Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets, from 6 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, intercepted Russian military aircraft while they were flying over the Baltic Sea.

The Typhoons approached the Russian formation to identify its composition and established it was an IL-38 ‘MAY’ Maritime Patrol Aircraft, being escorted by two Su-27 Flanker B fighter jets.

This was the first time in recent years that the Royal Air Force have seen and intercepted a ‘MAY’ which was operating alongside a Russian OSCAR class submarine which the Typhoons photographed on the surface as it transited towards the west across the Baltic Sea.

This intercept follows an earlier interception at the start of the week when the Typhoons were again airborne to monitor Russian SU-27 Flankers as they transited through Lithuanian controlled international airspace.

These intercepts have come during a busy week for 135 Expeditionary Air Wing, the RAF Unit that is deployed in Lithuania as the UK contribution to the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. The EAW has also been conducting NATO Air Policing interoperability training with a detachment of German Eurofighters that have been embedded into 135 EAW. RAF Personnel also hosted the Lithuanian President when he visited the airbase and were invited to take part in some national Lithuanian events, which they were delighted to accept.

Moreover, on Tuesday, the Finnish Defense Ministry has reported that it suspected a Russian military aircraft had violated Finnish airspace over the Gulf of Finland.