Russia is back at it again...

In the early hours of Saturday morning the Russians launched four Tupolev 95 bombers - armed with an array of missiles - from the military base in Ukrainka.

From the very start the four planes were monitored by the Nimitz battle group.

While two of the bombers flew south along the Japanese coast, violating Japanese air space, the other two headed straight for the Nimitz.

As the two bombers got about 500 miles out from the US ships, four F-18 fighters were launched from the Nimitz to intercept them.

While the exact number of fighters aboard the aircraft carrier is a classified secret, it usually carries at least thirty.

The fighters met and intercepted the two bombers about 50 miles south of the Nimitz.

One of the bombers began to circle and moved no closer but to the surprise of the fighter pilots the other Russian bomber ignored the warning presence of the F-18s and continued on course for the aircraft carrier.

With two of the fighters close on its tail - and able to blow it out of the air at a moment's notice - the bomber flew to within sight of the Nimitz when it dropped to about 2,000 feet and flew almost directly over it and then turned and buzzed the aircraft carrier for a second time.

Military analysts said the act was a deliberate provocation and an obvious warning from Moscow that relations with the US were on the verge of slipping back to Cold War status.