RAF Lossiemouth jets intercept Russian military aircraft

Armed RAF fighter jets intercepted Russian military aircraft over the North Sea near UK airspace, the air force said.

The Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoons launched from RAF Lossiemouth in the north of Scotland.

They intercepted a pair of TU-142 Bear-F Maritime Reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, described by the RAF as Cold War era.

They were joined by an RAF Voyager to provide air-to-air refuelling.

The Russian aircraft were tracked by Nato as they transited within the military alliance's northern air policing area.

The Typhoons shadowed the aircraft throughout their journey as they approached UK airspace.

In a statement, a Typhoon pilot from RAF Lossiemouth said: "We worked closely with units from around the Royal Air Force to deliver another successful intercept, maintaining the integrity of UK and Nato airspace throughout.

"We were initially kept informed by our Nato colleagues and then routed directly to the Bears by the RAF Control and Reporting Centre.

"Air-to-air refuelling from an RAF Voyager ensured we were able to stay on task until the mission was complete, and the aircraft departed from the UK's area of interest."

Russian military aircraft entering the UK Flight Information Region, the UK's controlled zone of international airspace, can pose a hazard to other air users, the RAF said.

It said the Russian planes often did not talk to air traffic control or "squawk" - broadcasting a code ensuring they are visible to other air users and air traffic controllers on the ground.

In March, Lossiemouth Typhoon fighter jet crews were also scrambled to monitor two Russian Tu-142 Bear-F aircraft. 

QRA incidents can occur several times a year and have done since the early days of Cold War tensions.

In April last year, the RAF's Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston, condemned his Russian counterpart after two maritime patrol planes were intercepted north-east of Scotland while the UK was still under strict Covid lockdown restrictions.

The senior RAF officer described the older Russian aircraft as "relics of the Cold War" and posed a hazard to civilian air traffic.

RAF Lossiemouth on Scotland's north east coast is a base for dedicated QRA pilots.

The air station is also the home to the RAF's new fleet of Poseidon submarine-hunter aircraft.