British Typhoons intercept Russian Tu-22M3 bombers

The Royal Air Force on Saturday reported that Typhoon fighter jets with Sweden Gripens intercepted Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

According to a press release, Typhoons from 140 Expeditionary Air Wing and Swedish Air Force Gripens scrambled this afternoon, for a third time in 48 hours, to intercept two Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire bombers and two Su-30SM Flanker-H fighter jets flying close to NATO airspace.

“140 EAW are deployed on NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission,” the message added.

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On Twitter, the RAF shared images of the Russian military aircraft intercepted by the NATO jets.

Analysis of available images suggests that bombers are carrying the Kh-32 supersonic air-launched cruise missile. The Kh-32 was specially designed to attack US carrier battle groups, as well as various ground targets and developed on the Cold War legacy Kh-22 missile base.

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