**Alert**Russian jet chases NATO plane away from defense minister's aircraft

I always forget that ATS does not personally know who I am.
Or you would know that most of the time I chime in with an absurd comment - such as the inverted middle finger top gun reference, I'm just being a silly goose.
( No Top Gun pun intended on being a silly Goose.)

originally posted by: Macenroe82
a reply to: AnakinWayneII

What the heck!?

Why did NATO feel the need to approach the plane?
Wanting to go Top Gun style and do an inverted “wave” to the Russians?
I hope the Russians put that clown in Missile lock for a couple seconds to send him home a bit puckered.

Are you serious? Good job you aren't in charge! You would have started WW3!

Joking aside you do realise that this is standard operational procedure. You are failing to see that it is simply a set up for the Russian media. The Russians allow the NATO fighter to make the perfectly routine identification intercept then they muscle in to edge it away. The NATO fighter will make a standard intercept to identify the type of aircraft and try and get the tail number in order to report back to the controller.

The Russians do exactly the same for unidentified aircraft flying through their respective flight information regions with the intercepts being conducted in international airspace - just the same as the Spanish Air Force NATO Quick Reaction Alert F/A-18 Hornet is doing.

Here is some other footage from the Baltic. Again, it is just a set up for the camera and to get dramatic footage. The NATO F-16 pilot is allowed to make a standard intercept and the Russian Flanker pilot muscles in.



NATO F-15 Eagle pilot allowed to make standard intercept and then muscled away.



The Russians just know how to play the media game for all they are worth. NATO could play the same game but is just not worth it for the sake of a media clip.

As other posters have highlighted the Russian intercepts in recent years tend to be a bit aggressive and sometimes get too close.

For example this Russian Su-27 Flanker pilot intercepting a US Navy EP-3 in international airspace over the Black Sea.

There is absolutely no need to get that close during an interception!



Nor blast past with afterburners and this Su-27 pilot does over the Black Sea in international airspace. All that is required is a standard intercept flown professionally and safely.

a reply to: tommyjo

See the post above yours.

Most of the time, I guess my comments are so ridiculous the majority recognizes the sarcasm and ignores.
This time though absurdity comment = on blast.

But that's fine, I just need to try a bit harder next time.


ETA: Those are neat videos.
Puckering 4 sure!

a reply to: Homefree

Now we're talking... having a Silly Goose time!

originally posted by: Macenroe82
a reply to: tommyjo

See the post above yours.

Most of the time, I guess my comments are so ridiculous the majority recognizes the sarcasm and ignores.
This time though absurdity comment = on blast.

But that's fine, I just need to try a bit harder next time.

ETA: Those are neat videos.
Puckering 4 sure!

No problem. Thanks for the reply.