Russian SU-24 Fencer aircraft intercepted by Typhoon aircraft over Black Sea
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A RUSSIAN fighter jet which approached Romanian airspace over the Black Sea was intercepted by two RAF typhoons from Moray.
The RAF jets are part of a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) operation based in Romania with 121 Expeditionary Air Wing.
Operating out of the Romanian Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base near Constanta, the RAF Typhoons on the NATO Enhanced Air Policing mission scrambled on Tuesday, August 17 as the Russian aircraft was detected entering the Bucharest Flight Information Region (FIR).
As with many Russian Military sorties the aircraft had not filed a flight plan and was not speaking with Romanian Air Traffic Control so making it a flight safety hazard to all air users
RAF Pilot Flt Lt Jack said: “When the unidentified, though suspected Russian aircraft entered the Romanian FIR we were scrambled to carry out a visual identification.
“We were airborne within minutes and heading towards the track; it wasn’t long before we intercepted the aircraft and identified it as a Russian SU-24 Fencer.
"It had flown no closer than 20 miles from the Romanian coast before we intercepted it. We shadowed it until it left the FIR heading north east."
Alongside other NATO Allies that have been carrying out this mission on a rolling basis since 2017, the UK has been providing QRA assistance in support of the Romanian Air Force’s own fleet of fast-jet aircraft since May.
Romania is equipped with MiG -21LanceR and the American built F-16 aircraft.
Wing Commander Stephen Lamping, the Commanding Officer of 121 Expeditionary Air Wing, operating out of the Romanian air base said: “ Every time we scramble to intercept unidentified aircraft in support of the enhanced Air Policing mission we are demonstrating our steadfast commitment to NATO by helping to secure NATO airspace in the Black Sea region and reassure our Romanian allies.”
