On January 13-19, 2020, NATO fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled twice to identify and escort military aircraft of the Russian Federation in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On January 15 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states intercepted one TU-134, two SU-35, and two SU-27 aircraft. The TU-134 was flying from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder on, according to a pre-filed flight plan, maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control center, the SU-35s were escorting the TU-134 – took off from mainland Russia and return without switching on the onboard transponders, according to a flight plan but without keeping the radio communication. The SU-27s took off from and retuned to Kaliningrad escorting the TU-134, with their onboard transponders off, without the flight plan or maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control center.
On January 17 NATO air policing fighter aircraft intercepted one TU-134, two SU-27, and two SU-35 aircraft. The TU-134 flew from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia with its onboard transponder off, according to a pre-filed flight plan, maintaining radio communication. The SU-27s escorting the TU-134 took off from and returned to Kaliningrad, without using their onboard transponders, with no flight plans, without maintaining radio communication. The SU-35s met and escorted the TU-134, they took off from and returned to mainland Russia, with their onboard transponders off, without maintaining radio communication, with no flight plans.
Related image, credit: Antanas Giedrimas/Lithuanian Air Force
