Milcom Blog Note: A HF frequency set for monitoring this event are included at the end of this post.
The Associated Press is reporting that the Russian Long Range Air Force continues to fly provocative missions near deployed US military forces.
In the AP report filed this morning it was revealed that a "U.S. military official says that one Russian Tupolev 95 buzzed the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz twice, at a low altitude of about 2,000 feet, while another bomber circled about 50 nautical miles out. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because the reports on the flights were classified as secret.
"The bombers were among four Russian Tupolev 95s launched from Ukrainka in the middle of the night, including one that Japanese officials say violated their country's airspace over an uninhabited island south of Tokyo.
"U.S. officials tracked and monitored the bombers as two flew south along the Japanese coast, and two others flew farther east, coming closer to the Nimitz and the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton.
"As the bombers got about 500 miles out from the U.S. ships, four F/A-18 fighters were launched from the Nimitz, the official said. The fighters intercepted the Russian bombers about 50 miles south of the Nimitz.
"At least two U.S. fighters trailed the bomber as it came in low over the Nimitz twice, while one or two of the other U.S. fighters followed the second bomber as it circled.
And from the Milcom archives here are past stories that have documented the military build up of late by Vladamir Putin
Russia to Resume Cold War Patrols
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/12/russia-to-resume-cold-war-navy-patrols.html
Putin Blast NATO - Increases Strategic Nuc Forces Readiness
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/11/is-cold-war-heating-up-again-more.html
Russian Long Range Bomber Missions Are Spiking Again
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/10/russian-long-range-bomber-missions.html
RAF Typhoon Intercepts Russian Bear over North Atlantic
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/08/raf-typhoon-intercepts-russian-bear.html
Russia Strategic Forces conduct 6 exercises in August
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/08/russia-strategic-forces-conduct-6.html
Russian bombers resume Cold War sorties - Update
http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/08/russian-bombers-resume-cold-war-sorties.html
And here is the latest information on monitoring the Russian Long Range Air Force Communications Network from my Milcom files:
RTTY 1000/50 on 5157.0 7018.0 9193.0 kHz
Hourly CW broadcast -- 4706.0 7044.0 11408.0 23961.0 kHz.
REA4 Moscow CW traffic -- 2721.0 2737.0 3476.0 3531.0 4179.0 4379.0 4706.0 5157.0 7018.0 7515.5 7785.5 7959.0 9193.0 kHz