Russian fighter 'almost shot down UK spy plane',

A Russian warplane locked on to and fired a missile at a British navy jet final yr, and was solely prevented from taking pictures it down resulting from a technical malfunction, leaked US intelligence paperwork confirmed.

The encounter between the Russian and British plane in worldwide air area over the Black Sea on September 29, 2022 was reported by the UK authorities.

But data within the the leaked Pentagon information declare the incident was way more critical, the New York Times reviews.

A Russian air pressure Su-27 Flanker fighter jet. (Photo: Canadian armed forces) (Canadian Armed Forces)

The paper spoke with two unnamed US defence officers who backed accounts of the encounter from the Pentagon leaked materials.

They mentioned one of many pilots from a pressure of Russian Su-27 Flanker fighters despatched to intercept the UK Royal Air Force RC-135 surveillance plane misheard an instruction from a floor primarily based radar operator and believed he had permission to fireplace on the British aircraft.

US defence officers described the incident as “really, really scary” and a “near shootdown”.

Last October, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace instructed British MPs that the “unarmed RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint,” was “interacted with” by two Russian Su-27s, which shadowed it for a bout 90 minutes.

One of the Russian fighters “released a missile in the vicinity of the RAF Rivet Joint [from] beyond visual range.”

If the Russian fighter had shot down the British surveillance aircraft -which carries a crew of 30 – it could have risked the UK and its NATO allies retaliating.

Under the NATO founding treaty, the 31 nations agree that an armed assault in opposition to a number of of them would thought of an assault in opposition to all of them.

A Russian fighter jet on March 14, 2023, struck the propeller of a US Air Force MQ-9 drone surveillance drone over the Black Sea, inflicting American forces to carry down the unmanned aerial automobile in worldwide waters, the US navy mentioned. (AP)

And beneath the treaty each NATO member will assist the nation that has been attacked with any motion it regards as vital.

This week the UK Ministry of Defence warned about what it mentioned was a “serious level of inaccuracy” in regard to allegations in regards to the leaked US intelligence materials regarding the Russia Ukraine struggle.

While not offering any particular particulars, the ministry tweeted that:

“Readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation.”

Since final September’s incident, British and US plane have continued their flights over the Black Sea to assemble intelligence. But the UK planes at the moment are escorted by fighter jets, whereas the US have deployed drones.

On Thursday, US investigators arrested 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guard member, over the leak of the labeled Pentagon paperwork.

– Reported with Associated Press