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.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.

