RAF Typhoon jets deployed in Poland were scrambled to intercept a Russian intelligence aircraft on Saturday, 24 May 2025, during a NATO Enhanced Air Policing (eAP) mission.
Two Typhoon FGR4s from No. II (Army Cooperation) Squadron, currently operating under 140 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) at Malbork Air Base, were launched after a Russian Ilyushin Il-20M—NATO codename COOT-A—approached Polish airspace. The aircraft had previously been intercepted by three other NATO pairs before turning towards Kaliningrad, then heading southwest, prompting NATO to dispatch the British fighters.
According to the RAF, the Il-20M did not file a flight plan, failed to communicate with civilian air traffic control, and was not squawking, a standard procedure for aircraft identification. The Typhoons intercepted the aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, escorting it until the handover to Danish Quick Reaction Alert forces.
“I was scrambled to intercept the COOT-A aircraft approaching NATO airspace,” an RAF pilot said. “Once intercepted, NATO instructed us to escort the aircraft. We escort aircraft to ensure the safety of all airspace users in the vicinity of the non-communicating aircraft.”
The pilot added that the mission was conducted professionally and in full accordance with international law.
An RAF spokesperson said the incident highlights the UK’s commitment to collective defence, noting: “NATO remains vigilant and ready to safeguard allied airspace 24/7. This is a clear demonstration of the UK’s commitment.”
The RAF deployment is part of Operation Chessman, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s eAP mission. Personnel from across the RAF are currently based in northern Poland, working alongside allied forces—including Sweden, NATO’s newest member—to secure the region’s airspace.
I’m curious.
Do RC135s of the RAF and USAF file flight plans with Russia, squawk, and contact Russian ATC?
If not, I’d not expect the Russians to do either?
I get the danger when Russian long range aviation fly south across the west of Ireland when they fail to use a transponder due to the danger to civilian air routes, and that our planes sniffing around Russia will be in areas with less civilian traffic, but this surely is standard for any spy plane?
The temporarily occupied Crimea, like the rest of Ukraine, is closed to civilian air traffic. Thus standard air traffic procedures are no longer relevant.
To the east of the Baltic, the RF territorial waters and sovereign airspace are subject to whatever they decide.
Not that it did much good for the Azerbaijan aircraft that was recently shot down by trigger happy S400 vatniks.
According to flightradar which uses public data the RC135W flights are over international waters not controlled airspace and using ADB-Out to squawk their position. Thus a public act legal within applicable international law.
The main difference with lost bears being their failure to engage with international law and air traffic control so as to be a danger to civilian aircraft that are under ATC.
Its standard cold war tactics being revisited again, Russia had the chance in the 1990s and early 00’s to behave in a different manner and become closer to the West, then Putin opted for a different path.
They are watching us, we are watching them- its been a process that is well understood and the rules of engagement clear. Russia almost broke them when near Crimea a Joint Rivet was almost shot down by some green as green grass Russian airforce pilot who locked onto the aircraft and attempted to fire a missile at it- fortunately (for Russia in the wider context and the RAF crew in the immediate) the missile didn’t launch. Now our joint Rivet operations are escorted by Typhoon with AWACS and additional aircraft available on support if required.
Rivet Joint!
At the time there were numerous reports that the Russian missile had in fact been fired and that our Rivet Joint decoyed it away from the aircraft. As I have posted here many times, this sort of thing will not stop until we shoot a few of them down. The Russians are trying it on.