Canadian Jets Intercept Russian Bombers Near Canadian Airspace

(Aug. 25) -- Canadian fighter jets turned away two Russian bombers that were heading for Canadian airspace, a government spokesman said today.

Two Canadian CF-18s shadowed the Russian bombers that were detected to the north of Canada on Tuesday. The planes flew within 30 nautical miles of Canada's airspace before the Russians flew away, according to Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

This undated photo provided by the U.S. Air Force shows a Canadian Air Force F-18 Hornet jet, left, escorting a Russian TU-95 Bear heavy bomber out of Canadian airspace, according to U.S. military.

Cecilio M. Ricardo, USAF/Canadian Press

This undated photo shows a Canadian Air Force F-18 Hornet jet, left, escorting a Russian TU-95 Bear heavy bomber out of Canadian airspace, according to U.S. military. Fighter jets similar to the Canadian jet shown were scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers on Tuesday.

"Thanks to the rapid response of the Canadian Forces, at no time did the Russian aircraft enter sovereign Canadian airspace," Soudas said, according to The Associated Press.

Fighter jets from Canada and the United States have intercepted between 12 and 18 Russian bombers a year since 2007, according to The Calgary Sun.

A similar incident occurred last month when Canadian planes were scrambled to intercept Russian bombers that had entered a zone claimed by Canada but not part of the country's sovereign airspace.

The encounters heightened a debate over planned defense spending in Canada.

Last month, Defense Minister Peter MacKay said Canada will spend about $9 billion Canadian on 65 new fighter jets, Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported.

Lawmakers from the opposition Liberal Party vowed to cancel the purchase if they win control of Parliament.

Harper is on a trip this week to the Arctic region of Canada, which is a potential area of dispute between Canada and Russia because of its vast oil and mineral resources.