Alwaght- A Russian Su-27 jet has forced an American Lockheed EP-3 spy plane to abort its mission over the Black Sea.
The Russian Defense Ministry Moscow said the jet “took all necessary precautions, during the intercept while the US Department of Defense claimed the intercept was “unsafe”.
“The entire flight of the Su-27 was conducted in accordance with international regulations, and there were no emergency situations,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Moscow said that the plane was scrambled when unidentified flying object was detected heading for the Russian border. The Su-27 approached the aircraft and identified it as a US Navy ЕР-3Е Aries II – a commonly used surveillance plane. The ministry said that the jet shepherded it “at a safe distance” before the spy plane changed course away from Russian airspace.
The US Navy released a contrasting account of the intercept, which it said lasted 2 hours 40 minutes.
“This interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the Su-27 closing to within five feet [1.5 meters] and crossing directly through the EP-3’s flight path, causing the EP-3 to fly through the Su-27’s jet wash,” it said in a statement. It insisted that the American plane “did not provoke this Russian activity” and stated that its response “increased the risk of miscalculation and midair collisions.”
“The Russian military is within its right to operate within international airspace, but they must behave within international standards set to ensure safety and prevent incidents,” it added.
Last November also Russia scrambled a Su-30 fighter jet after detecting an American Р8А Poseidon spy plane over the Black Sea.
Russia regularly scrambles its aircraft in response to US spy planes detected near its borders.
