RAF Typhoons intercept two Russian bombers north of Scotland
- BREAKING: More to follow
Britain said its Typhoon fighter jets intercepted two Russian maritime patrol bomber aircraft in international airspace north of Scotland on Monday, within NATO’s northern air policing area.
The fighter jets scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray to monitor the flight path of the Russian Tu-142 Bear-F and Tu-142 Bear-J aircraft.
These Russian aircraft are packed with an array of communications and reconnaissance equipment that makes them highly adept at monitoring submarine activity.
‘Pilots launched in their Typhoon jets to intercept two Russian long-range bombers this morning, monitoring them as they passed north of the Shetland Islands, ready to counter any potential threat to UK territory,’ British armed forces minister James Heappey said.
The lead RAF Typhoon pilot added: ‘It’s really satisfying to know we’ve been able to make a successful intercept, maintaining the integrity of UK and NATO airspace.
‘When the alarm for a scramble happened in the early hours of the morning, the adrenaline kicked in. Working in tandem with ground control operators, and with air-to-air refuelling from an RAF Voyager, we were able to stay on task until the mission was complete, and the target aircraft departed the UK’s area of interest.’
It’s the latest incidence of Russian military aircraft flying close to British airspace, with the RAF’s top fighter pilots having intercepted Russian warplanes more than 50 times in just four months.
Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of an RAF Typhoon monitoring a Russian Tupolev Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft
Russian Tupolev Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft
RAF Typhoon (top left) tracks a Russian Tu-142. It’s the latest incidence of Russian military aircraft flying close to British airspace, with the RAF’s top fighter pilots having intercepted Russian warplanes more than 50 times in just four months
Royal Air Force Lossiemouth based Typhoon fighters were scrambled to intercept a pair of Russian military aircraft operating near UK airspace (Typhoon tracks a Russian Tu-142 Bear-F in April 2023)
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