Russian jet harasses American Navy plane over Mediterranean

The U.S. Sixth Fleet condemned the Russian maneuver as the Russian Defense Ministry denied wrongdoing.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The United States Sixth Fleet condemned a Russian plane’s intercept of one of its Navy aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea Tuesday, calling it an “irresponsible interaction.”

According to the Navy account, over the course of almost three hours, a Russian fighter jet made three passes by one of its surveillance planes, which was “operating consistent with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity.”

The SU-35’s second pass “put our pilots and crew at risk,” because of the wake turbulence created by the high speed at which it flew “directly in front of the mission aircraft,” the statement read.

“While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible,” the statement continued. “We expect them to behave within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents.”

Moscow denied that its jet had acted irresponsibly, according to a report Wednesday in The Moscow Times, which quoted Russia’s state-run IRA news agency. The Ministry of Defense said that the Sukhoi jet had been scrambled from its Syrian base because the American plane had been approaching the naval facility that Russia has in the country. It had remained at a safe distance at all times, the report said, returning to its base once the American aircraft changed course.

This is the second time in seven months that the Russian Air Force executed an airborne maneuver deemed unsafe by its American counterpart. In November, a Russian fighter jet passed directly in front of a Navy plane causing turbulence. That time the interaction took place over the Black Sea, which Russia considers its backyard.

The U.S. air force has also used international airspace to warn off Russian planes when they are deemed too close to American shores. Just last month, American stealth jets intercepted four Russian bombers and two fighter jets off the coast of Alaska. According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), it had been the fourth and fifth intercepts of Russian incursions in the area since the beginning of the year.