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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

U.S. defense officials say that a Russian fighter jet flew as close as within 3 meters [bbc.com] of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft in international airspace:

The Pentagon says a Russian fighter plane flew within about 10ft (3m) of one of its reconnaissance aircraft operating over the Black Sea. US officials described the intercept by the SU-27 jet on Wednesday as "dangerous and unprofessional". Russia's defence ministry said the US plane had been approaching Russian territory and the SU-27 pilots had adhered to international rules. Russia is currently carrying out military exercises in the Black Sea.

Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said the US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft had been conducting routine operations in international airspace when the Russian fighter made the unsafe manoeuvre. "These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions, and could result in a miscalculation or accident," he said. A US defence official quoted by AFP news agency said the Russian plane had flown within 30ft of the P-8A before closing to just 10ft.

Also at Reuters [reuters.com]. You may remember this similar incident [soylentnews.org].

Related: UK Defence Minister: New Cold War "Warming Up" [soylentnews.org]
US Jets Scramble to Intercept Russian Planes near US Aircraft Carrier [soylentnews.org]

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