US and Russian Military Aircraft Engage over the Barents Sea
B-1B bombers belonging to the US Air Force were said to encounter a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet during a mission over the Barents Sea, according to the portal The Barents Observer. The Russians sent their aircraft to deter the American equipment. We explain the capabilities of these machines.
The Russians regularly conduct deterring flights – one of them took place in mid-March, when as a result of Sweden joining NATO, the Russian Federation sent a Tu-22M3 bomber and MiG-31 fighters equipped with Kinzhals over the Baltic Sea. On Sunday, March 24, a similar incident occurred, but the raising of the Russian MiG-31 was supposedly provoked by the presence of two American B-1B bombers near Russia over the Barents Sea. Previously, the US equipment had crossed Norwegian airspace.
The Barents Observer notes that the US aircraft did not cross the Russian borders, and the sent MiG-31 was to escort the bombers away from the territory of Russia. Apart from the mentioned B-1B over the Barents Sea, there were also three aerial tankers KC-135 Stratotanker, which, however, were not escorted by the Russian fighter. It is added that the incident took place during the ongoing NATO Nordic Response 2024 exercises.
Impressive bombers over the Barents Sea
The mentioned B-1B bombers are unique for two reasons. First is the fact that they are some of the loudest aircraft in the world. Equipped with four General Electric engines with a thrust of about 145,000 lb-ft in total, they generate noise reaching 140 dB.
Moreover, B-1B are machines with variable wing geometry. This means that the wings can be set at different angles during flight, allowing the aircraft to achieve high speed while minimizing fuel consumption. This is thanks to the reduced air resistance.
Generally speaking, the mentioned bombers can speed up to 1.25 Mach, or about 807 mph (about 1,299 km/h), and can operate at an altitude of 59,000 feet (about 18,000 metres). Moreover, their range is even 7,456 miles (about 12,000 km), which enables B-1B to carry weapons on intercontinental flights. Their armament is located on six nodes and in three bomb bays.
On the other hand, the MiG-31, which the Russians used to deter the American bombers, is a fighter capable of moving at a speed of 2.8 Mach, or 2,112 mph (about 3,399 km/h). Its most important feature, however, is the ability to carry one of the most advanced Russian weapons, the Ch-47M2 Kinzhal missiles, which can attack areas about 1,242 miles away (about 2,000 km) from the launch site. The Kinzhal itself moves at a speed of up to 8 Mach (about 6,090 mph or 9,800 km/h).
