France and Germany said their aircraft - a French Atlantic 2 maritime patrol aircraft and a German P-3C Orion - were carrying out routine flights as part of a NATO exercise and were behaving in accordance with international law.
The P-3 Orion is a four-engine propeller-driven maritime surveillance aircraft developed by the US Navy. Photo: GI
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian Su-27 fighter jet returned to base after the French and German ones left, adding that it had scrambled the plane to “prevent a violation of the Russian state border”.
"Our P-3C Orion was performing a surveillance mission over the Baltic Sea and was flying as standard and in the direction of Kaliningrad," a Russian exclave located between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, a German navy spokesman said.
"There was never any intention to enter Russian airspace, these planes always kept a safe distance. These flights were routine and we did not do anything to cause provocation."
The French armed forces ministry also confirmed the incident in a statement: "As part of a NATO exercise, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet interacted with an Atlantic 2 maritime patrol aircraft off the coast of the Baltic States today. The approach was carried out in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, in a professional and controlled manner."
On the same day, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said US fighter jets intercepted six Russian patrol aircraft operating in international airspace near Alaska.
The Russian aircraft included TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and SU-35 fighters, NORAD said in a written statement. NORAD described the intercepts as “routine” and said they occur about six or seven times a year in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.
“This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ is routine and is not considered a threat,” NORAD said in a statement. “NORAD monitors and actively identifies all military aircraft entering the ADIZ, routinely monitors aircraft movements, and escorts aircraft out of the ADIZ when necessary.”
According to the statement, the US aircraft involved in the incident included F-16 and F-22 fighter jets, KC-135 refueling aircraft and E-3 AWACS.
Huy Hoang (according to Reuters, Yahoo)
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