U.S. European Command has released a series of photos showing just how close a Russian Su-27 jet came to a U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea on Monday.
Original reports said the Russian plane came within 5 feet, but Pentagon sources disputed it got that close. They did say, however, that the intercept was “unprofessional,” and came within about 30 feet.
“I wasn’t there, and we don’t have a tape measure,” said one official who said the reports of 5 feet were not supported.
(Photos: U.S. European Command)
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said what made the encounter troublesome was not so much the proximity but the performance of the Russian pilot.
“Due to the high rate of speed, the poor control that the Russian pilot had of his aircraft during the intercept, the aircraft commander of the RC-135 determined it to be unsafe,” Davis said. “I wouldn’t get stuck on distance alone. It’s distance, it’s relative speed, it’s altitude, it’s visibility. It’s a whole host of factors that led the aircraft commander to determine whether or not it was an unsafe event.”
Davis noted the vast majority of interceptions by the Russians are safe. “This is an exception, not a norm,” he said.
