RAF Eurofighter Typhoon fighters based at Amari Air Base in Estonia were scrambled twice from Friday 14 June to Saturday 15 June to intercept Russian fighter aircraft.
Working in partnership with the Estonian authorities, this was a routine NATO airspace policing mission for the Typhoon Detachment, providing ongoing assurance in the region.
This weekend's activity means the RAF has carried out eight interceptions of Russian aircraft since taking over the Baltic Air Policing mission on 3 May 2019.
Working in partnership with the Estonian authorities, this was a routine NATO airspace policing mission for the Typhoon Detachment, providing ongoing assurance in the region.
This weekend's activity means the RAF has carried out eight interceptions of Russian aircraft since taking over the Baltic Air Policing mission on 3 May 2019.
FRIDAY, JUNE 14
QRA alert Typhoon jets were launched during the night of Friday, June 14th to intercept a Russian SU-30 fighter jet flying into northern Estonia.
A Typhoon pilot from XI (Fighter) Squadron on duty when the race was called, he said:
“We were scrambled to intercept a close to Estonian airspace in the early evening, between two periods of bad weather. Shortly after boarding, we arrived alongside an SU-30 Flanker fighter aircraft. We escorted the fighter over the Baltic Sea, around Estonia and ing another Russian military transport plane in the process. ”
SATURDAY, JUNE 15
RAF aircrews made a second run on Saturday 15 June to intercept a Russian SU-30 Flanker fighter and an Ilyushin IL-76 Candid transport plane in transit from northern Kaliningrad into Estonian and Finnish airspace.
A Typhoon pilot from XI (Fighter) Squadron at the conclusion of the intercept said:
“We scrambled to intercept two s approaching Estonian airspace from the south. We escorted the two aircraft for 15 minutes as they transited back to mainland Russia. We then handed over the responsibility to two Finnish QRA aircraft, which had also been scrambled when the Russian aircraft operated on the airspace border between Estonia and Finland. ”
During both intercepts, the aircraft was flown to a safe distance and operated in a professional manner throughout.
The Royal Air Force is deployed in Operation AZOTIZE in Estonia in of NATO's Baltic Air Policing.
The UK operates in of NATO to reassure our allies and is a further demonstration of the UK's commitment to the security of the region.
Source: RAF
