On September 16 – 22 NATO fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states carried out six alert scrambles to identify and escort military aircraft of the Russian Federation in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On September 16 NATO air policing fighter aircraft intercepted one A-50 aircraft and two SU-27 fighters flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad. Neither of the SU-27s had their onboard transponder on, the flight plan, or kept radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre. The A-50 had the flight plan but its onboard transponder was off and the crew did not maintain radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On September 17 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted two TU-160 and two SU-27 aircraft of the Russian Federation flying from the mainland of the Russian Federation into the international airspace over the Baltic Sea and back. None of the aircraft used their onboard transponders, none had the flight plans and none kept the radio communication.
On September 17 NATO air policing fighter aircraft intercepted two TU-160 aircraft flying towards mainland Russia. Neither had their onboard transponders on, the flight plans or maintained the radio contact.
On September 18 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one A-50 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia according to a pre-filed flight plan, without using its onboard transponder, without keeping the radio contact.
On September 19 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one An-12 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia according to a pre-filed flight plan, with its onboard transponder off, maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On September 20 NAOT air policing fighter aircraft intercepted one SU-30 flying from and back to Kaliningrad in international airspace over the Baltic Sea. The crew did not have the flight plan, did not use the onboard transponder, and did not keep the radio contact.
Related image, credit: A. Gedrimas (LITHAF)
