Russian Fighter MiG-31 scrambled to intercept US, UK jets over Barents Sea

Russia’s MiG-31 fighter jet was scrambled to intercept America’s RC-135 and Britain’s Sentinel reconnaissance planes over the Barents Sea, the Russian news agency reported on September 3 citing the National Defence Control Center report. The Russian military has reported that its radars had discovered air targets approaching towards the Russian borders over the Barents Sea and in a bid to identify the aircraft while preventing them from causing airspace breach, northern fleet’s MiG-31 was scrambled. 

The centre then reportedly confirmed that the identified aircrafts included one US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane and the UK Royal Air Force’s R.1 Sentinel reconnaissance plane. After the NATO planes were sent back from the Russian border, the MiG-31 returned to its home airfield. The centre reportedly reiterated that the sortie was carried out keeping in mind the adherence to the international air law. This was also the second time MiG-31 sortie was performed to intercept targets over the Barents Sea conducted on September 3. 

Read - Rajnath Singh Lauds Russian Scientists For Developing COVID-19 Vaccine

Read - Russian COVID-19 Vaccine Safe, Induces Antibody Response In Small Trials: Study

Russian MiG-31 scrambled to intercept Norwegian plane

Previously, another MiG was scrambled to drive a Norwegian Orion patrol farther from nation’s border. According to the Russian news agency, a Mikoyan MiG-31 supersonic interceptor aircraft of the Russian airspace intercepted a Norwegian maritime patrol aircraft in the airfield above the same sea. 

 The statement carried out by the Russian state media cited the Russian Defenсe Ministry's National Defenсe Control Center saying that the airspace control systems had detected an aerial target approaching towards the nation’s border and thus the MiG-31 jet was scrambled to prevent the violation of the state border. It also added that the entire flight taken by Russian jet was conducted in ‘strict accordance’ with the global laws of use of airspace. 

While Russia has intercepted three foreign jets near its airspace, an Indian Navy spokesperson recently confirmed that the 11th edition of Indra Navy exercise is scheduled to begin in the Bay of Bengal from September 4. It is a biennial bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and Russian Navy. The exercise was earlier planned in Vladivostok but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read - Indian Navy's Bilateral Maritime Exercise With Russia To Begin From September 4

Read - 4-feet Snake Pulled Out From Woman's Mouth In Russia; Twitterati In Shock

Image: Representative/Unsplash