Fears of an escalation in diplomatic tensions between the United Kingdom and Russia are growing with two very close critical air incidents. Last Thursday, while returning from a meeting in Estonia with British troops deployed there, Defense Minister John Healey’s plane saw its satellite communications jammed. This Monday, the minister denounced “reckless interference”.
The plane, a Royal Air Force Falcon 900LX dedicated to transporting British government passengers and VIPs, was cut off from its satellite link for nearly three hours. The minister and other passengers, including a journalist, were unable to access the internet and the crew had to locate themselves other than using their ADS-B, cut off from GNSS satellite signals.
Dangerous interception in the Black Sea
This is the second time that a Royal Air Force aircraft has been at the heart of a diplomatic incident with Russia. The jamming which Defense accuses Russia of being at the origin comes days after the United Kingdom accused Russia of “dangerous and unacceptable” behavior which risked create a “serious risk of accident and escalation”.
Last month, while carrying out a routine flight as part of NATO’s Eastern Flank Surveillance mission, a Royal Air Force Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft was “dangerously intercepted” by two Russian Su-35 and Su-27 fighters over the Black Sea while flying. a surveillance operation on NATO’s eastern flank.
