UK fighter jets intercept Russian aircraft in NATO airspace twice in two days
Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter jets were scrambled twice in less than 48 hours to protect NATO airspace from Russian aircraft.
Source: The Telegraph, as reported by European Pravda
Details: This week, British Typhoon fighter jets were deployed on two occasions after Russian aircraft approached NATO borders, triggering an alert.
The interceptions will be used by the UK government as further evidence of the growing Russian threat in an effort to persuade the United States not to scale back its military presence in Europe.
This is the first instance of RAF involvement under Operation Chessman – a new NATO mission aimed at strengthening Europe's air defence.
On Tuesday 15 April, two Typhoon fighters stationed at the Malbork airbase in Poland were scrambled to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea.
Less than 48 hours later, another pair of jets was deployed to intercept an unidentified aircraft that had taken off from Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast, between Poland and Lithuania.
UK Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard told The Telegraph that the United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to NATO.
"With Russian aggression growing and security threats on the rise, we are stepping up to reassure our allies, deter adversaries and protect our national security through our plan for change," he said.
The aircraft, part of a six-jet fleet, were deployed to Poland just three weeks ago as part of a joint defence operation with the Swedish Air Force. They are usually stationed at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, and around 200 British military personnel are supporting the mission.
When the jets were deployed to Poland, Wing Commander Christopher Jacob stated that their mission was to "defend and deter, standing ready to protect against any threat".
Background:
In late February, French Rafale fighters intercepted two Russian aircraft off the coast of Latvia.
Between 10 and 16 March, NATO fighter jets carried out three sorties to detect and escort Russian aircraft violating flight rules over the Baltic states.
On 28 March, German Air Force fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft in NATO airspace and escorted it until it turned back towards Kaliningrad.
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