Royal Air Force Intercepts Russian Bomber Over North Sea

Royal Air Force fighter aircraft were launched from Scotland following the detection of a Russian military plane operating near UK airspace. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported that two Typhoon jets, originating from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, observed a Russian Bear-F bomber on Thursday as it traversed the North Sea. While the Russian reconnaissance aircraft was identified within the United Kingdom’s “area of interest,” the MoD confirmed that it did not penetrate UK sovereign airspace at any point. This type of event, referred to as a quick reaction alert, occurs regularly and entails RAF personnel tracking Russian military planes in proximity to UK airspace. This recent deployment of Typhoon jets follows the Royal Navy’s monitoring of Russian military ships that transited the English Channel during the preceding week. This marks the second instance in a three-month period where both the Royal Navy and the RAF have identified Russian vessels and aircraft within a seven-day span. HMS Iron Duke, alongside the tanker RFA Tideforce, tracked three Russian ships, spearheaded by the recently commissioned frigate Admiral Golovko. The Golovko sailed with the oceanographic research vessel Yantar and the auxiliary tanker Vyazma. The Norwegian Navy had previously monitored all three vessels before British forces assumed surveillance. The Iron Duke maintained surveillance of the vessels as they proceeded back through the Channel and into the North Sea, prior to transferring tracking duties to a Dutch warship. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard commented: “Our adversaries should be in no doubt of our steadfast determination and formidable ability to protect the UK.” “The Royal Navy and RAF have once again shown they stand ready to defend our country at a moment’s notice and I pay tribute to the professionalism and bravery of those involved in these latest operations.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.