The German and British Air Forces have teamed up to intercept a Russian plane gathering intelligence near NATO airspace.
“This intercept proved our ability, together with our German allies, to act quickly and decisively to effectively ensure the security of the Alliance,” a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot said of a Monday mission to intercept one Russian aircraft in the Baltic Sea, according to an RAF press release.
The comments come after German and Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets carried out a joint mission to intercept the Russian plane, which was flying in an apparent intelligence-gathering mission over the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea.
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F-16 fighter jets take part in the NATO Air Shielding exercise near Lask airbase, central Poland. (Radoslaw Jozwiak/AFP via Getty Images)
The NATO fighter jets were able to visually identify several Russian aircraft identified on radar and flying near alliance airspace, the press release said, with one of the planes identified as a Russian Air Force intelligence aircraft IL- 20 Coot-A was identified.
“We often see Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea, so this was a routine interception for us,” said a pilot involved in the mission. “Nevertheless, the importance of intercepting these aircraft and our commitment to the collective defense of NATO airspace remains steadfast and resolute.”
According to the RAF, the Russian plane flew “safely and professionally” but was escorted through Estonian airspace before being handed over to a Swedish Air Force escort.
An F-16 fighter jet flies near Lask in central Poland. (Radoslaw Jozwiak/AFP via Getty Images)
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“This was another demonstration of our readiness and commitment to respond quickly to conduct a live intercept,” said Wing Commander Scott Maccoll, who commands the 140 Expeditionary Air Wing. “These combined RAF and German Air Force interception operations continue to strengthen NATO cohesion and ensure seamless cooperation and understanding during these missions.”
The incident comes just a month after a similar interception of a Russian plane near Estonia in March, where RAF and German fighter jets were also scrambling to escort what was identified as a Russian air-to-air refueling plane, which was not could communicate with the Estonian air traffic control, according to The Associated Press.
British and German air policing in the region is set to bolster NATO defenses of its eastern flank in the face of Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
Military personnel hoist the flag of Finland during a flag-raising ceremony on the sidelines of a foreign ministers’ meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
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“Our allies and partners in the region should remain reassured that NATO is here to stay and Britain remains committed to the collective defense of NATO airspace,” Maccoll said.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment.