RAF Lossiemouth Typhoons scrambled as Russian jets fly into Romanian airspace over Black Sea

TYPHOONS from RAF Lossiemouth have been scrambled to intercept Russian fighters which entered Romanian airspace.

The jets from the Moray base have been involved in a NATO air policing mission in the country.

Several Russian SU-24 Fencer and SU-30 Flanker fighters were tracked flying over the Black Sea on June 22. The Russian aircraft had not previously filed flight plans or contacted air traffic controllers

Operating from the Romanian Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base near Constanta on the Black Sea coast, RAF Typhoons were scrambled to intercept.

The Russian aircraft left the airspace before the Typhoons came within visual range of them.

Wing Commander Stephen Lamping, Commanding Officer of 121 Expeditionary Air Wing based in Romania said: “This was a routine operation that the RAF has a great deal of experience in and was no different to what other NATO aircraft do in other areas on a regular basis.

“I am proud of the work that our pilots, drivers, technicians, intelligence staff and other personnel are doing round the clock to help secure the NATO airspace in the Black Sea region”.

The RAF mission is code named Operation Biloxi and is the UK contribution to NATO'smission which is part of the NATO Assurance Measures first introduced in 2014 following the annexation of the Crimea by Russia.

This is the third time the RAF has deployed to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base as part of NATO’s mission in the Black Sea region.

Alongside its NATO Allies, the UK provides Quick Reaction Alert assistance to the Romanian Air Force’s own fleet of fast-jet aircraft. Romania is equipped with MiG -21LanceR and the American built F-16 aircraft.

The Typhoons conducting Operation Biloxi are from Number IX(Bomber) Squadron, based at RAF Lossiemouth.

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