The 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron deployed from RAF Lakenheath have had some close encounters with the Russian fighters near the Baltics.
The U.S. Air Force will complete its fifth rotation as the lead nation for the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission on Jan. 8, 2018. On Jan. 5, videos documenting their efforts during their four-month deployment were publicly released.
In particular, the videos capture previously unreleased footage of RAF Lakenheath F-15s conducting “safe and standard intercepts of Russian Federation aircraft as part of the NATO peacetime air policing mission.”
Along with footage showing the U.S. Air Force F-15 pilots scramble during an exercise during the Baltic Regional Training Event at Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, back in April 2014, the video compilation shows two encounters with the Russian Navy Su-30 Flankers.
The first one occurred on Nov. 23, and was initiated because the Russian aircraft did not broadcast the appropriate codes required by air traffic control and had no flight plan on file. The second one shows two Russian Navy Su-30s intercepted on Dec. 13, 2017. The second intercept was initiated for the same reasons: the Russian aircraft did not broadcast the appropriate codes required by air traffic control and had no flight plan on file.
The video compilation shows tw encounter on November 23 and another on December 13. According to descriptions posted by the military, both incidents involved two Russian fighters in international airspace near the Baltics. In both encounters, the F-15s were scrambled because the Russians did not broadcast the codes required by air traffic control and did not file a flight plan, the Air Force said.
“Intercepts are a regular occurrence, and U.S. Air Force pilots routinely conduct them in a safe and professional manner,” Lt. Col. Cody Blake, commander of the 493rd says in an interview included in the compilation. “Pilots from the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron executed the intercept professionally and operated in international airspace in accordance with all relevant international flight regulations and safety standards.”
The Russian reaction to the video came on Saturday. According to the state-run RT media outlet, the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged that NATO F-15 jets had “approached” Su-30 fighter jets in two separate incidents – on November 23 and December 13 – near the Baltics, but said “the route of Russian fighter jets was agreed with the air logistics control units and was carried out in strict compliance with the international rules.” In both instances, F-15 fighters “approached at a safe distance, after which they changed course and flew away,” the statement added.
H/T Lasse Holmstrom for the heads-up
Were the Russians operating on a schedule? How is it that the press was just sitting off the taxiway with cameras on tripods? Politics aside, those Eagles and Flankers look really nice side by side. It was also nice to read that the Flankers did not violate Baltic airspace like they were in the past. Baltic Air Policing is working.
Do you read the articles?
“Along with footage showing the U.S. Air Force F-15 pilots scramble during an exercise during the Baltic Regional Training Event at Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, back in April 2014…”
how absolutely arrogant
just imagine russian jets were intercepting yours in the gulf of mexico
Russian aircraft regularly skirt US airspace in Alaska and the West Coast…
Since the best the 3 Baltic nations have to offer in that role is a couple of L-39s, they get some proper protection from the rest of NATO. So does Slovenia, we get similar patrols coming from Aviano-and get to see some sweet EF2000 ass! A nice benefit to being a part of the alliance!
Let them. We could care less. We know that Russian military forces operate at our leisure. But if we want to kill them, there can only be one outcome – their total and complete annihilation.
Russia is a poor, weak regional power that cannot stand up to the naval, air and ground MIGHT of the U.S. alone much less that of the U.S. and NATO. In a word, Russia is militarily and economically worldwide irrelevant. We look towards China with concern., We look at Russia with amusement and disdain.
Classical yank fake news… if you don’t have it – fake it!
The logo should display “DANGER – FAKE NEWS!”
Nowhere in the video, nor it’s description is any mention that it’s a compilation, or that the first part is actually years old scripted media propaganda footage.
Making a drama (“incident” = an action likely to lead to grave consequences especially in diplomatic matters) from a casual encounter in international airspace is typical yank whining, and double-plus thinking.
Repeating ad nauseam, Goebbels like *, that “aircraft did not broadcast the appropriate codes required by air traffic control and had no flight plan on file” doesn’t make it true. Regulations do NOT require transponder response, NOR filing a flight path at some self-appointed traffic controller, in INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE.
At least the yanks had the occasion to fly their 35 year old rust buckets, while they still can. **
“Intercepts are a regular occurrence, and U.S. Air Force pilots routinely conduct them in a safe and professional manner,” Lt. Col. Cody Blake, commander of the 493rd says in an interview included in the compilation. “Pilots from the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron executed the intercept professionally and operated in international airspace in accordance with all relevant international flight regulations and safety standards.”
Maybe you linked the wrong video?
What I can hear the yank oversized baby blabbering about is something like:
“the ability to intercept aircraft is important to NATO, really it goes back to the overall objective for the Baltic Air Policing mission, really that objective is to ensure the sovereignty of the airspace for the Baltic countries, what it also does is just prove our commitment to NATO, and our allies, it shows that we’re willing to bring training assets, and resources in order to meet any future security concerns”
Thankfully he doesn’t started to cry…
He probably never heard that Russia is also a Baltic Country, as yanks, generally, don’t have the tiniest clue about geography…
*) “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
**) Persistent rumors that another Eagle bit the Yemeni desert dust
Classic russian troll defending his countries transgressions when the truth is clear, sorry russian but the fact remains that russia is a weak regional power that cannot stand up to the US.
Now that’s some cool footage. No doubt all involved use to enjoy close encounters like this when flying with their opponents side by side and trying to understand them. And while some underage individuals may have need to underestimate one of the sides, those guys flying those beautiful birds would never do that, that’s for sure!
Similar video can be seen here, it shows armed Russian Su-27SM being scrambled from the Crimean peninsula in night within the excersise Kavkaz-2016.