Russian aircraft flew close to aircraft carrier, US dispatched 2 fighter jets to respond?

A video circulating on social media shows a Russian Navy Il-38N patrol aircraft flying very close to the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson at low altitude, according to Theaviationist.com on March 28.

Also according to the website Theaviationist.com , the above video shows that while the Il-38N flew close to the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter and an F-35C stealth fighter, both from the aircraft carrier, flew to "escort" the Russian plane.

Russian aircraft "escorted" by US F-35s fly close to aircraft carrier Carl Vinson

The video was first posted on Instagram by @ryans_warbirds, and quickly went viral and was shared on social media platforms X/Twitter and Bluesky. It appears that the Instagram user who posted the video was serving on the USS Carl Vinson, although it is unclear whether he or she filmed the video himself, according to Theaviationist.com.

There is currently no information about the reaction of the US or Russia to the above video.

Images from a video posted on social media appear to show an F-35C (left) and an F/A-18 (right) flying "escort" to an Il-38N (center) as the Russian plane flies very close to the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.

Photo: Captured from video posted by Theaviationist.com

Despite being en route to the US Central Command area of ​​responsibility, the Vinson carrier strike group has spent the past several weeks operating in the Pacific Ocean near Japan, a common area of ​​operations for Russian intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, which are frequently intercepted by Japanese fighters, according to Theaviationist.com .

The Vinson Carrier Strike Group arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan in early March and is now in port in Guam. The USS Nimitz, which departed on March 21 for its final deployment before decommissioning, will take over the USS Carl Vinson’s position in Asia.

A Russian Il-38N aircraft in the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula in 2023, and the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson

Photo: Japan Air Self-Defense Force/US Navy

In the Instagram comments, the person who posted the video claimed that Russian aircraft had been circling the US aircraft carrier “all week,” according to Theaviationist.com . Carrier strike groups are a great opportunity to conduct intelligence-gathering missions, so it’s no surprise to hear about this activity.

A Russian-language post on the messaging app Telegram on March 18 appeared to reference the same event, saying that an Il-38 belonging to the Russian Pacific Fleet was conducting combat training in the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, according to Theaviationist.com .

The Il-38N is an upgraded version of the Ilyushin Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft that entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1967. In terms of role and age, the Il-38 is roughly equivalent to the US Lockheed P-3 Orion.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/may-bay-nga-bay-sat-tau-san-bay-my-dieu-dong-2-chien-dau-co-doi-pho-185250329150356145.htm