- Two Norwegian F-35A stealth fighters intercepted a pair of Russian anti-submarine warfare aircraft off the coast of Norway over the weekend.
- The stealth fighters relieved a pair of F-16s that initially intercepted the two Russian Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft.
- The intercept marked the F-35s first time participating in a NATO quick alert reaction mission.
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Two Norwegian F-35A stealth fighters intercepted a pair of Russian anti-submarine warfare aircraft off the coast of Norway over the weekend in what appears to be the jet's first intercept mission involving a Russian aircraft, according to multiple reports.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RoNAF) scrambled F-16s for a quick reaction alert mission as two Russian Tu-142s with a MiG-31 fighter escort approached Norwegian airspace on Saturday. Two F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters were then sent out to provide additional support.
"The Armed Forces yesterday established reinforced extra F-35 preparedness from Ørland air station to enhance sovereignty," Maj. Gen. Tonje Skinnarland, chief of the Norwegian Air Force, said, according to The Barents Observer.
On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense released video footage taken from inside one of the Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft showing the intercept.
Supported by a Il-76 refueling tanker, the Russian aircraft flew 13 hours in total. At one point, they were also intercepted by British Royal Air Force Typhoons, also part of the NATO quick reaction alert mission.
Norway received its first F-35s three years ago. The country currently has 15 of the fifth-generation stealth fighters, but it has plans to expand its fleet to 52 by 2025, at which point all Norway's F-16s will be retired.
US stealth fighters, specifically the F-22 Raptor, routinely intercept Russian aircraft entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. Such an intercept actually occurred Monday, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command.
"NORAD continues to operate in the Arctic across multiple domains," NORAD commander Gen. Terrance O'Shaughnessy said. "As we continue to conduct exercises and operations in the north, we are driven by a single unyielding priority: defending the homelands."
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