A
AALARD
Guest
Russian bombers approached Canada
OTTAWA, A Russian diplomat says two Russian bombers that came close to Canadian air space near Labrador were on a training exercise.
The official at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa said the bombers did not cross the line, adding "there is no problem here," The Globe and Mail reported.
NORAD detected the Russian planes Wednesday, identifying them as TU-95 long-range bombers, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. Two CF-18 fighter jets, scrambled from a base in Quebec, shadowed the bombers for more than 50 miles until they left the "buffer zone" that borders Canadian airspace.
When the news broke Friday, members of the Conservative government argued it shows the need to upgrade Canada's force of fighter jets. The government plans to purchase Lockheed-Martin F-35s.
"The Russians have been doing these incursions routinely ... to see if we are doing our homework," said Marc Garneau, a former flier and astronaut who is now a Liberal member of Parliament. "What I find surprising is that the Conservatives are jumping all over this. I think it's part of their plan to bring attention to their purchase of F-35s."
OTTAWA, A Russian diplomat says two Russian bombers that came close to Canadian air space near Labrador were on a training exercise.
The official at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa said the bombers did not cross the line, adding "there is no problem here," The Globe and Mail reported.
NORAD detected the Russian planes Wednesday, identifying them as TU-95 long-range bombers, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. Two CF-18 fighter jets, scrambled from a base in Quebec, shadowed the bombers for more than 50 miles until they left the "buffer zone" that borders Canadian airspace.
When the news broke Friday, members of the Conservative government argued it shows the need to upgrade Canada's force of fighter jets. The government plans to purchase Lockheed-Martin F-35s.
"The Russians have been doing these incursions routinely ... to see if we are doing our homework," said Marc Garneau, a former flier and astronaut who is now a Liberal member of Parliament. "What I find surprising is that the Conservatives are jumping all over this. I think it's part of their plan to bring attention to their purchase of F-35s."
