News

US: Russian fighter intercept of spy plane ‘unsafe’

by Jesse Byrnes - 04/11/15 8:26 PM ET

The United States is complaining after it says a Russian fighter jet unsafely intercepted one of its reconnaissance planes flying what it called a regular route in accordance with international rules.

A U.S. RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft was flying “a routine route in international airspace” this week when it was intercepted “in an unsafe and unprofessional manner” by a Russian SU-27 Flanker, according to U.S. European Command.

{mosads}”You can be assured that the United States is raising this incident with Russia in the appropriate diplomatic and official channels,” U.S. European Command added.

A Pentagon spokesman told CNN the Russian jet performed “aggressive maneuvers” near the U.S. aircraft, which was reportedly flying over the Baltic Sea north of Poland when it was intercepted in international airspace.

Russian state news agency Sputnik reported that the U.S. airplane had its transponder turned off and the fighter jet circled it several times to see its tail numbers during the Tuesday morning incident, according to a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj.-General Igor Konashenkov.

A U.S. European Command official said the transponder claim was false and the Pentagon spokesman said the Defense and State departments would file a complaint “through appropriate diplomatic channels,” per CNN.

CNN noted that another Russian jet last year dangerously flew within 100 feet of a U.S. reconnaissance plane in the western Pacific, according to U.S. officials.

Tags