NATO scrambles fighter jets to intercept Russian aircraft

NATO fighter jets intercepted Russian aircraft in 2021 (Photo: NATO)

Reuters reported on February 3 that NATO officials said that the alliance's fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian Tu-142 patrol aircraft in the North Atlantic Ocean.

"The Russian aircraft did not fly in accordance with international aviation safety regulations. That could have posed a danger to other aircraft in the area," NATO Air Command said in a statement.

According to NATO, the incident took place on April 30. British and Norwegian fighter jets were alerted after radar detected the presence of Russian aircraft in the area.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the above information.

Previously, on April 26, German and British fighter jets were ordered to take off to identify and intercept two Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets and one Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft in the Baltic Sea area.

Currently, the British and German Air Forces are carrying out NATO air patrol missions in the Baltic region, including deploying fighter jets stationed in countries in the region and being ready to mobilize forces to monitor aircraft operating near the airspace of alliance countries.

Russian military aircraft frequently fly back and forth between mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad exclave, meaning similar encounters between Russian aircraft and NATO aircraft in the region are quite common.

The recent series of confrontations between Russian and Western warplanes has raised concerns as it comes amid heightened tensions between the two sides following the collision between a Russian warplane and a US UAV over the Black Sea.

In a statement released on March 14, General James B. Hecker, Commander of US Air Forces in Europe and Africa, confirmed that an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the US crashed into the Black Sea after colliding with a Russian Su-27 fighter jet.

"At approximately 7:03 a.m. this morning, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with the propeller of an MQ-9 UAV, forcing the US forces to land the aircraft in international waters in the Black Sea. Several times before the collision, the Russian Su-27 fighters dumped fuel and flew in front of the MQ-9 UAV in a careless, inappropriate, and unprofessional manner," said General Hecker.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nato-xuat-kich-may-bay-chien-dau-chan-may-bay-nga-20230503135913363.htm