Russian strategic bombers resume Cold War sorties

August 9, 2007
Russian strategic bombers resume Cold War sorties

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's strategic bombers have resumed their Cold War practice of flying long-haul missions to areas patrolled by NATO and the United States, a Russian general said on Thursday.

A Russian bomber flew on Wednesday over a U.S. military base on the Pacific island of Guam and "exchanged smiles" with U.S. pilots scrambled to track it, said Major-General Pavel Androsov, head of long-range aviation in the Russian air force.

Russia is growing more assertive on the international stage and has been trying to project its military power far beyond its borders. Its navy said this week it wanted to revive its Soviet-era presence in the Mediterranean Sea.