The number of times RAF fighters have been scrambled to face down Russian jets over Eastern Europe has dramatically increased, it emerged today.
News of the spike in activity on Nato’s borders comes as new pictures were released showing Typhoons intercepting Russian fighters last week.
The Ministry of Defence images taken last Friday show RAF fighters shadowing three types of aircraft on a single mission above the Baltic Sea. The RAF pilots followed the Russian aircraft until they moved away from Estonian airspace.
British pilots scrambled from their base in Amari, Estonia, have already this year far exceeded the number of missions flown in the previous 12 months. Last year the total number of similar missions flown by RAF pilots involved in Nato’s Baltic Air Policing initiative was 13. With several months left of this year the number has already reached 18.
The rise is partly down to RAF planes currently being placed on a higher degree of readiness than other Nato jets, but MoD sources confirm increased Russian activity is also responsible.
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