After the US MQ-9 Drone Crashes, NATO Deploys Fighter Jets To Intercept Russian Aircraft, Revenge?

After the US MQ-9 Drone Crashes, NATO Deploys Fighter Jets To Intercept Russian Aircraft

International Military - NATO fighter jets from Britain and Germany, were deployed to intercept two Russian military aircraft flying near Estonia on Tuesday night. It came hours after the United States (US) military accused a Russian Su-27 fighter jet of ramming and downing an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea.

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Two Russian military aircraft, an Il-78 Midas refueling plane and an Antonov 148 transport plane, approached NATO airspace without contacting the Estonian authorities. The incident was the first time Britain and Germany had conducted a joint aerial intercept as part of a NATO agreement.

"NATO continues to form the foundation of our collective security," British Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said in a statement, as quoted by Fox News.

"This joint British and German deployment in the Baltic clearly demonstrates our collective determination to challenge any potential threat to NATO's borders, while demonstrating our combined strength," he said.

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The incident came just hours after the American military accused two Russian Su-27 fighter jets of intercepting a US$32 million MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea. According to the US military, one of the fighter jets then crashed through the propeller causing the spy drone to crash into the Black Sea.

"At approximately 7:03 a.m., one of the Russian Su-27 aircraft hit the propeller of the MQ-9, causing US forces to have to lower the MQ-9 in international waters. Several times prior to the collision, the Su-27 dumped fuel and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unfriendly and unprofessional manner," US European Command said in a statement.

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"This incident demonstrates a lack of competence in addition to being unsafe and unprofessional," the statement continued. “This incident follows a pattern of dangerous acts by Russian pilots while interacting with US and Allied aircraft in international airspace, including over the Black Sea. These aggressive actions by the Russian aircrew were dangerous and could lead to unintended miscalculations and escalations," added US European Command.

However, the Russian Ministry of Defense denied the accusations. According to the ministry, the Russian Su-27 fighter jets did not come into contact with the American drones. The ministry said the American spy drone crashed due to a sharp maneuver.