The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) scrambled fighter jets to intercept two Russian Air Force nuclear-capable Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers on February 20, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced in a statement.

The two bombers, escorted by Sukhoi Su-35S (Flanker-E+) multirole fighter jets, flew down the entirety of Japan’s East coast hurtling close to U.S. and Japanese military bases including Misawa Air Base, Yokosuka Naval Base and Atsugi Air Base. The Russian bombers were shadowed by F-2, F-4, and F-15 JASDF fighter jets. According to the Japanese MoD, Japanese airspace was not trespassed.

“The flight lasted more than 15 hours. During the flight, the crew members, namely the commander, commander assistant, flight navigators, onboard signal operator and flight engineer, complied with their commitments strictly,” Tu-95MS aircraft commander Major Ilya Smirnov told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper last week. “Common success and the fulfillment of a common mission depend on how well each crew member performs their duties,” he added….More Here