UK reveals Russian Su-27 launched missile near RAF Rivet Joint
It has emerged that a RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint SIGINT aircraft was close to being hit by a Russian Su-27 missile. (Photo: UK MoD)
Incident involving a Russian Su-27 and RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint not thought to be a ‘deliberate escalation’ on the part of Moscow.
Ben Wallace, the UK secretary of defence, has said a Russian Air Force Su-27 ‘Flanker‘ fighter jet released a ‘missile’ close to an RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint SIGINT aircraft over the Black Sea.
The incident took place on 29 September, with a subsequent investigation by Russia determining that a ‘technical malfunction’ caused the weapon to be fired accidentally.
The RC-135 had been shadowed by two Su-27 aircraft during a ‘routine patrol’ over international airspace and was following a pre-notified flight path before a missile in its ‘vicinity’ was detected, Wallace told the House of Commons on 20 October.
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