Two German Eurofighter Typhoons Scrambled

On September 21, two Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled by the German Air Force to identify and monitor a Russian aircraft that was flying over the Baltic Sea without radio contact or a flight plan.

The German pilots visually identified the aircraft, which stayed in neutral airspace, as an Ilyushin Il-20M recon aircraft and the Germans transferred the escort to Swedish NATO allies and returned to their base at Rostock-Laage in northern Germany. No incident occurred during the encounter.

The German delegation to NATO said in a statement, “Once again, NATO tasked the German Quick Reaction Alert detachment, consisting of two Eurofighters, to investigate an unidentified aircraft without a flight plan or radio contact in international airspace.”

The Il-20M, also referred to as “Coot-A” by NATO, is a Cold War era Soviet-manufactured electronic intelligence (ELINT) and reconnaissance aircraft still used by the Russian Aerospace Forces. Its role is to gather, transmit, and assess electronic signals and image intel for Russia’s strategic surveillance operations.

NATO and EU member states say they have experienced recurring violations of their airspace by Russia this year.

In September, three Russian MiG-31 fighters unlawfully entered Estonia’s airspace over the Gulf of Finland. They remained there for 12 minutes and headed back to Russia. Afterward, the Estonian government in the country’s capital of Tallinn requested NATO Article 4 consultations.

Article 4 consultations can be requested by any member state whenever its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened. Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have also experienced incursions by Russian aircraft or drones in recent months.

FMI:  www.nato.int/