US NAVY EP-3 SUFFERS UNSAFE INTERCEPTION BY RUSSIAN SU-27

U.S. EP-7 suffers unsafe interception by Russian Su-27.

On Nov. 5, 2018, a U.S. EP-3 Aries aircraft flying in international airspace over the Black Sea was intercepted by a Russian SU-27. This interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft, which put pilots and crew at risk, U.S. Navy said in a statement.

The intercepting SU-27 made an additional pass, closing with the EP-3 and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away. The crew of the EP-3 reported turbulence following the first interaction, and vibrations from the second. The duration of the intercept was approximately 25 minutes.

It is the second time this year that Americans complain of unfair actions by Russian fighters. In January, a Russian Su-27 conducted another unsafe interception against a US Navy EP-3 surveillance plane while it was flying in the international airspace over the Black Sea. American pilots reported that the Russian jet nearly touched their plane (about 5 feet distance) and forced them to conclude the mission prematurely (More details here).

Written by Matteo Sanzani