Russia scrambled a fighter jet on Tuesday (6 June) to intercept a nuclear-capable US B-52 bomber it said was flying over the Baltic Sea near its border, in an incident that had echoes of the Cold War.

The appearance of the B-52, a long-range bomber that first went into service in the 1950s, irked Moscow. A Russian Foreign Ministry official said the plane’s appearance in Europe would not help ease tensions between the West and Russia. A former Russian Air Force commander called the move “disrespectful.”

Russian air defence systems detected the US bomber at around 1000 Moscow time as it was flying over neutral waters parallel to the Russian border and sent a Sukhoi Su-27 jet to intercept it, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

“The Russian SU-27 crew, having approached at a safe distance, identified the aircraft as an American B-52 strategic bomber and escorted it” until such time as it changed course and flew away from the border area, the ministry said.

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Russia said the SU-27 took off from its Baltic Fleet air defence unit, which is based in the European exclave of Kaliningrad.

The US military said its aircraft was in international airspace and declined immediate comment on the Russian plane’s actions.

“We can confirm that the US Air Force B-52 was operating in international airspace but we don’t have any information to provide at this time regarding the behaviour of Russian aircraft,” Air Force spokesman Colonel Patrick Ryder said.

NATO members such as Britain regularly report scrambling jets to intercept Russian nuclear-capable bombers flying close to their air space. It is less common for Russia to report using its fighters for the same reason.

In a separate incident, Russia said an MiG-31 jet fighter had intercepted a Norwegian patrol plane over the Barents Sea. Russia’s Defence Ministry identified the plane as a P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft.

The Russian Defence Ministry complained that the Norwegian plane had flown close to Russia’s state border with its transponders switched off. The Norwegian military confirmed the encounter, but said it was “normal.”

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Moscow was more put out by the B-52’s appearance.

The state-backed Sputnik news agency cited a foreign ministry official, Mikhail Ulyanov, as saying Moscow believes a number of B-52s had recently been transferred from their base in Louisiana to the UK to take part in European military exercises.

“The fact that NATO forces are converging near Russia’s borders and carrying out military exercises supported by strategic bombers from the USA capable of carrying nuclear weapons hardly helps de-escalate tensions in Europe,” Sputnik quoted Ulyanov as saying.

US forces are engaged in various exercises with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and other partner nations as part of the Saber Strike war games. The United States is also taking part in the annual BALTOPS naval training exercise in the Baltic Sea which runs until 16 June. Pyotr Deinekin, a former Russian Air Force commander, was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying that he could not recall the last time a B-52 had flown over the Baltic Sea and that the incident raised troubling questions.

“Such behaviour does not deserve respect,” said Deinekin, who said Russia needed to establish what weaponry the B-52 was carrying.

The B-52 was designed to attack Moscow’s most vital targets via the North Pole in the event of a nuclear war when the Soviet Union still existed, Deinekin said.

“Strategic bombers should not fly so close to our land borders,” he said.

US Defence Secretary criticises Russian build-up near Baltic states US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said yesterday (10 May) that a Russian missile deployment near the Baltic states was “destabilising”, and officials suggested the United States could deploy a Patriot missile battery in the region for NATO exercises in the summer.</s>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia scrambled a fighter jet on Tuesday to intercept a nuclear-capable U.S. B-52 strategic bomber it said was flying over the Baltic Sea near its border, in an incident that had echoes of the Cold War.

U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber flies during the annual recurring multinational, maritime-focused NATO exercise BALTOPS 2017 near Ventspils, Latvia June 6, 2017. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

The appearance of the B-52, a long-range bomber that first went into service in the 1950s, irked Moscow. A Russian Foreign Ministry official said the plane’s appearance in Europe would not help ease tensions between the West and Russia. A former Russian Air Force commander called the move “disrespectful.”

Russian air defense systems detected the U.S. bomber at around 1000 Moscow time as it was flying over neutral waters parallel to the Russian border and sent a Sukhoi Su-27 jet to intercept it, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

“The Russian SU-27 crew, having approached at a safe distance, identified the aircraft as an American B-52 strategic bomber and escorted it” until such time as it changed course and flew away from the border area, the ministry said.

Russia said the SU-27 took off from its Baltic Fleet air defense unit, which is based in the European exclave of Kaliningrad.

The U.S. military said its aircraft was in international airspace and declined immediate comment on the Russian plane’s actions.

“We can confirm that the U.S. Air Force B-52 was operating in international airspace but we don’t have any information to provide at this time regarding the behavior of Russian aircraft,” Air Force spokesman Colonel Patrick Ryder said.

NATO members such as Britain regularly report scrambling jets to intercept Russian nuclear-capable bombers flying close to their air space. It is less common for Russia to report using its fighters for the same reason.

In a separate incident, Russia said an MiG-31 jet fighter had intercepted a Norwegian patrol plane over the Barents Sea. Russia’s Defence Ministry identified the plane as a P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft.

The Russian Defence Ministry complained that the Norwegian plane had flown close to Russia’s state border with its transponders switched off. The Norwegian military confirmed the encounter, but said it was “normal.”

Moscow was more put out by the B-52’s appearance.

The state-backed Sputnik news agency cited a Foreign Ministry official, Mikhail Ulyanov, as saying Moscow believed a number of U.S. B-52s had recently been transferred from their base in Louisiana to Britain to take part in military exercises.

“The fact that NATO forces are converging near Russia’s borders and carrying out military exercises supported by strategic bombers from the USA capable of carrying nuclear weapons hardly helps de-escalate tensions in Europe,” Sputnik quoted Ulyanov as saying.

U.S. forces are engaged in various exercises with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and other partner nations as part of the Saber Strike war games. The United States is also taking part in the annual BALTOPS naval training exercise in the Baltic Sea which runs until June 16.

Pyotr Deinekin, a former Russian Air Force commander, was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying that he could not recall the last time a B-52 had flown over the Baltic Sea and that the incident raised troubling questions.

“Such behavior does not deserve respect,” said Deinekin, who said Russia needed to establish what weaponry the B-52 was carrying.

The B-52 was designed to attack Moscow’s most vital targets via the North Pole in the event of a nuclear war when the Soviet Union still existed, Deinekin said.

“Strategic bombers should not fly so close to our land borders,” he said.</s>A Russian fighter jet, Sukhoi Su-27, intercepted an American B-52 bomber along the Russian border over the Baltic Sea.

 

Sputnik news quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying, that it scrambled a Su-27 air superiority fighter over the Baltics on Tuesday to intercept and escort a US B-52 strategic bomber that approached its borders.



 "The crew of the Russian Su-27, in approaching the aerial object at a safe distance, identified it as a US B-52 strategic bomber and escorted it," the ministry said in a statement.

 

The statement added that the incident over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea took place at 07:00 GMT.



 The Su-27, which serves as part of the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet air defense patrol, returned to its airfield after carrying out the operation. (ANI)</s>A Russian Su-27 fighter jet was deployed to intercept a US B-52 strategic bomber over the Baltic Sea as the American warplane was flying along the Russian border, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.Russia's air defense detected the aircraft on Tuesday morning at around 7:00 GMT, the statement said. The Su-27 of the Russian Baltic Fleet was deployed in response and shadowed the American aircraft after identifying it, as the bomber was flying in neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea along the border, the ministry said.After the American warplane left the airspace near Russia, the Russian fighter jet returned to its base of deployment, the statement said.The interception comes amid NATO's continued string of training exercises near the Russian border. The defense block is currently conducting one of the biggest drills this year in Romania , with another to take place in Estonia. The alliance claims it is necessary to build confidence among member states in Eastern Europe and the Baltic in the face of the alleged threat from Russia.Moscow has repeatedly criticized what it sees as growing anti-Russia hysteria in Europe and considers the military build-up near its borders a threat to its national security. It accused NATO of fearmongering to justify bigger defense spending by allies.</s>WASHINGTON — A Russian fighter jet intercepted a US bomber over the Baltic Sea in international waters on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry that was published on state news agency TASS.

“On June 6 Russia’s airspace monitoring … identified an air target flying along Russia’s state border over the international waters of the Baltic Sea. A Sukhoi-27 fighter jet of the Baltic Sea Fleet’s air defense force was dispatched to intercept the target,” according to the statement, quoted by TASS.

“The crew of Russia’s Sukhoi-27 jet approached the aircraft staying at a safe distance, identified it as a US strategic bomber B-52 and escorted it for some time,” the report said.

The Pentagon also confirmed that the intercept occurred.

“A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress flying a routine mission in support of multiple planned exercises in international airspace over the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-27,” according to a statement from Lt. Col. Michelle L. Baldanza, a US Army Defense Department spokeswoman.

“The crew involved is still supporting the exercise. There are a number of intercepts that take place on a regular basis. The vast majority are conducted in a safe manner,” the statement said.

Earlier this month, the US Air Force deployed B-52 bombers and 800 airmen to the United Kingdom in support of joint exercises with NATO allies and partners that are taking place across Europe.

Those scheduled training drills were expected to primarily take place on Russia’s doorstep — specifically in the Baltic Sea, the Arctic and along Russia’s border with several NATO partners.

A Russian MiG-31 fighter jet also intercepted a Norwegian P-3C Orion aircraft on Tuesday in international waters over the Barents Sea, according to a Russian Ministry of Defense statement in a TASS Report.

“The interceptor plane’s crew approached the target at a safe distance and visually identified it as a P-3C Orion anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft of the Norwegian Air Force. After the Norwegian plane changed its flight route and flew away from the border of the Russian Federation, the MiG-31 fighter jet returned to its home aerodrome,” according to TASS.

Along with the US, Norway is one of the 12 original members of NATO.</s>Russia’s Sukhoi-27 fighter jet has intercepted and escorted a U.S. B-52 bomber, which was flying along Russia’s border over the Baltic Sea, the Defense Ministry has told the media.

"On June 6, Russia’s airspace monitoring means at 10:00 a.m. Moscow time identified an air target flying along Russia’s state border over the international waters of the Baltic Sea. A Sukhoi-27 fighter jet of the Baltic Sea Fleet’s air defense force was dispatched to intercept the target," the statement runs.

"The crew of Russia’s Sukhoi-27 jet approached the aircraft staying at a safe distance, identified it as a U.S. strategic bomber B-52 and escorted it for some time," the Defense Ministry said.

After the U.S. bomber set a course away from the Russian border the Sukhoi-27 returned to base.

Read more: Wing to wing: Why did a Russian jet ‘greet’ a U.S. aircraft over</s>A Russian fighter jet was dispatched to intercept a US B-52 strategic bomber after its appearance in neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea irked Moscow, according to the Russian defence ministry.

A Russian Sukhoi-27 of the Russian Baltic Fleet was "dispatched to intercept the target" and "approached the aircraft staying at a safe distance, identified it as a US strategic bomber B-52 and escorted it for some time", the Russian media quoted the ministry as saying.

It added that the nuclear-capable American bomber was flying along Russia's border. The incident that took place on Tuesday (6 June) at 7am GMT is reported to have had echoes of the Cold War, Reuters noted.

A former Russian Air Force commander called the move by the B-52, a long-range bomber that first went into service in the 1950s, "disrespectful".

A Pentagon spokesperson, Captain Jeff Davis, said the US bomber was on a "routine mission" over the Baltic Sea. However, the crew had not been debriefed about the intercept, which means the Pentagon is yet to ascertain exactly how close the Russian Su-27 flew near the US bomber, according to Fox News.

But Davis claimed that the "vast majority" of Russian intercepts are safe and professional.

The US bomber along with 800 airmen was deployed to the UK Royal Air Force base Fairford in England from the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana earlier this month for training exercises with Nato allies as a show of strength against Russia. The military exercises are set to take place in the Baltic Sea, the Arctic and in several Nato member- states which share a border with Russia.

Russian Foreign Ministry official Mikhail Ulyanov warned that the US' flight near Russian borders would not help ease tensions between the West and Moscow.

"The fact that Nato forces are converging near Russia's borders and carrying out military exercises supported by strategic bombers from the USA capable of carrying nuclear weapons hardly helps de-escalate tensions in Europe," Sputnik quoted Ulyanov as saying.

The US B-52 Stratofortress bombers are reported to be capable of carrying nearly 31,000kg payload for more than 8,000 miles.

Nato said as many as 4,600 of its troops will participate in the exercises, which are seen as a move to counter Russia's alleged aggressive military position in the region.

In a separate incident, Russia said its MiG-31 fighter jet had intercepted a Norwegian patrol plane – identified as a P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft - over the Barents Sea later on Tuesday. The Norwegian plane reportedly had its transponders switched off, Moscow complained.

The Norwegian military confirmed the encounter but called it a "normal" intercept. It said there was nothing illegal or unusual about its military plane not using a transponder.

However, Russia is reported to have been irked more by the US B-52 bomber's appearance near its airspace.

Pyotr Deinekin, a former Russian Air Force commander, said he could not remember when was the last time a US B-52 bomber flew over the Baltic Sea. So the latest flight raises troubling questions, he said.

"Such behaviour does not deserve respect," Interfax news agency cited Deinekin as saying.

He noted that the B-52 was designed in the 1950s to attack Russia's crucial targets via the North Pole in the event of a nuclear war when the Soviet Union still existed.

"Strategic bombers should not fly so close to our land borders," he said as he called on Russia to ascertain what weapons the B-52 was carrying.</s>Russia scrambled Sukhoi “Su-27” fighter jet on Tuesday ordered to intercept a U.S. “B-52” strategic bomber which it said was flying close to its border over the Baltic Sea.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a statement: “Russian air defence systems detected the bomber at around 10 a.m. Moscow time as it was flying over neutral waters parallel to the Russian border.

“The Russian SU-27 crew, having approached at a safe distance, identified the aircraft as an American B-52 strategic bomber and escorted it” until the time it changed course and flew away from the border area.

“The SU-27 had been scrambled from its Baltic Fleet air defense unit which is based in Kaliningrad,’’ the ministry said.

The B-52 “Stratofortress,” a long-range nuclear-capable bomber, is one of the most recognisable symbols of the Cold War and entered service in the 1950s.

In another sign of Moscow’s unease over NATO’s proximity to its borders, Russia also scrambled a MiG-31 jet fighter later on Tuesday to intercept a Norwegian patrol plane over the Barents Sea.

The ministry said that the Norwegian plane had flown close to Russia’s state border with its transponders switched off.

The Norwegian military confirmed the encounter and said it was “normal”. (Reuters/NAN)</s>The Russian Air Force scrambled a Su-27 fighter plane today to intercept an American long-range bomber that was flying over the Baltic Sea very close to Russian airspace. The bomber was a B-52, and was described as flying a long distance “parallel” to the Russian border.

The Su-27 was dispatched from Baltic Fleet air defense, which is located in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, and intercepted the B-52, remaining in close proximity to it until the bomber changed course and flew away from the Russian border.

US officials declined specific comments on the incident, apart from confirming the B-52 was in the area, and insisting that it was always “operating in international airspace” during the course of the incident. NATO warplanes often scramble into international airspace to confront Russian bombers in a similar way.

Russian officials complained that the US has been deploying more B-52s in the region recently, warning it was not helping to deescalate tensions in Eastern Europe, and former Air Force Commander Pyotr Deinekin insisted the proximity of the nuclear-capable bomber to Russia’s coast raises troubling questions, irrespective of if it turns out it was armed with nuclear weapons or not.
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• Tillerson: Trump Wants to Rebuild Relationship With Russia - June 6th, 2017</s>A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress takes off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, after a short deployment Dec. 17, 2016.

MOSCOW — The Russian military said it scrambled a fighter jet Tuesday to intercept and escort a U.S. strategic bomber flying over the Baltic alongside the Russian border.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Russian radars spotted an aircraft flying along the border and a Su-27 fighter took off to intercept it. It said the Russian pilot identified the plane as a U.S. B-52 bomber and escorted it at a safe distance until it flew further away from the Russian border.

U.S. Lt. Col. David Faggard, a spokesman for U.S. Forces Europe, said the B-52 was conducting a routine mission in international airspace over the Baltic when it was intercepted by the Russian fighter. Such intercepts happen routinely, Faggard said.

The bomber, normally based in Barksdale, Louisiana, is currently stationed at RAF Fairford in Britain in support of NATO exercises.

The B-52 had its transponders on and would have been identifiable to air traffic controllers at the time of the encounter, Faggard said.

In a separate incident, a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet was dispatched Tuesday to intercept a Norwegian maritime surveillance aircraft flying over the Barents Sea near the Russian border, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Both Russia and NATO routinely scramble their fighters to intercept each other's planes flying over international waters.

In September, a Russian fighter jet flew within 10 feet (3 meters) of a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft, in what American officials called an unsafe intercept over the Black Sea. In another dramatic incident last year, Russian jets buzzed over the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea, coming within 30 feet of the American warship.

Frank Jordans and David Rising in Berlin contributed to this report.
A Russian SU-27 fighter jet intercepts an American B-52 strategic bomber that was flying over international waters of the Baltic Sea parallel to the Russian border, and escorts the B-52 until it flew away from the border area. The United States military confirmed that the US Air Force B-52 was operating in international airspace, but had no further comment about the incident.