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Russia deploys strategic bombers near Alaska,

Russia deploys strategic bombers near Alaska

By Martin Nesirky

MOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday it had deployed nuclear-capable "Bear" bombers to bases opposite Alaska for training that may include probing flights towards North America now fuel is available again.

The Pentagon said on Thursday it expected the planes to test air defences soon by flying up through the Bering Straits and close to Alaska. It would closely monitor the flights, common during the Cold War but rare since.

"Yes, they have arrived there, they are there," a Russian Defence Ministry spokesman said by telephone, referring to the Bears. "But this is planned training."

Washington declined to say whether it had moved in air defence planes but Canada said on Friday it had deployed three CF-18 fighter jets to a base in the northwestern Arctic on Wednesday to counter possible probing Russian flights.

The propeller-driven Tu-95 bombers were first used in the 1950s but have been modified down the years and are still a vital part of Russia's nuclear "triad" that deploys atomic weapons on land, in submarines and aboard aircraft.

The ministry's daily newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, said the air force would be introducing "new elements" into its training, including preparing for when new cruise missiles are introduced.

December 1 is the start of the training year in the armed forces, a year in which cuts will start to bite as the Kremlin tries to create a slimmer but more effective military machine.

The AVN military news agency said one theme of training would be dealing with the hypothetical use of nuclear weapons.

Russian military officials have made clear the country is in no position to fight a large-scale conventional war. The latest military doctrine reserves the right of a nuclear first strike.

Moscow has also said strategic aircraft would be an inexpensive and available response to a U.S. anti-missile shield, if it is deployed.

RUSSIAN BEARS AWAKEN

The ministry spokesman confirmed five planes were temporarily operating out of Anadyr and Tiksi in Russia's bleak and remote far northeast. Interfax news agency reported two more were deployed at Vorkuta in Russia's Arctic northwest.

Asked whether the lumbering strategic bombers in the far east would test U.S. defences, the spokesman said: "I can't say anything about Alaska but there will obviously be flights in that direction."

"They will decide on the spot whether to fly towards Alaska or not. It will be decided by the pilots," he added.

The Russian air force's press service declined to comment, saying it was not allowed to speak to foreign correspondents.

"They represent no threat whatsoever to the American continent," AVN quoted an air force official as saying.

The Tu-95 bombers regularly flew toward Alaska -- and Britain -- during the Cold War to see how quickly the West could deploy fighters to respond. The plane is known as the "Bear" in NATO parlance and can carry bombs or cruise missiles.

The practice of regularly testing defences tailed off in the 1990s, partly because of better relations and partly because of fuel shortages in the cash-starved armed forces. The first such flights in a decade were last year, and the air force said it was putting renewed emphasis on long-range strategic aviation.

Moscow recently made much of an incident in which Russian reconnaissance planes buzzed the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, but the U.S. Navy denies it was caught off-guard.

AVN quoted a senior commander as saying new Tu-95 crews were now being trained in unfamiliar surroundings. In recent years, Russian strategic crews have rarely had more than a dozen flying hours a year compared with many times that for NATO pilots.

"One of the reasons for resuming flights from these bases is that fuel supplies have been resumed," AVN said. "Long-range aviation commanders are taking advantage of this."

(Additional reporting by Robert Eksuzyan)

11:14 12-01-00

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Canada deploys fighters to counter Russian flights

OTTAWA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Canada said on Friday it had deployed three fighter jets to one of its Arctic air bases to counter possible probing flights by Russian bombers into North American airspace.

Foreign ministry spokesman Carl Schwenger said the three CF-18 jets had flown to Inuvik in the far north-west of Canada on Wednesday after Russia deployed five nuclear-capable "Bear" bombers to bases opposite Alaska.

Canada and the United States are both members of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), set up after World War Two to protect the continent's air space.

"Both Russia and NORAD exercise their capability to operate in the North from time to time. When one country undertakes such exercises it's not uncommon for the other to deploy to a forward operating location," said Schwenger.

"Whether or not there is an incursion into our airspace is irrelevant. NORAD's mandate is to undertake this kind of deployment at regular intervals," he added.

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday it had deployed five nuclear-capable "Bear" bombers to bases opposite Alaska for training that might include probing flights toward U.S. territory now that fuel was available.

The Tu-95 bombers regularly flew toward Alaska -- and Britain -- during the Cold War to see how quickly the West could deploy fighters to respond.

"NORAD is very much like a fire brigade -- it must be prepared to fight fires at any time. Its job is to protect air sovereignty over North America," said Schwenger.

10:40 12-01-00

Sat Dec 2