they know when to stop. One more point: it is very important understand that even a military aircraft can experience a failure of radio equipment and navigation systems. And it is in distress, but is not able to give a signal. In this case, we politely “land” it with us, and then release it on its own."
Viktor Popov recalled how a Russian plane found itself in a similar situation. On September 15, 2005, a group of Su-27 fighters flew from the Siversky airfield in the Leningrad region to one of the air bases near Kaliningrad. Already on the route, the pilot of one of the cars, Major Valery Troyanov, reported loss of orientation. Having exhausted the fuel supply, the pilot ejected. It turned out that he ended up on Lithuanian territory by mistake. The fighter crashed 55 kilometers from Kaunas. During the investigation, it turned out that the causes of the accident were piloting errors, as well as a failure of the navigation system.
The pilot, fortunately, survived. A loud international scandal was avoided - it was obvious to experts that the plane crossed the border unintentionally. However, this incident provoked a scandal in Lithuania when it became clear that the “invasion” of the Russian “drying” went unnoticed by the national air defense.
Last argument
However, we must not forget that cross-border incidents in the air can end much more tragically.
“A fighter pilot has the right to open fire only if a foreign aircraft has violated airspace, has not responded to previous signals and refuses to follow the convoy,” explains Vladimir Popov. “The pilot requests ground and, if he receives the appropriate order, shoots down the target. The most striking example: on November 28, 1973, an Iranian Air Force RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft, piloted by Iranian and American pilots, invaded the airspace of the USSR through Armenia and Georgia from Turkey. In the Georgian region, our MiG-21SM fighter under the control of the captain flew out to intercept Gennady Eliseev. He had two missiles. He launched one along the flight path of the enemy aircraft as a warning. He did not turn away. Eliseev hit the second missile to kill, but it lost its target in the clouds. And the cannon jammed.
An order came from the ground to stop the enemy at any cost. It was unknown what equipment and weapons the intruder was carrying and what its purpose was. And Eliseev decided on the last argument. He rammed the enemy, hitting his plane from below. The Soviet captain was killed and the RF-4C crew ejected and were captured on the ground. Later they were exchanged for our scouts. This incident is the first aerial ramming on a supersonic aircraft in the history of aviation. Western pilots prowling along Russian borders today would do well to remember him more often.”
The Tu-95 is not just an airplane, it is the calling card of our long-range strategic aviation. This is probably the only aircraft in Russia that has passed the half-century mark and still remains in service. I was prompted to write this post by my night dream :), in which there was a Tu-95. After I woke up, I immediately went online and looked for photos of this plane. Which I am posting below, these are not just a photo of an airplane, but photographs of a Tu-95 with an escort, not a simple one, but a foreign one :).
Tu-95 is a Soviet turboprop strategic missile-carrying bomber, the fastest propeller-driven aircraft, which became one of the symbols of the Cold War.
2. Possibly the Faroe-Icelandic border, approximately 1960-1970. Reconnaissance and target designator Tu-95RTs of the 392nd ODRAP aviation of the Red Banner Northern Fleet, A/B Kipelovo, Vologda and Lightning F.6 XP 753 of the British Royal Air Force, 23 squadron, Leuchers airbase, Scotland. This aircraft was in service from 1965 to 1988. By the way, the 392nd Regiment, in particular, is known for the first dissection of the CVN 70 "Carl Vinson". Thank you very much for the information and corrections to this post. ilya_kramnik
The only turboprop bomber in the world adopted for service and mass-produced. Designed to destroy important targets behind enemy lines with cruise missiles at any time of the day and in any weather conditions. Along with the American B-52 strategic bomber, the Tu-95 is one of the few military aircraft that have been in continuous service for more than half a century.
3. The carrier-based fighter Vought F-8 Crusader and the hero of the post Tu-95. 
On July 30, 2010, a world record for a non-stop flight for aircraft of this class was set - in 43 hours, the bombers flew about 30 thousand kilometers over three oceans, refueling four times in the air
4. I didn’t find the year. Tu-95 and Grumman A-6 Intruder, let's help with the year! 
There are many modifications of this aircraft, of which I will highlight only one - the Tu-142 - an anti-submarine aircraft.
5. 1980 F-4E and Tu-95 
The development and operation of the aircraft was accompanied by significant difficulties. The cabin was poorly suited for long flights. Uncomfortable seats and a toilet - a portable tank with a toilet seat, dryness and air pollution with oil dust - all this led to premature fatigue of the crews. In the modification of the Tu-95MS, some of the shortcomings were corrected.
5. 1982 By the way, the photo shows not a Tu-95, but a Tu-16 accompanied by a Grumman A-6 Intruder carrier-based attack aircraft. 
Particular problems arose when operating the aircraft in winter. A mixture of mineral oils (MS-20 and MK-8) is poured into the oil system of NK-12 engines, which thickens at temperatures below 0 degrees so that the screws cannot be turned. Therefore, before each flight, all engines were warmed up with ground-based engine heaters (heat guns). In their absence (for example, at an operational airfield), the engines were covered with heat-insulating covers and started every few hours to warm up. A significant part of the aviation fuel was thus wasted. At the end of the 1980s, the industry began to produce a special motor oil - MH-7.5U, which allows starting NK-12 engines in frosts down to -25 degrees. Today, the production of this oil has practically been curtailed. On some of the modified Tu-95MS, an auxiliary power unit is installed in the fork, allowing air to be taken for pre-flight heating of the engines.
6. 1982 F-4S and Tu-142 
Replacing an NK-12 engine is extremely labor-intensive compared to other types of aircraft, has a lot of features, and requires certain personnel qualifications and special skills.
The plane still does not have a crew ejection system, which makes it very difficult to escape a falling plane in the event of an accident.
7. Tu-95RTs and F-106 
After the collapse of the USSR, regiments from Kazakhstan were transferred to Russia. In 1998, Ukraine began to destroy the strategic bombers it had inherited with funds allocated by the United States under the Nunn-Lugar program, but after negotiations, Ukraine transferred eight Tu-160 and three Tu-95 (and a batch of cruise missiles) to Russia in exchange for writing off part of the debt for gas purchases. Three Tu-95MS aircraft, one of which now serves as a museum exhibit, were left in Ukraine, all the rest were disposed of.
8.F/A-18 Canadian Navy and Tu-95. 
As of 2011, only 32 Tu-95MS are combat-ready. Several dozen will be upgraded to the Tu95MSM version from 2013, they will be capable of carrying Kh-101 missiles, and will serve until 2020-2025.
9. Tu-95RTs and F-14 
Between April 22 and May 3, 2007, two Russian Tu-95MS aircraft were involved in an incident that occurred during the British Army's Neptune Warrior exercise, held in the Clyde Bay of the North Sea near the Hebrides. Russian aircraft appeared in the area of the exercise (conducted in international waters), after which two British fighters were lifted from the Luachard airbase in the Scottish region of Fife. The fighters escorted the Russian planes until they left the exercise area. According to a British Air Force spokesman, this was the first such incident since the end of the Cold War.
10. 03/06/1986. The Tu-142M is accompanied by a US Navy P-3C patrol aircraft. 
In August 2007, Tu-95MS, as part of an exercise, flew near the US Navy base on the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, in July - in close proximity to the British air border over the North Sea, and on September 6, British fighters had to meet eight Russian bombers at once
11. F-14A or F-14D strategic bomber Tu-95. 
On the night of February 9-10, 2008, four Tu-95s took off from the Ukrainka airbase. Two of them flew close to Japan’s air border and one of them, according to the Japanese side, which later issued a note of protest, violated the border for three minutes. The second pair of aircraft headed towards the aircraft carrier Nimitz. When the Russian planes were about 800 km away from the ship, four F/A-18s were scrambled to intercept. At a distance of 80 km from the aircraft carrier group, American planes intercepted the Tu-95, but despite this, one of the “bears” passed over the Nimitz twice at an altitude of approximately 600 meters.
12. F-14 Tomcat and Tu-142. 
Similar incidents in international waters began to occur quite often after the resumption of regular strategic air patrol flights in August 2007. The press usually covers every such incident, and in NATO countries such incidents are considered “Cold War-style provocations.”
13.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that if the Tu-95s are still flying, they are “in good working order,” saying that “I don’t think we consider it a particular threat, but we are monitoring it, watching closely.” and I’m sure the Pentagon is watching this too.”
14.
In 2013, the modernization of the Tu-95MS to the Tu-95MSM version will begin. Electronic equipment will be replaced, while the airframe and engines will not be modified. The bombers will be equipped with a new targeting and navigation system, which will allow the use of the new X-101 strategic cruise missiles. A navigation system based on GLONASS will also appear. In total, it is planned to modernize several dozen bombers, and write off the rest. The modernization is designed to extend the life of the aircraft until 2025.
15. Let’s help with the definition again! I don't understand anything about foreign planes. I can only recognize such famous aircraft as Valkyrie, F-117, B-2 and of course Blackbird. 
16.01/09/2008. A Tu-95, accompanied by an F/A-18, flies over the aircraft carrier Nimitz. 
In the photo below: On November 29, 2007, American F-22 Raptor fighters for the first time carried out a conditional interception of Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers. Russian strategists were detected at a great distance by US radars in Alaska. One of the bears, which found itself a short distance from Alaskan airspace near the Aleutian Islands, was intercepted and escorted for several minutes by two Raptor fighters from the 3rd Tactical Airlift Wing. Presumably, the “intruder” on Thanksgiving Day was a registered Tu-95MS “Blagoveshchensk” bomber, assigned to the 326th Heavy Bomber Air Division (Ukrainian, Amur Region). Aircraft from two air regiments of this division are periodically transferred to the northern “jump” airfields of Anadyr and Tiksi for flights, as the pilots say, “around the corner.”
17. 29.11.2007. Near the Aleutian Islands. F-22A of the 3rd air wing of the US Air Force, Elmendorf air base, Alaska, and Tu-95MS of the 326th TBAD, A/B Ukrainka, Amur region. 
AiF.ru spoke about what it means to “intercept” a plane in the air and for what purpose it is carried out former aircraft commander, flight safety specialist Alexander Romanov:
— Each state has special airfields on its territory, where interceptor fighters are on duty around the clock. Typically, the crew is right in the cockpit to instantly start the engine and take off into the sky. Combat readiness - five minutes.
Having detected and identified the target, the fighter approaches it. The interceptor flies up to the intruder from the right side and attracts attention by swaying its wings (this maneuver is also interpreted by pilots as a greeting). Negotiations are being conducted with him through all communication channels in order to find out the reason for his appearance in foreign airspace or on the border with it. This could be a deliberate action (intelligence collection, provocation), or the board could simply go off course, losing its spatial position.
In any case, the Air Force's task is to stop the intruder. There is such an international flying language: if an interceptor fighter sharply crosses the course of another aircraft and goes, say, to the left, this means that its pilots must follow it.
That is, it is practically possible to force the plane to land at the desired airfield in order to find out whether the aircraft has permission to fly in a given place. Also, the fighter can “emerge” from the bottom up, indicating that the road is prohibited further. There are many such signals, about 25, and all of them are known to every pilot.
This is the essence of “intercepting” an aircraft in the air. There is no talk of any destruction of the “enemy” in the air. The interceptor fighter simply forces the intruder aircraft to adjust course (leave the protected airspace while being escorted) or land on the ground to further clarify the circumstances of the incident when air borders are violated.
— What happens if the intruder does not respond?
— If a detected aircraft continues to fly into a dangerous or restricted area, ignoring the requirements of the Air Force, then the military can open warning fire with tracer shells in front of the pilot’s cockpit. If there is no reaction here either, then they can shoot to kill.
As a rule, if the intruder is a civilian aircraft, then one fighter is enough to “intercept” it, but if we are talking about military aircraft, then several military interceptor fighters take to the skies.
Today, many military aircraft and reconnaissance aircraft fly in neutral zones and over water areas. Unfortunately, this is all part of a huge strategic (or rather, political) game. Unfortunately, there were even cases when uninvited guests interfered with the flight of civilian ships, and they had to urgently change their course, which led to injury to passengers.
