scrambles

adanac Sun, 10/01/2006 - 5:02am

NORAD scrambles jets to intercept Russian bombers - Admit that they're responsible for monitoring suspicious domestic aircraft

NORAD launched Canadian and American fighter jets to intercept two Russian bombers near U.S. airspace, officials said Friday.

Updated Fri. Sep. 29 2006 11:06 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

NORAD launched Canadian and American fighter jets to intercept two Russian bombers near U.S. airspace, officials said Friday.

Russian military officials had warned the United States the bombers would be conducting an exercise in the region. But as the planes crossed a 20-kilometre buffer zone around U.S. airspace, the NORAD planes moved in.

At about 6 p.m. ET Thursday, NORAD scrambled three pairs of fighter jets -- including two CF-18 jets from Cold Lake, Alta.

The American aircraft included four F-15s from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska.

"It was the Americans who found the bombers first. They came to within metres of the bombers," reported CTV's David Akin. "There was no radio contact. After a period of time, the Russians turned and went home."

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