Portuguese F-16 fighter jets intercepted Russian military planes in the Baltic Sea

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Two Portuguese F-16 fighters identified and escorted a Russian IL-76 military plane off the coast of Estonia in the Baltic Sea on Sunday as part of NATO’s Baltic air surveillance mission, the Atlantic Alliance announced on Monday. .

The Russian plane was flying from mainland Russia to the Kaliningrad enclave over international waters off the Baltic Sea coast of Estonia, NATO explained in a statement posted on its website.

Since there was no flight plan, the plane was neither in contact with air traffic control nor was it using its transponder, NATO’s Northern Combined Air Operations Center in Uedem, Germany ordered the F-16s launched. and confirmed the details of the unknown. planes”, detailed the Atlantic Alliance.

The Portuguese fighters, which had the first alert output on their second day of mission, were launched from Siauliai, in Lithuania.

After identifying and escorting the Russian plane, the Portuguese fighters returned safely to Siauliai. This was a routine event,” he added.

For the commander of the Portuguese detachment, Lieutenant Colonel José Dias, quoted in the statement, the operation was a demonstration of “excellent commitment, dedication and professionalism of all the elements that make up the detachment“.

Portugal leads the 62nd rotation of NATO’s Baltic Air Surveillance mission. Four F-16s arrived early last week and took over responsibility for protecting NATO regional airspace alongside F-16s from the Romanian Air Force on March 30, the Atlantic Alliance added.

Since the accession of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 2004, NATO allies took turns deploying an aerial surveillance capability at Siauliai to protect the territorial integrity of the three Baltic allies in a strong demonstration of cohesion and solidarity of the Alliance, the organization also stressed.