Zarvan
ELITE MEMBER
- Apr 28, 2011
- 54,493
- 87
- Country
- Location
Business Insider
The German Air Force Just Intercepted Seven Russian Jets Over The Baltic Sea
Two Typhoon jets flying in formation
NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission is quite busy these days.
According to the Latvian military, on Oct. 28, German Air Force Eurofighter jets on Quick Reaction Alert at Šiauliai, Lithuania, were scrambled to intercept seven Russian Air Force planes flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
The German interceptors identified the Russian jet as a large package consisting of attack planes and escort, which included two MiG-31 Foxhounds, two Su-34 Fullbacks, one Su-27 Flanker and two Su-24 Fencer jets.
Regardless of whether the Russian aircraft were involved in one of the frequent training missions in the Baltics or were traveling to or from the Russian airfield in the Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea, the package on Oct. 28 represents one of the largest “formations” intercepted by NATO fighter planes within the past couple of years.
Usually, close encounters involve Russian, Swedish or US spy planes being intercepted before or just after violating sovereign airspaces. Sometimes, scrambles are required to greet Moscow’s Tu-22 or Tu-95 bombers on long-range training patrols or strike packages involved in (alleged) simulated air strikes on one of a northern European state (usually, Sweden).
In any case, Russian Air Force missions in the Baltic area have surged to such an extent that the NATO presence has quadrupled in the last year: from one nation providing four aircraft on Quick Reaction Alert at one base in Lithuania, to four nations (currently Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Canada) at two airbases.
This article originally appeared at The Aviationist. Copyright 2014. Follow The Aviationist on Twitter.
German NATO Jets Intercepted Seven Russian Jets - Business Insider
The German Air Force Just Intercepted Seven Russian Jets Over The Baltic Sea
Two Typhoon jets flying in formation
NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission is quite busy these days.
According to the Latvian military, on Oct. 28, German Air Force Eurofighter jets on Quick Reaction Alert at Šiauliai, Lithuania, were scrambled to intercept seven Russian Air Force planes flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
The German interceptors identified the Russian jet as a large package consisting of attack planes and escort, which included two MiG-31 Foxhounds, two Su-34 Fullbacks, one Su-27 Flanker and two Su-24 Fencer jets.
Regardless of whether the Russian aircraft were involved in one of the frequent training missions in the Baltics or were traveling to or from the Russian airfield in the Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea, the package on Oct. 28 represents one of the largest “formations” intercepted by NATO fighter planes within the past couple of years.
Usually, close encounters involve Russian, Swedish or US spy planes being intercepted before or just after violating sovereign airspaces. Sometimes, scrambles are required to greet Moscow’s Tu-22 or Tu-95 bombers on long-range training patrols or strike packages involved in (alleged) simulated air strikes on one of a northern European state (usually, Sweden).
In any case, Russian Air Force missions in the Baltic area have surged to such an extent that the NATO presence has quadrupled in the last year: from one nation providing four aircraft on Quick Reaction Alert at one base in Lithuania, to four nations (currently Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Canada) at two airbases.
This article originally appeared at The Aviationist. Copyright 2014. Follow The Aviationist on Twitter.
German NATO Jets Intercepted Seven Russian Jets - Business Insider
Last edited:
