On September 27 – October 3 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled two times to identify and escort military aircraft of the Russian Federation in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On September 29 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one IL-78, one TU-22, and two SU-35s. The IL-78 was flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia with its onboard transponder on, according to a pre-filed flight plan, maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre. The TU-22 was flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia with its onboard transponder off, no flight plan, not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre. The SU-35 aircraft were flying from mainland Russia into the international airspace and then back, their onboard transponders were off, no flight plan had been pre-filed, and the crews were not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On September 29 NATO Air Policing fighter aircraft intercepted one IL-20 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia, its onboard transponder was off, the crew had the flight plan and maintained the radio communication.
Related image (photo credit: A. Pliadis)
