The British Government has condemned the actions of a Russian maritime patrol aircraft over Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in the North Atlantic.
A statement issued by the U.K. Ministry of Defence said the activities of the Russian Bear-F MPA, which “flew unnecessarily close” to the Royal Navy flagship and dropped multiple sonobuoys in its vicinity, were “unsafe and unprofessional.”
The incident, details of which have just been released, occurred on Thursday in international waters in the Norwegian Sea. Two UK F-35B fighter jets from HMS Prince of Wales intercepted and escorted the Russian Tu-142 aircraft until it left the area; it failed to respond when hailed on international safety frequencies.
The British carrier is heading a Carrier Strike Group (CSG), including Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, which is currently undertaking NATO Arctic Sentry duties as part of Operation Firecrest. RFA Tidespring is also making up part of the CSG deployed to the North Atlantic.
As per a U.K. MoD press statement, this marks the first time NATO air policing sorties are being conducted by the F-35 jets from a European aircraft carrier.
U.K. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis and Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir recently visited the carrier while she was deployed off Iceland.
The visit was timed to coincide with U.K. Special Operations Forces assuming leadership of the Special Operations Component Command of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF) on July 1. Britain has also assumed command of the maritime component of the ARF; HMS Queen Elizabeth,will serve as its floating HQ later this year.
Mr Jarvis commented: “It’s deployments like this, supported by allies and partners including Iceland, that improve our deterrence and defence as part of NATO. We are investing £298 billion over the next four years to strengthen readiness and ensure our people have the kit and technology they need.”
Ms Gunnarsdóttir added: “The visit of the UK Carrier Strike Group is a clear demonstration of NATO’s enhanced presence in this strategically important region, and one that Iceland is proud to support and contribute to.
“NATO continues to strengthen its deterrence and defence, demonstrating Allied unity and resolve in the challenging environment of the North Atlantic and the Arctic. Activities such as Arctic Sentry reflect this shared commitment.”
- You can read more details about Operation Firecrest on the British Government website