Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepts US Navy P-8 surveillance plane
Russian SU-27 unsafe intercept of U.S. aircraft, Black Sea 1/29/2018
A Russian Su-27 fighter jet performed an “unprofessional” intercept of a US Navy P-8 surveillance plane while it was flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea
The Russian jet came within about 20 feet of the US aircraft, the encounter lasted about nine minutes.
The intercept was described by officials as safe but unprofessional and can’t classify aerial encounters that way. The Navy classifies aviation intercepts simply as either safe or unsafe.
Lt. Cdr. Zach Harrell, a spokesman for US Naval Forces Europe, declined to comment on the specific incident, saying, “US Navy ships and aircraft routinely interact with military units from other countries.”
The US Navy deemed that intercept unsafe and unprofessional.
Following that incident, the US State Department issued a statement accusing the Russians of “flagrantly violating existing agreements and international law.”
