RAF fighter jets have intercepted a Russian maritime patrol aircraft after it “repeatedly approached” Britain’s carrier strike group in the Arctic, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Two F-35 jets took action when the Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance plane flew at low altitude and “unnecessarily close” to the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
The MoD said that the Russian aircraft failed to respond to attempts to contact them at international frequencies to ascertain their intentions.
The Russian plane dropped a “large number of sonobuoys”, devices that can act as underwater microphones to find and track submarines, close to the carrier on July 2 in the Norwegian Sea.
The HMS Prince of Wales is one of Britain’s two aircraft carriers, and the first European aircraft carrier conducting NATO air defense operations with F-35 jets.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “While operating in the Norwegian Sea on Operation Firecrest, the UK’s Carrier Strike Group was repeatedly approached by a Russian ‘Bear-F’ maritime patrol aircraft.
“The Bear-F passed at low altitude and unnecessarily close to HMS Prince of Wales and dropped a large number of sonobuoys in close proximity to the carrier.
“This activity was unsafe and unprofessional. The Russian aircraft was intercepted and escorted by two UK F-35 jets from HMS Prince of Wales until it left the area.”
The incident comes as the UK takes command of NATO's special forces unit, which the MoD has described as “the spearhead” of the defensive alliance's rapid deployment teams, and which can deploy anywhere in the world within days.
The UK's Carrier Strike Group is operating alongside NATO allies as part of Arctic Sentry, reinforcing security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
The group consists of HMS Prince of Wales, Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, F-35 jets, Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, supported by RFA Tidespring, and has 1,500 British personnel on board.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis visited HMS Prince of Wales over the weekend.
He told Channel 4 News: “We should be clear-eyed about the fact that the threat from Russia exists in every domain, under the water, on the water, on the land, in the sky, in space and in cyberspace as well.”
