Thursday, March 28, 2024

Pentagon says Venezuelan SU-30 “aggressively shadowed” EP-3 aircraft over Caribbean Sea

The U.S. Southern Command is releasing video of a U.S. EP-3 Aries signals reconnaissance aircraft flying July 19, in international airspace over the Caribbean Sea being “aggressively shadowed” by a Venezuelan SU-30 fighter jet.

“Venezuelan SU-30 Flanker “aggressively shadowed” a U.S. EP-3 aircraft at an unsafe distance July 19, jeopardizing the crew & aircraft,” said in a statement.

Also, the U.S. Southern Command stressed that the EP-3 was performing a multi-nationally recognized & approved mission in international airspace over the Caribbean Sea.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

The U.S. aircraft was operating in accordance with international law and did not provoke this Venezuelan activity.

“This action demonstrates #Russia’s irresponsible military support to Maduro’s illegitimate regime & underscores Maduro’s recklessness & irresponsible behavior, which undermines int’l rule of law & efforts to counter illicit trafficking,” added in the statement.

According to Military.com, EP-3 Ares is a signals intelligence (SIGINT) reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company.

The EP-3 aircraft is a four-engine, low-wing, electronic warfare and reconnaissance aircraft utilizing state-of-the-art electronic surveillance equipment for its primary mission.

The normal crew complement is 24, 7 officers and 17 enlisted aircrew. The EP-3E typically carries three pilots, one navigator, three tactical evaluators, and one flight engineer. The remainder of the crew is composed of equipment operators, technicians, and mechanics and may include relief crew members as well.

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

Ukraine uncovers secrets of Russia’s new hypersonic missile

Ukrainian analysts have unveiled the classified specs of Russia's shadowy hypersonic cruise missile, the 3M22 Zircon, intercepted by US-made missile defense systems over Kyiv,...