Canadian CF-18 Hornet intercept Russian Su-27 fighter jet. The Defence Department says Canadian fighter jets in Romania have intercepted a Russian military aircraft that was approaching NATO airspace over the Black Sea
Two CF-18s were scrambled Thursday after NATO detected the Russian SU-27 Flanker operating near Romania, where Canada has had five fighter jets and 135 military personnel.
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)released images of intercept and escort Russian military aircraft flying near Romanian airspace over the Black Sea.
According to the CAF’s statement, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF-18 Hornets, working with the Romanian Air Force as part of the NATO enhanced Air Policing, intercepted a Russian Su-27 Flanker aircraft that was operating near Romanian airspace over the Black Sea.
When the Russian aircraft was detected by the Control and Reporting Centre of the Romanian Air Force, RCAF Hornets were scrambled by NATO’s southern Combined Air Operations Centre at Torrejon, Spain.
“The Russian aircraft was closely monitored by our Hornets before it left the Romanian flight information region. Bravo Zulu to all involved,” -also said un the CAF’s statement.
The incident marks the first time Canadian fighter jets have been scrambled since arriving in Romania in August as part of a NATO-led effort to defend the alliance’s airspace.
In 2016, Canada announced that it would send air force personnel and CF-18 Hornet fighter jets to train with the Romanian military.
The RCAF first deployed an air task force to Romania in April 2014 as part of NATO’s response to the Russian annexation of Crimea and military activity along the border of eastern Ukraine. The mission began as bilateral air-to-air training for the Hornet aircrews and Romania’s MiG21 Lancers, focused on air defense, air superiority and tactical support, but it grew into joint bilateral air-to-ground training.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the incident, but in the past it has repeatedly stated that all flights by Russian military aircraft are made fully in line with international law.
