Russian Tu-142 Dropped Hydroacoustic Buoys Near British Aircraft Carrier: It Was Intercepted by F-35

British fighter jets intercepted the Russian Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft ‘Yuri Malinin’ as part of an Arctic mission in the Norwegian Sea.

The UK Ministry of Defence described the Russian aircraft’s actions as dangerous and unprofessional.

The Russian aircraft flew excessively close to the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and dropped several hydroacoustic buoys in its immediate vicinity.

Hydroacoustic buoys (or radio-hydroacoustic buoys) are autonomous, single-use devices dropped into the water from aircraft, helicopters, or ships to detect, track, and classify submarines.

They record ocean noise or emit sound pulses, then transmit the collected data via radio to the carrier.

In addition, the crew of the Russian aircraft ignored requests and did not respond to messages on international frequencies.

To put an end to the provocation, two British F-35B fighter jets were scrambled from the deck of HMS Prince of Wales. They intercepted the Russian aircraft and escorted it until it had completely left the area.

Currently, the British carrier strike group continues to carry out missions in the Far North alongside NATO allies. The goal of this mission remains to strengthen security and stability in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.