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VIDEO: Navy plane intercepted by ‘irresponsible’ Russian jet for 25 minutes

Posted at 12:03 PM, Nov 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-05 12:03:11-05

BLACK SEA – The U.S. Navy has released video of what it says was an unsafe interception of a Navy plane by a Russian jet on Monday.

In a statement, the Navy says that the EP-3 Aries aircraft was flying in international airspace over the Black Sea when it was intercepted by the Russian SU-27.

According to the statement, “This interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft, putting at risk the pilots and crew. The intercepting SU-27 made an additional pass, closing with the EP-3 and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away. The crew of the EP-3 reported turbulence following the first interaction, and vibrations from the second. The duration of the intercept was approximately 25 minutes.”

WATCHvideo released by the U.S. Navy of the interaction: 

The Navy called the actions by the Russian military “irresponsible,” adding “We expect them to behave within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972 Agreement for the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA). Unsafe actions‎ increase the risk of miscalculation and potential for midair collisions.”

The statement from the Navy added that the EP-3 was operating within international law and did not provoke the Russian jet.