Russia intercepted a U.S. Navy aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. Navy said Monday, with each country offering a different account of the incident.
The intercept on Sunday, involving a Navy P-8 surveillance plane and a Russian SU-35 fighter plane, was the second time in four days that the United States accused Russia of unsafe aerial behavior.
"On April 19, 2020, a U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea was intercepted twice by a Russian SU-35 over a period of 100 minutes," a statement by the U.S. 6th Fleet said. "The first intercept was deemed safe and professional. The second intercept was determined to be unsafe and unprofessional due to the SU-35 a conducting high-speed, high-powered maneuver that decreased aircraft separation to within 25 feet, directly in front of the P-8A."
It acknowledged that the Russian plane was operating in international airspace but added that "this action was irresponsible."
On April 15, a Russian SU-35 flew with 25 feet of a U.S. Navy P-8A. The P-8A, meant for submarine surveillance, is decidedly slower and less maneuverable than an SU-35.
A month ago, U.S. and Canadian forces worked together to intercept two Russian reconnaissance aircraft off the coast of Alaska.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that Sunday's incident involved a U.S. plane "flying on a course to Russian military facilities in the Syrian Arab Republic. A fighter from the air defense forces on duty at the Khmeimim air base [the Russian air base in Syria] was raised to identify the target."
The ministry added that after changing the course of the U.S. aircraft, the Russian fighter returned to the point of departure.
Until last week, there was a decline in unsafe intercepts by Russian planes. Gen. Tod Wolters, Commander of U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander, said Thursday that the United States "initiated a conversation with the powers to be in Moscow" over the incident.
He added, though, that the April 15 actions of the Russian pilot were likely "more along the lines of unprofessional as opposed to deliberate."
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