The incident occurred on April 7 when the Russian air defense forces on duty found an unknown air target over the Baltic sea that was moving towards the Russian state border, Gen. Maj. Igor Konashenkov said.
The Su-27 fighter jet approached the unknown plane and flew around it several times and identified it as the RC-135U reconnaissance plane of the US Air Force and reported to the command about the incident, he said.
The US plane changed its course and flew away from the Russian border, Konashenkov said. He stressed that during the spy plane’s flight the transponder was turned off.
"No extraordinary situations occurred when the [fighter jet] flew around the US reconnaissance plane," Konashenkov said.
"As for the assessment of professional qualities of our pilots, this is up to the Russian command. And US reconnaissance planes can perform routine flights only along the US borders," he added.
The Pentagon earlier claimed that the RC-135U was performing a routine flight in the international airspace on April 7 when it was intercepted by Russia’s Su-27 in an "unsafe and unprofessional manner.".
[tass.ru]
11/4/15
--
-
Related:
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
US recon aircraft intercepted by Russian fighter jet over Baltic - Pentagon...
ReplyDeleteAn American RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft was buzzed by a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet over the Baltic Sea near Russia’s Kaliningrad Region, according to the Pentagon, which accused the Russian pilot of coming dangerously close to the US aircraft.
“On the morning of April 7, a US RC-135U, flying a routine route in international airspace, was intercepted by a Russian Su-27 Flanker in an unsafe and unprofessional manner,” the Washington Free Beacon (WFB) cited Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen M. Lainez as saying.
“The United States is raising this incident with Russia in the appropriate diplomatic and official channels,” she added.
The official said that a Russian Su-27 (NATO designation – Flanker) passed within a half-dozen meters of the unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, whereas the Sukhoi’s wingspan is 14.7 meters. The Pentagon spokeswoman dubbed the behavior of Russian pilot “reckless” and endangering the safety of the RC-135 crew.......rt.com
11/4/15