The Bear leaves hibernation

First the growling...

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, plans to revive Russia's military power and restore its role as the world's leading producer of military aircraft.

Speaking on Tuesday at the opening of the biggest air show in Russia's post-Soviet history, Mr Putin said he was determined to make aircraft manufacture a national priority after decades of lagging behind the west.

The remarks follow his decision last week to resume long-range missions by bomber aircraft capable of hitting the US with nuclear weapons. Patrols over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic began last week for the first time since 1992.

Presidential aides hinted yesterday that Russia could soon resume the production of Tu-160 and Tu-95 nuclear bombers, now that the aircraft are again flying "combat missions."

Then the prowling...

Typhoon interceptors shadowed a Russian Tupolev-95 "Bear" reconnaissance aircraft last Friday.

It is the first time the £60m Eurofighter has been scrambled on a genuine alert since it took over defence of Britain's airspace in June.

The MoD said in a statement: "RAF Typhoons from Numbers 3(F) and XI Squadrons launched to shadow a Russian Bear-H aircraft over the North Atlantic Ocean on Friday 17 August 2007."

That didn't take long, now did it? Plenty of people from my generation have jokingly pined for the "stability and predictability" of the old Cold War. Maybe it's back. Oh, wait...we didn't finish that whole WWIII with Islamic Terrorism thing yet. Can the world handle two geopolitical paradigms at once? Probably not very well...