One Finnish and one Swedish fighter jet were scrambled to Russian aircraft operating in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. According to the STT news agency, the Russian fighter pilots had not filed a flight plan in advance and were heading towards Russian territory. In a joint Swedish-Finnish operation, the aircraft were taken out of the Baltic Sea.
A Finnish F/A-18 Hornet and a Swedish JAS-39 Gripen were scrambled when two Russian fighter jets taking off from the Königsberg region operated in international airspace without filing a flight plan, the STT news agency reported on Wednesday.
Russian pilots were heading towards the territory Russiabut did not communicate with civilian air traffic control, it was reported.
Finnish FA-18 HornetVanderWolf Images/Shutterstock
Swedish JAS-39 GripenPeter R Foster IDMA/Shutterstock
Russian fighters taken outside the Baltic Sea
The joint Swedish-Finnish operation to escort Russian fighters out of the Baltic Sea was carried out as part of rapid response operations FOR THIS (Quick Reaction Alert) and was carried out on Monday. The presence of Russian fighters flying over international waters was reported by an allied base in Uedem, Germany, as well as by the Finns and Swedes, NATO confirmed.
Finland joined NATO in the spring of 2023, and Sweden in March this year. The air forces of these countries supervise their airspace, which has also become NATO common airspace, in coordination with the Joint Air Operations Center located in Germany (CAOCs), responsible for the surveillance mission in Northern Europe.
Main image source: Peter R Foster IDMA/Shutterstock