05 February 2025 , 14:10
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Two Norwegian jets rushed to respond after four Russian planes flew dangerously close to NATO airspace yesterday.
The Russian TU-95 bombers were being escorted by two Flanker-D planes in the high north but were closely monitored by the Norweigan Air Force F-35s.
Major General Øivind Gunnerud, Norwegian Air Chief, said: ‘Our Quick Reaction Alert mission in the High North is important for our national defence and NATO’s collective security.
‘The ability to respond swiftly ensures the safety of our airspace and highlights the strength of our allied forces in maintaining peace and stability.’
NATO’s air policing mission allows nations to intercept, detect and monitor potential threats to maintain security.
The jet’s proximity to NATO airspace comes just days after Metro revealed two RAF jets were told they would ‘be destroyed’ in a tense encounter.
In 2020, a Norweigan F-35 intercepted a Russian TU-142 (Picture: AFP)
Two Typhoon jets escorting the RAF’s ‘Rivet Joint’ spy plane were warned that they would be ‘destroyed’ by Vladimir Putin’s forces if they continued flying towards the Crimean peninsular.
In a separate disclosure, figures showing how British jets have been repeatedly scrambled to intercept Russian bombers have been released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Seven launches in response to the Kremlin’s long-range ‘Bears’ and other rogue aircraft in or near UK airspace took place last year, the information obtained by Metro shows.
The high stakes game is captured in the footage taken over the Black Sea where a Russian message transmitted to all three RAF aircraft says: ‘Ivory Eagle, Ivory Eagle, Ivory Eagle, Delta Echo Zemlya.
‘You are approaching the state border of the Russian Federation combat zone. If you don’t leave, you will be destroyed.’