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Marex
2018-11-06 10:53:46
The crew of an American surveillance plane EP-3 reported on Monday that a Russian fighter had made a "dangerous" high-speed pass right in front of his plane while he was on a mission over the Black Sea.
According to the crew, a Russian fighter aircraft Su-27 approached and made two passes: the first, a high-speed pass directly in front of the EP-3, and the second, a closer approach to the starboard side of the plane. At the end of the second passage, the Russian fighter turned on his afterburner and moved away, creating turbulence and vibrations for the EP-3. Overall, the meeting lasted about 25 minutes.
"Although the Russian army has the right to exercise in the international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible," wrote the US 6th Fleet. "Dangerous actions increase the risk of miscalculation and the risk of in-flight collision."
The Russian Embassy in Washington responded that the fighter "prevented a violation of Russian airspace and followed all the necessary security procedures".
In another incident in January, a Russian Su-27 fighter flew within five feet of an American EP-3, according to the navy. After this incident, the US State Department accused Russia of "flagrant violation of existing agreements and international law".
In May, a Russian Su-27 intercepted a US P-8 surveillance aircraft from the US Navy over the Baltic, approaching about 20 meters away.
