Russian planes buzz Alaskan coast
Pastor Dale Morgan
Russian planes buzz Alaskan coast*
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW
The Russian air force held a massive exercise that involved strategic
bombers flying across the North Pole and approaching Alaska, the
Aleutian Islands and Japan, a top general said Friday.
Lt. Gen. Igor Khvorov, the commander of Russian long-range aviation,
said the exercise that began Tuesday and finished Friday had nothing to
do with heightening tensions between Russia and Georgia, Russian news
reports said.
Khvorov said the exercise involved 70 Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers,
which test-fired 18 cruise missiles, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
He said some bombers crossed the Arctic Ocean, flew over the North Pole
and also reached Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and Japan's western coast
without entering any country's airspace.
"All the aircraft involved flew over neutral waters, and none of them
came closer than 12 nautical miles (25 km) to the maritime borders of
any country," Khvorov said, according to RIA Novosti.