On 5 November 2018,a Russian fighter jet conducted an intercept of a US Navy SIGINT plane,drawing a critical response from the Navy.According to a news release from US Naval Forces Europe and Africa/US 6th Fleet,a Russian Su-27,NATO code name "Flanker,"intercepted a US Navy EP-3 Aries over international waters of the Black Sea:
The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the Su-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft,which put our pilots and crew at risk.The intercepting Su-27 made another pass,closing with the EP-3 and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away.The crew of the EP-3 reported turbulence during the first interaction,and vibrations from the second.The duration of the intercepts was approximately 25 minutes.*
In conclusion,the Navy stated:
Unsafe actions increase the risk of miscalculation and potential for midair collisions.
The US aircraft was operating in accordance with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity.*
The EP-3 Aries is a Lockheed Martin turboprop aircraft based on the EP-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft.It was perhaps collecting SIGINT from Russian military activity in or near Crimea,Ukraine,which has been intensifying for the past five years.The classified missions of the EP-3 Aries are mainly conducted in high threat environments where long-range standoff capability is desirable.
The EP-3 Aries is the Navy's only land-based SIGINT platform.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)
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