5 more NATO intercepts next to Baltic airspace

  • 2015-06-04
  • By Gediminas Cekevicius

VILNIUS - From 25 May to 31 May, NATO air policing fighters protecting the Baltic States airspace were scrambled five times to intercept the military aircraft of the Russian Federation flying near the Baltic States’ borders, Lithuania’s National Defence Ministry reports.

On 26 May, NATO air policing fighter jets guarding the Baltic skies were scrambled to intercept an An-26 military cargo aircraft of the Russian Federation flying above the Baltic Sea. It was heading for Kaliningrad oblast from the mainland of the Russian Federation according to a pre-filed flight plan, used its on-board transponder, and maintained radio communication with air traffic control centre.

On 27 May, NATO fighter aircraft deployed to protect the Baltic airspace were scrambled twice. The first scramble was triggered off by two Su-24 attack aircraft flying without a pre-filed flight plan, without using their on-board transponders, and without maintaining radio communication to and from Kaliningrad oblast. The second scramble was conducted to intercept an An-27 of the Russian Federation flying above the Baltic Sea from Kaliningrad oblast towards mainland Russia. No flight plan had been pre-filed for the An-27 flight, its onboard transponder was switched on and the crew maintained radio communication with air traffic control centre.

On 28 May, fighter jets of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission were scrambled once to identify two Su-27 (possibly Su-24) aircraft of the Russian Federation flying near Kaliningrad oblast above neutral international waters of the Baltic Sea without a pre-filed flight plan, not using on-board transponders, not maintaining radio communication with air traffic control centre.

On 30 May, the NATO fighters conducting the Baltic Air Policing Mission scrambled once to intercept an An-26 military transport aircraft heading for mainland Russia from Kaliningrad oblast over the Baltic Sea according to a pre-filed flight plan, using its onboard transponder and maintaining radio communication with air traffic control centre, and also a Su-27 which was flying near Kaliningrad oblast without having pre-filed a flight plan, without using its onboard transponder and did not maintain radio communication with air traffic control centre.