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http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/02/27/arctic-russia.html
Canadian fighter jets were scrambling to intercept a Russian plane approaching Canadian airspace shortly before U.S. President Barack Obama visited Ottawa, the defence minister said Friday.
Peter MacKay said he wasn't accusing Russia of deliberately timing the flight to coincide with the visit — when Canadian security was focused in Ottawa — but he did call it a "strong coincidence."
"It was a strong coincidence which we met with … CF-18 fighter planes and world-class pilots that know their business," said MacKay.
"[The pilots] sent a strong signal they should back off and stay out of our airspace."
MacKay confirmed the incident at a news conference Friday in Ottawa with the chief of the defence staff and the commander of NORAD.
The CF-18s took off from Cold Lake, Alta., on Feb. 16 after NORAD detected the bomber headed for Canadian airspace. The aircraft never did enter North American airspace.
Obama arrived in Ottawa on Feb. 19 to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He spent six hours in the nation's capital.
Russian aircraft regularly probed into North American airspace during the Cold War and Canadian and American fighters routinely tracked the snoopers and escorted them back into international air space.
Such flights were suspended for years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but resumed in recent years as Russia pushed its claim on the Arctic and oil wealth allowed the country to spend more on its military.
MacKay said Canada has seen "increased activity" in recent years.
Last summer, then-foreign affairs minister David Emerson said Russian intrusions into Canadian air space had greatly increased.
Canadian fighter jets were scrambling to intercept a Russian plane approaching Canadian airspace shortly before U.S. President Barack Obama visited Ottawa, the defence minister said Friday.
Peter MacKay said he wasn't accusing Russia of deliberately timing the flight to coincide with the visit — when Canadian security was focused in Ottawa — but he did call it a "strong coincidence."
"It was a strong coincidence which we met with … CF-18 fighter planes and world-class pilots that know their business," said MacKay.
"[The pilots] sent a strong signal they should back off and stay out of our airspace."
MacKay confirmed the incident at a news conference Friday in Ottawa with the chief of the defence staff and the commander of NORAD.
The CF-18s took off from Cold Lake, Alta., on Feb. 16 after NORAD detected the bomber headed for Canadian airspace. The aircraft never did enter North American airspace.
Obama arrived in Ottawa on Feb. 19 to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He spent six hours in the nation's capital.
Russian aircraft regularly probed into North American airspace during the Cold War and Canadian and American fighters routinely tracked the snoopers and escorted them back into international air space.
Such flights were suspended for years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but resumed in recent years as Russia pushed its claim on the Arctic and oil wealth allowed the country to spend more on its military.
MacKay said Canada has seen "increased activity" in recent years.
Last summer, then-foreign affairs minister David Emerson said Russian intrusions into Canadian air space had greatly increased.