Russian Military Exercise Vostok 2014

From ITAR-TASS (http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/750222)

A strategic command and staff exercise code-named Vostok 2014 (East 2014) with about 100,000 troops participating began in the Eastern Military District on Friday, the Defence Ministry said.

“About 100,000 servicemen, up to 1,500 tanks, 120 aircraft, 5,000 pieces of weaponry, military and special hardware, and 70 ships will take part in the exercises,” it said.

Participating in the exercises will be Tupolev-22M3 bombers, Tu-95MS missile carriers, Ilyushin-78 tanker aircraft, Il-76 and An-12 transport planes, and A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft.

Mi-8, Mi-24 and Ka-52 helicopters, Su-24 bombers, S-25 attack aeroplanes, MiG-31 and Su-27 jet fighters, and the newest S-34, Su-30SM and Su-35S multirole aircraft systems will take part in the drills.

Rest of the story at http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/750222

Defense Ministry of Russian Federation explains what the Russian planes were doing near Alaska

The incident on Wednesday from the Russian Military prospective from th source below and be sure to check out the video at this link http://tvzvezda.ru/news/vstrane_i_mire/content/201409201433-wiqk.htm.

The Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation confirmed that, on Thursday, 18 September, during a sudden check combat readiness TSBs two strategic bombers Tu-95, taking off from an air base in Chukotka, worked according to plan tasks patrols over the waters of the Bering Sea and along the northern coast of Alaska.

As noted in the military establishment, "the flight of aircraft of the Air Forces of Russia carried out in strict accordance with international regulations on the use of airspace over neutral waters, without violating the borders of other states. Tu-95 was accompanied by four Russian fighter-interceptor MiG-31 aircraft and two Il-78 tanker. 

 

Earlier, in the morning on September 20, a representative of the Joint Command of the aerospace defense of North America Captain Jeff Davis said that the United States recorded a finding of a number of Russian bombers in the area near the American air defense of Alaska.

On a section of the route of flight crews in long-range aircraft for three minutes followed by one aircraft USAF F 22 Raptor.

 

US, Canadian jets intercept 8 Russian military aircraft near Alaska

According to numerous press reports received here at the Milcom MP overnight, two F-22 fighter jets intercepted six Russian military airplanes that neared the western coast of Alaska on Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Michael Jazdyk, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said the U.S. jets intercepted the planes about 55 nautical miles from the Alaskan coast at about 7 p.m. Pacific time Wednesday evening.

The Russian planes were identified as two IL-78 refueling tankers, two Mig-31 fighter jets and two Bear long-range bombers. They looped south and returned to their base in Russia after the U.S. jets were scrambled (see related material below on the Vostok 2014 Russian military exercise).

At about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets intercepted two of the long-range bombers about 40 nautical miles off the Canadian coastline in the Beaufort Sea.

In both cases, the Russian planes entered the Air Defense Identification Zone, which extends about 200 miles from the coastline. They did not enter sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada.

In the past five years, jets under NORAD's command have intercepted more than 50 Russian bombers approaching North American airspace from our friends the Russian military.

And what is all this provocative military activity all about?

The Russians are conducting a major strategic exercise known as Vostok-2014
http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=11986294@egNews

Crews Russian Air Force will participate in the exercises "Vostok-2014"

Air Force crews will actively participate in a large-scale strategic command post exercise "Vostok-2014" on the territory of the Eastern Military District. Russian Air Force will perform a set of tasks on a comprehensive aviation security interspecific groups of the Eastern Military District, reported the press service of the Office of Information and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

As reported by the Defense Department, the Air Force crews of the Russian Federation will fulfill the task relocation spare and operational airfields, cover troop columns on the routes moving troops, combat duty on defense, landing equipment and personnel, aerial reconnaissance, as well as the application of air strikes on ground and sea targets, simulating weapons and military equipment imaginary enemy.

The exercise will involve strategic bombers Tu-95MS missile, long-range bombers Tu-22M3 aircraft tanker Il-78 military transport aircraft Il-76 and An-12 aircraft airborne early warning

Direct participation in air support of troops in landfills TSB will provide Army Aviation helicopters Mi-8, Mi-24 and Ka-52, Sukhoi Su-24, Su-25, MiG-31 and Su-27, and the latest multi-function aviation systems of the Su-34, Su-30cm and Su-35s.

Recall exercises "Vostok-2014" will be held September 19-25, more than 20 land, sea and air ranges of the Eastern Military District, in the five regions of the Russian Federation from Anadyr to Vladivostok.

The exercise will involve about 100 thousand. Troops to 1.5 thousand. Tanks, and 120 aircraft, up to 5 thousand. Pieces of weapons, military and special equipment and up to 70 ships.

Obviously this was great timing on Putin's part since the Ukrainian President was in Washington addressing a joint session of Congress. But the tensions aren't over yet. As one military blogger posted, "can't wait for the general freakout in a few weeks when the exercise climaxes in a multiple ICBM/SLBM launch serial."

Here is some recent Russian Bear H Net activity reported via the UDXF group (Tom Hill and et al)

8162.0 kHz Tu-95MS Bear H net in CW (W Markers)
8895.0 kHz Tu-95MS Bear H net in CW (W/R Markers)
8033.0 kHz USB Comms
9027.0 kHz Aircraft  CW
5312.0 kHz Ground CW
5835.0 kHz Ground CW

Watch this blog for future updates and additional frequency info to monitor this tense political/military situation.