Video allegedly shows Norwegian F-16 almost collide with Russian MiG-31 during Su-34 intercept mission

The Royal Norwegian Air Force has released an HUD (Head Up Display) video that would show Russian aggressive flying.

The RNoAF has released HUD (Head Up Display) footage, filmed by an F-16 of the 331 Sqn, based at Bodo, during the escort of a Russian Su-34 Fullback long-range strike planes on armed patrol off Finmark on Oct. 29.

This was the first time the Su-34s were observed and identified while flying in international airspace off Norway.

Although the video does not show it very clearly, according to Norway’s military as the F-16 was getting closer to the Su-34’s left wing, a MiG-31 that was escorting the Foxhound initiated a sudden maneuver, forcing the Norwegian interceptor to perform an evasive left turn to avoid a mid-air collision.

As said, the footage does not show the close call: all we can see is the F-16 roll to the left while approaching the MiG-31 (that appears to be flying more or less straight when it enters the HUD field of view). Nevertheless, Nowegian authorities said the video prove how dangerous and aggressive Russian pilots are during such close encounters that have become quite frequent in the Nordic region of Europe.

Photographs taken by RNoAF F-16s on QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) at Bodo airbase were released last month: they depict a Su-34 Russian aircraft carrying what looks like a single external fuel tank and two Vympel R-73 air-to-air missiles, shadowed by another F-16 carrying two drop tanks and two AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles).

H/T Lars Westholm for the heads-up

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.