Unsafe Interaction:US Navy Criticises Russian Intercept

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)

Land-Based Navy Planes Gather SIGINT

One of the nation's premier signals intelligence collection platforms is the U.S. Navy's EP-3E Aries aircraft,a modified P-3 Orion loaded with SIGINT capabilities.The Lockheed Martin plane intercepts;collects;exploits;fuses;identifies;and disseminates SIGINT in support of joint,theater and fleet command tasking.A crew of 24 on the EP-3E collects and fuses SIGINT information and disseminates it for direct threat warning;information dominance;battlespace situational awareness;air defense supression;and anti-air and anti-submarine warfare applications.The 16 EP-3E Aries aircraft have been thoroughly upgraded over their lifespans through incremental programs that have provided automated electronic surveillance;ForceNET classified network connectivity;and SIGINT sensor capabilities.The aircraft are based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island,Washington and are operated by two fleet air reconaissance squadrons.Lockheed Martin(LMT)