RAF Tornados have intercepted eight Russian bombers as they approached UK airspace.
The Bear Tupolev-95 planes - which can carry nuclear and Cruise missiles - were detected by Nato early this morning.
Typhoon intercepts Bear last month
Typhoon intercepts Bear last month
Ministry of Defence officials said four F3 fighters were scrambled from RAF Leeming in Yorkshire and RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
The Russian planes diverted before entering British territory.
They headed back to their base in north Russia without incident and are still thought to be in the air, with Nato tracking their progress.
Sky's Defence correspondent Geoff Meade said: "Diplomatic relations between Moscow and London haven't been great for some time and I think this is maybe a bit of sabre-rattling on behalf of the Russians.
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"This is the biggest formation of Russian aircraft to be challenged in this way since the Cold War and marks a stepping up of Moscow's challenge to British defences."
He described the incident - the second of its kind in a month - as a "probing mission".
Norway twice scrambled F-16 fighters to monitor the Russian planes as they neared - but did not breach - its airspace.
As well as carrying missiles, the long-range Bear planes are used for surveillance.
Last month, two of the RAF's new Typhoon Eurofighter jets were used to intercept and turn back a single Bear over the north Atlantic.
And in July, two Russian aircraft were warned off by RAF jets as they headed towards UK airspace.
In May, two Tornado F3s were scrambled from RAF Leuchars in Scotland to intercept a Tu-95 observing the Royal Navy exercise Neptune Warrior.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1283041,00.html
The Bear Tupolev-95 planes - which can carry nuclear and Cruise missiles - were detected by Nato early this morning.
Typhoon intercepts Bear last month
Typhoon intercepts Bear last month
Ministry of Defence officials said four F3 fighters were scrambled from RAF Leeming in Yorkshire and RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.
The Russian planes diverted before entering British territory.
They headed back to their base in north Russia without incident and are still thought to be in the air, with Nato tracking their progress.
Sky's Defence correspondent Geoff Meade said: "Diplomatic relations between Moscow and London haven't been great for some time and I think this is maybe a bit of sabre-rattling on behalf of the Russians.
Advertisement
"This is the biggest formation of Russian aircraft to be challenged in this way since the Cold War and marks a stepping up of Moscow's challenge to British defences."
He described the incident - the second of its kind in a month - as a "probing mission".
Norway twice scrambled F-16 fighters to monitor the Russian planes as they neared - but did not breach - its airspace.
As well as carrying missiles, the long-range Bear planes are used for surveillance.
Last month, two of the RAF's new Typhoon Eurofighter jets were used to intercept and turn back a single Bear over the north Atlantic.
And in July, two Russian aircraft were warned off by RAF jets as they headed towards UK airspace.
In May, two Tornado F3s were scrambled from RAF Leuchars in Scotland to intercept a Tu-95 observing the Royal Navy exercise Neptune Warrior.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1283041,00.html
