Finnish F/A-18 Hornets intercept Russian planes flying above the Gulf of Finland

Finland scrambled F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets on Monday to intercept Russian planes it said was flying over the Gulf of Finland near its border.

The Finnish Air Force announced on its Twitter account that: “F/A-18 Hornets on Quick Reaction Alert was scrambled to identify Russian Antonov An-12 and Antonov An-72 transport aircraft in international airspace above the Gulf of Finland on Monday 27 May after 11 am.”

Also noted that the airspace of Finland was not violated by Russian planes.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

Later Dutch aviation publication Scramble Magazine has reported that the Russian aircraft involved were An-12BK (RF-95684/20 bl) and Border Guard An-72P (RF-72019).

“The An-12 is a really old one, the aircraft was first reported with an in service date of January 1971. It started its career as an An-12PPS, but was converted to a standard An-12BK transport aircraft in 1990,” Scramble Magazine stressed.

As to An-72P, intercepted by the Finnish Hornet, this is a light short take-off and landing military transport aircraft in armed border surveillance variant.

An-12BK (RF-95684/20 bl)

If you would like to show your support for what we are doing, here's where to do it.

If you wish to report grammatical or factual errors within our news articles, you can let us know by using the online feedback form.

Executive Editor

About author:

Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov is the editor-in-chief of Defence Blog. He is a journalist, an accredited defense advisor, and a consultant. His background as a defense advisor and consultant adds a unique perspective to his journalistic endeavors, ensuring that his reporting is well-informed and authoritative. read more

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

TRENDING NOW

Russian Army receives new batch of armored infantry vehicles

Russia's defense heavyweight Rostec has announced the delivery of a new batch of armored infantry and airborne vehicles to the Russian military. The delivery, carried...