Monday, may 15 Polish F-16 fighter jets “Hawk” who were at the military base of Siauliai in Lithuania to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft Il-20M. About it informs the Center of the United command of the air force (AIRCOM) in Rammstein in Germany, reports “Polish radio”, reports “RBC-Ukraine”.
“According to major Marek Kwiatek Operational command of the armed forces, the plane that was intercepted by Polish pilots, was turned off the transponder, that is securement, which allows you to identify the machine, and it was not specified in the flight plans. Il-20 was flying to Kaliningrad, but after it was intercepted by the Polish F-16, the machine returned to base,” – noted in the message.
AIRCOM says that it was the first combat mission in the present changing NATO mission of Baltic Air Policing, which began in may and is to patrol the airspace over Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In the framework of this mission now in the base of Siauliai in Lithuania, deployed by the Polish military contingent Orlik 7.
We will remind, the Russian su-27 for the second time this week approached the US Navy aircraft. A Russian fighter jet flew for 12 meters from reconnaissance aircraft, Poseidon.
