A Boeing RC-135. Photo: SCMP Picture
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https://scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/1940311/russia-defends-barrel-roll-intercept-us-air-force-reconnaissance Europe
Russia defends ‘barrel-roll’ intercept of US Air Force reconnaissance plane
Friday’s incident underlines rising tensions between Russia and the United States over eastern Europe
A Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter (bottom left) shadows one of four Russian Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighters, like the one involved in Friday’s incident, in Baltic air space in June 2014. File photo: EPA
Moscow has defended its intercept of a US reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea on Friday, saying it took the action because the aircraft turned off its transponder.
Russian Defence Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov dismissed Pentagon claims that the manoeuvre by the Russian SU-27 against the U.S. Air Force RC-135 was “unsafe and unprofessional.”
CNN reported that the Russian jet had come within about 30 metres of the US plane and had performed a “barrel-roll” - the same manoeuvre the US accused a Russian jet of making over the Baltic Sea last month.
“We’re already getting used to claims of Pentagon representatives regarding alleged ‘non-professional’ manoeuvres of our fighters when intercepting the US scout planes on the Russian borders,” he said in a statement carried by the state-run ITAR-TASS news agency.
“At the same time, we want to note that the RC-135U surveillance plane tries to sneak up to the Russian border with the transponder turned off each time. Therefore, the air defence forces on duty have to lift the fighter to visually identify the type of aircraft and its tail number.”
All flights of Russian aircraft are performed in compliance with international regulations, Konashenkov told ITAR-TASS. US military planes should either not perform flights close to the Russian border or turn the transponder on so they can be tracked by radar, he said.
It was the latest in a series of incidents where Russian aircraft have buzzed American planes or ships operating in the region. The United States has expressed concerns that the dangerous manoeuvres could lead to mishaps and escalate tensions between the two countries.
The Pentagon statement on Friday’s incident did not detail the type of manoeuvre the Russian pilot performed, but a senior defence official said the Russian aircraft flew along the US aircraft and then did a “barrel-roll” over the top of the aircraft, closing within 30 metres of the American RC-135. The official asked not to be named since he was not authorised to discuss the issue publicly.
Earlier last month, Russian attack planes buzzed the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook during the US’ joint exercises in the Baltic Sea.