RAF Typhoons scrambled as Russian bombers approach UK
Written by News on 04/04/2019
RAF fighter jets have been scrambled to monitor two Russian bombers for the third time in eight days.
The Typhoons were sent from RAF Lossiemouth in northern Scotland on Wednesday, along with air-to-air refuelling tanker the Voyager, which is based at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
The bombers flew in international airspace off the northeast coast of the UK.
A Royal Air Force spokesman said the Russian Blackjacks (or Tupolev Tu-160s) were monitored by the Typhoons while in the UK’s area of interest.
He added: “At no point did the Russian aircraft enter UK territorial airspace.”
The Blackjacks then left, heading north.
It came just hours before NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told the US Congress that the alliance would need to deal with a “more assertive” Russia.
It is not the first time that RAF aircraft have been sent to investigate the presence of Russian military planes in recent days.
There was an incident on Friday when Typhoons intercepted two long-range bombers of the same type over the North Sea and escorted them from the UK’s area of interest.
Two days earlier, on Wednesday evening, Typhoons were scrambled but not required to intercept the Russian aircraft.
After Friday’s incident, the Ministry of Defence said: “The RAF routinely identify, intercept and escort Russian aircraft that transit international airspace within proximity to the UK’s area of interest and continue to be on call every day.”
(c) Sky News 2019: RAF Typhoons scrambled as Russian bombers approach UK
