Britain's RAF intercepts six Russian bombers over Black Sea
Britain's Royal Air Force said Wednesday it had intercepted six Russian bomber planes flying close to NATO air space over the Black Sea.
The Eurofighter Typhoons launched early Monday from their base in Romania after the Russian Su-24 Fencer planes were spotted, the RAF said in a statement.
It said there had been ‘significant Russian air activity through most of the night’.
The Russian aircraft eventually turned towards Crimea, the RAF said.
The operation ‘was in accordance with the NATO Enhanced Air Policing (EAP) mission, whereby the RAF operates alongside its NATO ally to deter Russian aggression, reassure our friends in Romania and assure NATO allies of our commitment to collective defence,’ the statement said.
Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor earlier said such ‘provocations’ by Russia had become ‘frequent’ in recent months.
Four RAF Typhoons have been deployed at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base in southeast Romania where several hundred US troops are also stationed.
The move was part of NATO's beefed-up defences on its eastern flank following Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The US Air Force has four F-15C Eagles based in neighbouring Bulgaria.
More from Defence Notes
-
Irish defence review highlights importance of Capability Development Unit and looks to new threats
Ireland has a small defence force in terms of personnel, equipment and budget relative to international averages but is plotting a way to change this and a recent annual review analyses that progress.
-
How Chinese and Russian ambitions are forcing US posture in the Arctic to shift
The recently released 2024 DoD Arctic Strategy established lines of action to improve US extreme cold-weather capabilities against perceived threats from China and Russia throughout the region.
-
UK orders more Martlet missiles and plays down defence review delay fears
The UK’s Strategic Defence Review has been initiated by the new Labour Government following 14 years of Conservative Party-led governments.
-
Turning the Hiroshima Accord into Action: Enhancing UK-Japan Defence Collaboration (Studio)
The UK-Japan strategic partnership leverages joint defence initiatives, advanced technologies, and SME integration to enhance military capabilities, foster innovation, and ensure regional and global stability through collective action and effective project management.
-
NATO countries outline strategies to accelerate defence industrial production
During the Washington Summit, member states also agreed to improve manufacturing capacities across the alliance and continue investing in joint projects with Ukraine.
-
Why the US military needs an “innovation intervention”
Several issues in the Pentagon’s structure and the defence industrial base have been hampering the country's efforts to produce cutting-edge solutions.