Russian MiG intercepts Norwegian P-8 for the first time over the Barents Sea
The Defense Ministry in Moscow says the Norwegian maritime patrol aircraft was “approaching the state border of the Russian Federation.”
P-8 Poseidon is Norway’s new patrol aircraft replacing the older propeller P-3 Orion that for decades have monitored fisheries in the Barents Sea and Russian submarines on patrol in northern waters.
This is the first time a report is made public about a Russian intercepter MiG-31 being scrambled from an air base on the Kola Peninsula to meet Norway’s new maritime patrol aircraft.
“To identify an air target and prevent violation of the state border of the Russian Federation, a fighter jet was scrambled,” the Ministry writes in a post on its Telegram channel.
The ministry underlines that the Norwegian aircraft did not violate Russia’s air space and the MiG-31 returned to its base.
The Northern Fleet is this week holding a command and staff exercise which includes fighter jets, anti-submarine aircraft, and warships. According to the navy’s press service in Severomorsk, up to 1800 people, 40 aircraft and 15 vessels take part in the exercise.
As part of the exercise, the Northern Fleet’s anti-submarine aviation participated in search for a mock enemy submarine outside the coast of the Kola Peninsula. Both Ka-27 helicopters and the larger Tu-142 patrol planes took part.
