Russian Su-27s in another dangerous interecpt

Russian Su-27 Flankers have been involved in yet another dangerous interception of an ELINT aircraft. In this case it was a Swedish S102 Korpen (based on the Gulfstream GIVSP). They fly in international airspace over the Baltic, transponders on, talking to the relevant ATC agencies and are frequently intercepted by Russian aircraft.

Swedish officials have described these routine intercepts as becoming "increasingly aggressive", culminating in the July 16th incident, in which a Flanker flew a mere 10.7 meters (35 feet) off the wingtip of the Korpen. International procedures call for a distance of between 50-150 meters (164-492 feet roughly) away from the intercepted aircraft.

The Swedish Air Force operates a pair of Gulfstream IVSP aircraft, known in Swedish service as S102B Korpen, used for ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) purposes.

The aircraft, based on the American Gulfstream business jet but equipped with eavesdropping sensors, conduct surveillance missions in the Baltic Sea. According to Swedish Air Force officials, during those sorties, the Korpens fly in international airspace, with their transponders turned on, and regularly transmit their position to the relevant civilian air traffic control agency, both domestic and, if needed, foreign ones.

Nevertheless, as reported by the Swedish media outlet SvD Nyheter, the Swedish spyplanes are almost always intercepted by Russian armed fighter jets on Quick Reaction Alert at the Russian airbase in the Kaliningrad enclave.

Most of times such encounters are routine stuff, something that has happened in international airspace across the world, for several decades. However, Swedish officials who talked to SvD explained that the behaviour of the Russian Su-27 Flankers frequently scrambled to intercept the Gulfstreams has become increasingly aggressive.

The most dangerous incident occurred on Jul. 16, between Gotland and Latvia, when a Russian Su-27 Flanker, armed with 6 air-to-air missiles, intercepted one of the two Swedish ELINT jet, and flew as close as 10,7 meters of the spyplane.

theaviationist.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

This is just the little idiot Carl Bildt, trying to make a big issue of it.

Carl Bildt, and his ilk ... have a dream of grandeur. He thinks, he's going to win Russia in a battle of wits.

For the most part, these "news" are fake ... where Carl Bildt comes on the news with "sad puppy" eyes, and 30 year old pictures of Russian aircraft.

It's the Swedish airforce that is in reality the agressor, as it's flying in what it "claims" to be international flight zone. Over Russian territory, thinking that because they have their transponders on ... they're just on "international flight" path.

originally posted by: bjarneorn
This is just the little idiot Carl Bildt, trying to make a big issue of it.

I agree. Carl Bildt should not be allowed to fly. It's crazy that he got his pilot license. He is partial to "air rage", from what I hear and can't navigate for toffee.

To topic. Is this individual Russian pilots acting unofficially as some macho stunt, or is the behaviour planned and thus authorised higher up and with knowledge?

Regards

originally posted by: bjarneorn
a reply to: Zaphod58

This is just the little idiot Carl Bildt, trying to make a big issue of it.

Carl Bildt, and his ilk ... have a dream of grandeur. He thinks, he's going to win Russia in a battle of wits.

For the most part, these "news" are fake ... where Carl Bildt comes on the news with "sad puppy" eyes, and 30 year old pictures of Russian aircraft.

It's the Swedish airforce that is in reality the agressor, as it's flying in what it "claims" to be international flight zone. Over Russian territory, thinking that because they have their transponders on ... they're just on "international flight" path.

All the sources I can find say the photo is contemporary.

It certainly shows an armed SU-27 30 or 40 meters off the wingtip of what appears to be small business jet.

While we don't know whose airspace the aircraft were flying in to be certain, the Flankers danger close proximity along with the Flanker pilot rolling to show his air to air munitions to the other pilot is considered to be a hostile act.

a reply to: bjarneorn

This is not the only time that something like this has happened. We're far past the time that a business jet, like a Gulfstream IV is going to fly through Russian airspace. A high speed high altitude ISR platform, MAYBE, but an unarmed, business jet, no way.

It's amazing that when the perceived bad guy, the country that's been made out to be the bad guy, the continuation of the evil empire, etc etc etc blah blah, does something like this, everyone's eyes light up.

The Russian's send out their bombers to probe our air defenses, and we intercept them in International air space. The issue being that they sent bombers, how dare they fly so close to our airspace.
The Russian's intercept Western intelligence gathering aircraft in International airspace, near Russian airspace, and the issue becomes that the Russian's dared to intercept aircraft flying "innocently" in international airspace near Russia. The issue is never that the moves are provocative to Russia. It's only provocative when Russia reciprocates what the West has continued doing even after the Cold War ended(supposedly) while Russia and it's armed forces were in disarray. Now that they are able to return the favor, it's apparently a problem.

At the end of the day all it is, is propaganda. They do it, we do it, everyone does it.
And really, it's a shame that although we face the same real threats as they do, Islamic terrorism, that we can't work together to defeat a common enemy. But then I guess how can we work with each other against a common enemy, when the shadowy parts of our governments are the ones arming and training that so called common enemy.

Shoot them with a bird cannon so it looks like "natural causes". Nothing like an engine ingested foul to foul up your day!

The Russians and the Chinese must operate by the same play book. Seams like they like to push it as far as they can untill planes hit each other.

a reply to: mortex

Bullcrap. The issue isn't that Russia intercepts Western intelligence aircraft, it's that they intercept aircraft in a dangerous manner. In 2012, a MiG-31 buzzed a Norwegian P-3 from behind so close that it was a near miss. Russian aircraft intercepting Western aircraft is a total non-story. Russian aircraft intercepting Western aircraft, and flying less than 50 feet off the wing, or flying in dangerous manners is a story. There's a HUGE difference between the two.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: bjarneorn

This is not the only time that something like this has happened. We're far past the time that a business jet, like a Gulfstream IV is going to fly through Russian airspace. A high speed high altitude ISR platform, MAYBE, but an unarmed, business jet, no way.

Well, sweden has a history of spying on the Russians. Remember that plane that was shot down by the Russians ... it was a "real" spy plane, which is why it was shot down.

And the Swedes are still at it, continuously ... remember Yougoslavia? That's Carl Bildt, and I listened to this dude in public ... proclaiming several years ahead of time, that they were going to free Kosovo from Serbia.

As long as Carl Bildt is anywhere close to a government issue, anything coming from the Swedish state department, should be taken with a grain of salt. Because in all scenarios, Swedes have always "provoked" the situation .. and caused it.

Most Swedes have illusions of Grandeur ... have you spent time listening to them, as people? There discussions? I'm not going to bore you here, except that whatever comes from Sweden, is an Assange case ... it's something made up, and without any ability to appeal to laws, logic or reason.

That's sweden and swedes.

a reply to: bjarneorn

EVERYONE does. China spies on Russia and the US, Russia spies on the US and Europe, the US spies on Russia and China, and on and on and on. The fact that Sweden does isn't the big deal. The big deal is that flying a fighter less than 50 feet off the wing of ANY aircraft, but especially what's essentially a not very maneuverable business jet, is not safe by any stretch of the imagination.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: mortex

Bullcrap. The issue isn't that Russia intercepts Western intelligence aircraft, it's that they intercept aircraft in a dangerous manner. In 2012, a MiG-31 buzzed a Norwegian P-3 from behind so close that it was a near miss. Russian aircraft intercepting Western aircraft is a total non-story. Russian aircraft intercepting Western aircraft, and flying less than 50 feet off the wing, or flying in dangerous manners is a story. There's a HUGE difference between the two.

And we should believe every detail in our media?
Western media = truth that we shouldn't question, everything else = lies. Am I doing it right?

originally posted by: mortex

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: mortex

Bullcrap. The issue isn't that Russia intercepts Western intelligence aircraft, it's that they intercept aircraft in a dangerous manner. In 2012, a MiG-31 buzzed a Norwegian P-3 from behind so close that it was a near miss. Russian aircraft intercepting Western aircraft is a total non-story. Russian aircraft intercepting Western aircraft, and flying less than 50 feet off the wing, or flying in dangerous manners is a story. There's a HUGE difference between the two.

And we should believe every detail in our media?
Western media = truth that we shouldn't question, everything else = lies. Am I doing it right?

What's the media got to do with it? You were just plain wrong in misreading the post and assuming it was about something it wasn't.

Interceptions on all sides are commonplace and people who know about this sort of thing have known about them for decades, there is no complaint that a Western plane got intercepted, so your original post was redundant.

Zaphod58, I'm guessing you know a thing or two about aircraft, so I have a bit of an off topic question.
What is that sticking up on the fighter? Behind the canopy, roughly in the middle of the aircraft.

On Topic, intercepting each others flights is no big deal, it's been going on for decades, but 50 ft off the wingtip ? I bet everyone on the Swedish plane were at full pucker.

a reply to: DAVID64

It's the speed brake to slow him down. They generally pick up speed faster than the Gulfstream, so they have to use that to slow down and match speed.

a reply to: mortex

Right, because the picture of the Flanker that close to the wingtip is totally fake. The lying Western Media is using blogs now to fake everyone out and make the Russians into Evil monsters.

Swedish officials have described these routine intercepts as becoming "increasingly aggressive", culminating in the July 16th incident, in which a Flanker flew a mere 10.7 meters (35 feet) off the wingtip of the Korpen. International procedures call for a distance of between 50-150 meters (164-492 feet roughly) away from the intercepted aircraft.

Wow. I honestly did not know there were international procedures showing a distance like that. That being said its not that dangerous guys. Fighters do it all the time on tanker . And before you say it's on a tanker that Gulfstream is more manueverable than that tanker.



Yes I know its the thunderbirds but it's the only one I had uploaded at the time. But all fighters fly on our wings like this.

a reply to: boomer135

Yes, but with tankers, it's formation trained pilots, flying a planned mission. An intercept isn't planned, nor is it trained for like that. That's what makes it so dangerous. All it takes is for one pilot to react wrong, or make a wrong move, and a big mess occurs.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Thank You. That's what I thought it was, but didn't want to assume.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: boomer135

Yes, but with tankers, it's formation trained pilots, flying a planned mission. An intercept isn't planned, nor is it trained for like that. That's what makes it so dangerous. All it takes is for one pilot to react wrong, or make a wrong move, and a big mess occurs.

While I agree, the flankers form up on a tanker all the tim . It's no different than an intercept except the aircraft pilots they are intercepting aren't qualified in formation. But really they would have autopilot on anyway so they wouldn't need to do anything. The flankers are maneuverable enough to avoid a mid air one would hope