Russian spy planes patrol alarm four NATO air forces

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Russian spy planes patrol alarm four NATO air forces
By: CLEMENT CHARPENTREAU - Aerotime Hub Bews - 03-30-21
Re: https://www.aerotime.aero/27571-russ...-nato-fighters

Photo link: https://www.aerotime.aero/upload/fil...phoon_crop.jpg

After they were detected and tracked by NATO air defense radars, two Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-142 Bear-F strategic surveillance aircraft flying south from the Barents Sea with their transponders off were consecutively intercepted by the Quick Reaction Alert aircraft of the Norwegian, British, Belgian, and French air forces.

As they took off above the Barents Sea, the two maritime patrol planes were escorted by a patrol of Su-33 fighter jets. They then flew south, off the coast of Norway, where two Norwegian F-16s were sent to accompany them. Soon enough, they approached Scotland, alerting the Quick Reaction Alert personnel of the Royal Air Force. Eurofighter Typhoon fighters were scrambled for the interception, assisted by an A330 MRTT Voyager tanker.

When the two aircraft started to get too close to the Dutch coast, the Benelux air defense system decided to launch the chase. Two F-16MLU Fighting Falcon fighters of the Belgian Air Force took off from the Florennes airbase and headed for the Friesland. Meanwhile, the French Air Force monitored the path of the spy planes, using an Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.

"The flight of the Northern Fleet’s maritime aircraft was performed in strict compliance with international rules of using the airspace," the Russian Northern Fleet press service said. The whole flight lasted 11 hours.

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NATO fighters intercept Russian planes flying from Kaliningrad
By: Clement Charpentreau - Aerotime Hub
Re: https://www.aerotime.aero/26350-nato...om-kaliningrad

In the span of a week, Eurofighter Typhoon jets assigned to NATO Baltic Air Policing mission identified and escorted two Russian military aircraft as they were flying out of Kaliningrad.

“Fighters performing NATO air policing functions in the Baltic States have twice identified and escorted Russian Federation military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea in the international space,” the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense reports.

On November 2, 2020, NATO air defense radars identified an Antonov An-26 flying from the landlocked region of Kaliningrad towards the Russian mainland. The aircraft flew without a flight plan but with its radar transponder on. It maintained radio communication with the Regional Air Traffic Control Center throughout the flight. Typhoons were scrambled to intercept the aircraft and escort it.

On November 6, 2020, another An-26 flying out of Kaliningrad Oblast was spotted. This time, however, the military transport aircraft kept its transponder off. Again, NATO fighters were sent for visual identification and to escort the plane.

Since September 2020, the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission is led by the Aeronautica Militare, the Italian Air Force, from the Lithuanian Air Base in Šiauliai, with the assistance of the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force, operating from the Estonian Air Base in Amari. The two contingents deployed are flying the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.
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Earlier Report:
NATO fighters intercept Russian bombers approaching UK airspace
By: Clement Charpentreau - Aerotime Hub News
Re: https://www.aerotime.aero/26172-nato...ng-uk-airspace


NATO fighters intercept Russian bombers approaching UK airspace
on 16th October 2020Image : © Crown copyright
DEFENSE
Clement Charpentreau
CLEMENT CHARPENTREAU
NATO fighters intercept Russian bombers approaching UK airspace
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British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets intercepted and turned away two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers as they were approaching the British airspace. They had been visually identified beforehand by F-16 fighter jets from the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

After being detected by NATO air defense radars, the two Blackjacks triggered a Quick Reaction Alert interception by F-16 fighter jets of the Luftforsvaret, the Royal Norwegian Air Force, located in Bodø Airbase. The strategic bombers were visually identified and tailed as they were cruising south, towards the United Kingdom’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

As the Blackjacks maintained their flight, live-armed RAF Eurofighter Typhoons scrambled from their temporary base at Leuchars Station to intercept the two Blackjacks. Their home base, RAF Station Lossiemouth, was undergoing runway renovation from July to October 2020. An A330 MRTT Voyager took off from RAF Brize Norton to support the fighter jets.

“The Control and Reporting Centre at RAF Scampton routed us directly to the Tu-160 Blackjacks so that we could take over the mission from our Norwegian allies,” one of the Typhoon pilots reported. “Air to air refuelling from an RAF Voyager ensured we were able to stay on task until the two Blackjacks departed from the UK’s area of interest.”

The Blackjack bombers subsequently turned away from the British airspace, escorted again by the Luftforsvaret F-16s. As for the Typhoons, they landed in their permanent base in RAF Lossiemouth.

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Another earlier report:
RAF P-8 Poseidon submarine hunters arrive in definitive base
By: Clement Charpentreau - Aerotime Hub news
Re: https://www.aerotime.aero/26168-raf-...efinitive-base

After being temporarily based in Royal Air Force Station Kinloss, northern Scotland, the new-generation Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft of the British RAF finally reached their ultimate residence in RAF Station Lossiemouth. The base has undergone structure renovation to accommodate the new submarine hunters.

Known as the Poseidon MRA (maritime, reconnaissance and attack) within the Royal Air Force, the first Boeing P-8A, tail number ZP801, was delivered on February 4, 2020. Out of the nine ordered, four Poseidons should be in service within the Royal Air Force by the end of 2020.

However, the RAF Lossiemouth where they were to be deployed had to undergo some change before the P-8As could be based there. Work included renovating the runway, a new Air Traffic Control Tower, accommodation for the additional personnel, and more.

The base already houses four squadrons of Eurofighter Typhoons. From July to October 2020, no fixed-wing aircraft were able to operate from the base as the “stripping, strengthening, and resurfacing all of the runways, taxiways and dispersals” took place, according to the RAF. Thus, the fighter jets dedicated to Quick Reaction Alert missions moved to Leuchars Station in Fife, on the eastern coast of Scotland, while training continued at Station Kinloss.

Kinloss is also where the Poseidon MRA were temporarily deployed. On August 7, 2020, a P-8A carried out its first mission from the base on the northern Scottish coast by monitoring a Russian warship cruising in the North Sea near the United Kingdom’s sovereign waters.

On October 13, 2020, RAF Lossiemouth was reopened to both its old and new aircraft. A first Poseidon MRA landed, marking the beginning of the base’s new mission as the center for the UK maritime patrol operations.

The P-8 Poseidon is a multi-role maritime patrol aircraft, equipped with a naval search radar for search and tracking capability. “It boasts a comprehensive communications suite which means the intelligence it gathers can be passed to commanders whether they are in the air, on a ship, on the ground, or back at RAF Lossiemouth,” says the air force.

Based on the fuselage of the Boeing 737-800, with the wings of the -900, it is powered by two CFM56-7B engines from CFM International, giving it a range of 5900 kilometers (3666 miles).

It can also be fitted, both internally and externally, with an array of armaments dedicated to submarine and anti-ship warfare, such as torpedoes, mines, depth charges, and anti-ship missiles.

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So NATO is seeing more incursions into its air space (of late) and is responding to these aircraft movements. To do otherwise could result in ill-fated foresight!.
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