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A Russian Bear-F maritime patrol aircraft was intercepted by two British fighter jets on July 2, the British Ministry of Defense reported on Monday.
The Russian aircraft had approached the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales at low altitude in the Norwegian Sea and had deployed numerous acoustic buoys in the immediate vicinity. These buoys are devices that can function as underwater microphones to detect and track submarines.
The Russian aircraft also failed to respond to international safety frequencies. The British Ministry of Defense described the actions as “dangerous and unprofessional.”
The British F-35s escorted the aircraft until it had left the area, according to the ministry, which noted that the incident occurred while the aircraft carrier was participating in Operation Firecrest, a NATO deterrence mission in the North Atlantic.
Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO has strengthened its presence and surveillance in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.
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