Two Royal Air Force Typhoons intercepted two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers in a “UK area of interest” on Wednesday. The RAF jets scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as the Russian bombers entered an area of interest, but the bombers did not enter UK airspace, an? RAF spokesperson told The Independent. The fighters escorted the bombers away from Russian airspace south across the North Sea. Russian bombers have routinely tested the response times of western countries, including across Europe, near Alaska, and in the Pacific.
The Air Force is upgrading some 70 MQ-9 Reapers to a new configuration that will keep the type capable and relevant to the near-peer fight for another 15 years. It awarded General Atomics a $272.3 million contract to enhance the Reaper's weapons, electric power. connectivity and resistance to jamming, among…