RAF Typhoon jets intercept Russian bombers flying north of Scotland
RAF Typhoon jets intercepted Russian bombers flying north of Scotland within the early hours of Monday morning, the UK authorities has stated.
Typhoon fighters have been scrambled to intercept two Russian long-range maritime patrol bombers as they transited close to the Shetland Islands inside NATO’s northern air policing space, the federal government added.
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The UK fast response alert (QRA) jets have been launched from RAF Lossiemouth in northeast Scotland and the 2 Russian bombers have been monitored in worldwide airspace as they flew north of the UK.
A Voyager refuelling tanker was additionally launched and remained airborne at some point of the mission – not specified by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) – to supply air-to-air refuelling to the Typhoon fighters if wanted.
An RAF Typhoon and a refuelling aircraft. Pic: MoD
Minister for the armed forces, James Heappey, stated: “RAF crews at Lossiemouth maintain a constant watch over UK airspace and are always ready to take action at a moment’s notice to keep our country safe.
“Pilots launched of their Typhoon jets to intercept two Russian long-range bombers this morning, monitoring them as they handed north of the Shetland Islands, able to counter any potential menace to UK territory.”
An RAF Typhoon and a Russian Tupolev Tu-142. Pic: MoD
The lead RAF Typhoon pilot, who was not named by the MoD, added: “It’s actually satisfying to know we have been in a position to make a profitable intercept, sustaining 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.”
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UK pilots from RAF Lossiemouth not too long ago accomplished a four-month deployment to steer NATO’s air policing mission in Estonia the place they intercepted 50 Russian plane and flew for a mixed whole of greater than 500 hours.
This will not be the primary time RAF fast response aircrafts have intercepted Russian jets close to UK airspace – a Russian spy aircraft was intercepted north of Scotland in May earlier this yr, though such interceptions have occurred for a few years.
RAF jets intercepted Russian aircrafts over NATO airspace one week in the past
When Russian jets enter airspace managed by the UK, QRA fighters are despatched instantly as they will usually be a hazard to different plane as a result of they don’t discuss to air site visitors management, and nor do they “squawk” with their code to let different air customers know they’re there.
Similarly, Moscow claimed in June that it needed to scramble its own jets after three British warplanes have been detected close to the nation’s border – however the Ministry of Defence later described it as “a routine operation in international airspace”.