F-35, F-18 Escort a Russian Navy Il-38N Away From USS Carl Vinson

Recent footage taken from the Naval aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson shows a Russian reconnaissance aircraft being escorted by two US fighters. While this type of activity is not uncommon in the region, it’s not every day that thousands of people get to see for themselves how the nation responds.

The video shows a Russian Navy II-38N maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft ‘buzzing’ a US Navy supercarrier, the USS Carl Vinson. Alongside it were two US fighter jets stationed on the ship: an F/A 18 Super Hornet and an F-35C Lightning II.

The Ilyushin II-38N Dolphin, dubbed by NATO as ‘May’, is a four-engine reconnaissance aircraft designed in Russia. It entered service with the Russian Navy in 1967 as a development of the II-18 turboprop transport aircraft. The nation is currently in the process of designing a replacement for the Dolphin that will have four TV7-117 turboprop engines, moving out the AI-20 power plant, with a wider range of weapons and onboard equipment.

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, which contains USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), operates the fleets of nine squadrons in Carrier Air Wing 2. It has been operating in the Indo-Pacific region for several weeks now using the F-35C, F/A-18E/F, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, CMV-22 Osprey, and MH-60R/S Sea Hawk.

The group is no stranger to these Russian visits, with ships in the Western Pacific region frequently spotting reconnaissance aircraft and sending fighters to keep an eye on them. However, watching is just about all they can do, as the US has no jurisdiction over the airspace in international waters. If a serious threat is present, the hostile aircraft would be downed before getting anywhere near the USS Carl Vinson.

The responsibility of dealing with close Russian approaches will soon transition to the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), which is expected to take the Carl Vinson’s place in Asia. Vinson is being reassigned to the Middle East as Nimitz, the Navy’s oldest active aircraft carrier, completes its final deployment.

FMI: www.airpac.navy.mil