U.K. fighter jets intercepted and escorted a Russian aircraft away from a carrier strike group after it repeatedly flew close.
On Monday, a Russian Tu-142 “Bear-F” maritime patrol craft, derived from the famous Tu-95 bomber, made repeated close passes at the strike group. During these passes, it dropped several sonobuoys, a listening device used to find submarines. Repeated attempts to reach the aircraft on international frequencies went unanswered, prompting two F-35 jets to escort the plane away from the group.
The incident occurred somewhere off the coast of Norway.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense voiced outrage over the incident.
“The aircraft flew unnecessarily close to HMS Prince of Wales, dropped multiple sonobuoys nearby, and failed to respond on international safety frequencies,” it said in a post on X. “This activity was unsafe and unprofessional.”
The carrier strike group consists of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, destroyer HMS Duncan, and the replenishment tanker RFA Tidespring. It was on patrol as part of NATO’s North Atlantic coverage, and boasts 1,500 military personnel.
Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis had just visited the HMS Prince of Wales over the weekend, where he praised the work of the personnel on board.
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“We live in an increasingly dangerous and uncertain time, and it’s deployments like this, supported by allies and partners including Iceland, that improve our deterrence and defense as part of NATO,” he said.
Though the maneuver angered the United Kingdom, it isn’t an unusual development. Close fly-bys have been common practice since the Cold War, but have seen a spike since tensions have increased in recent years.
