Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers carried out an eight-hour training mission in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday (21). Escorted by Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-27 Flanker fighters, the Russian aircraft were intercepted and accompanied by F-16, F/A-18, Eurofighter Typhoon and JAS-39 Gripen fighters.
According to the declaration of Russian Ministry of Defense, Long Range Aviation “missile carrier” bombers conducted a training mission over neutral Baltic waters, with fighter escort being carried out by Su-35 aircraft from Western Military District Air Defense and Su-27 aircraft from Naval Aviation of the Baltic Fleet.
As usual, the Russian operation caused the deployment of fighters from NATO and countries in the region. According to the Russian government, the aircraft were accompanied by JAS-39 Gripen fighters from Sweden, F-16 Fighting Falcon from the Royal Danish Air Force and F/A-18 Hornet from the Finnish Air Force. Aircraft flights by Russian forces, as well as their intercepts and follow-ups, are common events in the region.
In fact, an Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon F-2000 also intercepted Russian fighters and bombers, however this aircraft was incorrectly identified as an F-16. In the video above, released by the Ministry of Defense, only the F-16 and the Typhoon can be seen.
Below, the note released by the Ministry.
“Two Tu-160 strategic missile carriers of long-range aviation performed a planned flight in airspace over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. Fighter escort was provided by the crews of Su-35s from the Air Force and Air Defense Association of the Western Military District and Su-27s from Naval Aviation of the Baltic Fleet. The duration of the flight was about 8 hours.
At certain stages of the route, the Russian strategic missile carriers were accompanied by F-16 fighters from the Italian Air Force and the Danish Air Force, F-18 from the Finnish Air Force, Saab JAS-39 Gripen from the Swedish Air Force and other foreign countries.
Long-range aviation crews regularly fly over neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black and Baltic seas and the Pacific Ocean. All flights by aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in strict accordance with international rules on the use of airspace.”
The portal The Aviationist explains that the Italian Typhoons are deployed at Amari Air Base, Estonia, where they replaced the F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters in the rotation of the Baltic Eagle II mission of policing airspace in the Baltic. In June, Italy's F-35s were also involved in intercepting Su-35 and Tu-160 aircraft that flew over the Baltic.
