Video Surfaces Of Russian Su-27 Making Aggressive Turn Into U.S. F-15 During Intercept - Su-27 aggressive turn.jpg

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...ring-intercept

A video has quickly made its way around Russian social media showing a Russian
Su-27 Flanker flying between a USAF F-15C Eagle and another aircraft during an
intercept mission, with the Su-27 turning then directly into the F-15 at very
close range in an attempt to 'push it away' from the aircraft it was escorting.

It isn't clear exactly what the circumstances are that led to the intercept or
where it occurred, although the F-15C appears to be from the 493rd 'Grim
Reapers' Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. The
unit has a heavy presence throughout Europe and regularly provides aircraft for
NATO's air policing duties in the Baltic region.

https://youtu.be/eUmVtCWlwqI

https://youtu.be/N-OORnqmeLg

We can't say for sure if the video was shot during one of those alert scramble
missions, but Russian aircraft are very active in the tense Baltic Sea region
and have been known to inject themselves between NATO aircraft who have
intercepted Russian VVIP aircraft, surveillance planes, and transports in a
similar, but not quite as aggressive manner. They have even photo bombed large
NATO formation flights over the Baltic Sea during major exercises.

All this is in addition to making aggressive moves near lumbering U.S. and
allied surveillance aircraft operating in various hotspots around the globe. One
Russian fighter even barrel rolled over a KC-10 tanker while flying over Syria,
so these types of antics aren't just relegated to intercepts in international
airspace.

Here is a video of Grim Reaper F-15s in action during an air policing detachment
to the Baltics in 2018:

https://youtu.be/OHN3_P4ccbs

Clearly, such abrupt maneuvers could end in disaster and spark an international
crisis, but regardless of the normal diplomatic protests that occur after these
types of events, Russia has shown to have little interest in modifying their
pilot's behavior.

We will update this story with new information over the next 24 hours as it
comes available.




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