The Norwegian Armed Forces have confirmed that two Norwegian F-35 fighter jets took off from Evenes Air Base this morning to identify and shadow two Russian Tu-142 ‘BEAR-F’ maritime patrol aircraft flying in international airspace near Troms.
According to the Norwegian Armed Forces, the Russian aircraft were operating near the area where Exercise #JointViking25 is taking place, a major military exercise involving Norwegian and NATO forces.
The Norwegian Armed Forces described the interception as routine, stating: “Such flights are considered routine.”
This morning, two Norwegian F-35s took off from Evenes to identify and shadow two Russian Tu-142 BEAR F in international airspace. The patrol aircraft were operating off the coast of Troms, where exercise #JointViking25 takes place. Such flights are considered routine. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/d7HOhEUtSn
— Norwegian Armed Forces | Forsvaret (@Forsvaret_no) March 10, 2025
The F-35s were scrambled to monitor the Russian aircraft as part of Norway’s Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission, which ensures continuous air policing of NATO’s northern flank.
The Tu-142 ‘BEAR-F’ is a long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft derived from the Soviet-era Tu-95 strategic bomber. First entering service in the 1970s, the aircraft remains a key part of Russia’s naval aviation, used primarily for tracking NATO submarines, gathering intelligence, and conducting long-range patrols over the Arctic, North Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans.
Despite its age, the Tu-142 has been regularly modernised, with upgraded avionics and weapons systems allowing it to remain operational in Russia’s Northern Fleet.
Operating at high altitudes and with a range exceeding 12,000 kilometres, the Tu-142 can conduct extended-duration missions, often accompanied by mid-air refuelling support. Its frequent presence near NATO airspace reflects Russia’s continued efforts to monitor allied naval movements and assert its strategic reach over the High North.
The F35 is one of the saddest things about the disintegration of the western alliance. It’s basically the NATO fighter built to provide unrivalled integration and massive capability at reasonable cost and the entire project has now been undermined by one reality TV star.
I seriously doubt LM will ever win another foreign bid no matter how much it tells everyone that the software isn’t controlled by the US Government.
I can see production lines shutting down in a few years because it’s a prime DOGE target and foreign orders not already paid for will rapidly disappear.
LM can get round this by giving BAE and the UK the full access to source code they were suppose to have the first place but that won’t happen.
Musks hatred for F35 will be ‘justified’ by a collapse in sales.
The only solution would be for LM to make the source code available and make 3rd party weapons integration part of that.
The Tangerine Toddler has hit the kill switch on US arms exports for sure.
Makes me think we should have just gone with BAE Replica and turned it into an actual aircraft, rather than just using it to get BAE in on the F-35 programme.
We could have developed it into a working aircraft and used that to replace Tornado GR4, and would have a viable stealth aircraft now that could have rivalled F-35 – especially now, given how unreliable the US is rapidly becoming.