Sweden scrambled Gripen fighters to identify and shadow a group of Russian long-range aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea on Thursday, after radar picked up multiple Tu-22M3 bombers travelling with escorting Su-35 fighters.
One of the bombers was photographed carrying a Kh-22 or Kh-32 cruise missile under its wing.
The Swedish Air Force said its quick-reaction alert aircraft launched as the formation passed near NATO-monitored airspace, with the mission carried out in coordination with the Baltic Air Policing effort. In a brief statement, the service noted: “Swedish QRA identified Russian Tu-22 bombers escorted by Su-35 fighter jets over the Baltic Sea yesterday. Mission carried out in close cooperation with Baltic Air Policing.”
The bombers had departed from Olenya Air Base on the Kola Peninsula before flying south towards St Petersburg, then along the narrow international air corridor between Finland and Estonia. They later turned towards the area between Gotland and Latvia, tracing a route that brought them near NATO-controlled airspace before reversing course.
Tu-22M3 Backfire aircraft are long-range strike platforms capable of carrying heavy anti-ship and land-attack missiles, including the Kh-22 and its more modern successor, the Kh-32. These weapons have been used by Russia in its war against Ukraine and remain among the most potent systems in its inventory.
Italian Eurofighters assigned to the Baltic Air Policing mission also launched during the episode and operated alongside the Swedish jets as they monitored the Russian formation.
A flight of Backfires with fighter escort flaunting large cruise missiles…
Designed to try and intimidate Baltic members of NATO no doubt. This also feels like a bit of an escalation, although the article does not give actual numbers of aircraft involved the language confirms more than one of each type of aircraft and hints more. So probably a significant formation with a significant message of threat…
Cheers CR
Clearly armed, and therefore any future deviation into NATO airspace should lead to a shoot down and shrug of shoulders. Oh dear, never mind, how sad.
Pilling on the pressure to ENATO members. Especially now the present US administration has essentially indicated it’s now essentially heading to neutrality between Russia and the European democracies.. time for some serious coffee.. I do wonder if the continued delay of the DIP is because the geostrategic situation in Europe is flushing down the toilet faster than standard MOD and treasury operations can keep up with.. essentially the DIP just keeps going out of date…
Well is it any different to when US B52s or B1s, forget which, operated with US and RAF F35s over the Baltic approaching Kalingrad last year? I don’t see this as anything other thsn the ongoing cat and mouse which has gone in for decades personally.
Yep same thing.. both are designed to pressure.. but unfortunately the US pressure is backed by the polical will of a confused goat on speed. The Russian pressure is backed by Putin a man who has happily seen 150,000 deaths and not flinched.. if those B52s or B1s had been sent by a Ronald Reagan they would have had meaning.
Sweden scrambling fighters to shadow Russians a long held neutrality abandoned. Unthinkable ten years ago. Such is the precarious state of modern Europe.
Whatever happens in or to Ukraine, IMO Putin ‘lost’ the moment Finland and Sweden joined NATO. And Poland is spending goodness knows how much more on defence.
Agreed. Putin’s alleged ‘troubling concern’ over Ukraine joining N.A.T.O. and subsequent military invasion of said country has galvanised parts of N.A.T.O. on an historic sacle of significance. The speed at which Finland and Sweden joined was breathtaking. What an achievement! No amount of ‘western’ pressure could have made either country abandon neutrality so swiftly.