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According to the Latvian military, on Oct. 28, the German Air Force
Eurofighter jets on QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) at Amari, Estonia, to provide
NATO Baltic Air Policing were scrambled to intercept seven Russian Air Force
planes flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
The German interceptors identified the Russian planes as a large package,
made of attack planes and escort, which included 2x MiG-31 Foxhound, 2x
Su-34 Fullback, 1x Su-27 Flanker and 2x Su-24 Fencer jets.
Regardless to whether the Russian aircraft were involved in one of the
frequent training missions in the Baltics or were commuting to/from the
Russian airfield in Kaliningrad oblast, the package on Oct 28 represents one
of the largest "formations" intercepted by NATO fighter planes during the
last couple of years.
Usually, close encounters involve Russian, Swedish or U.S. spyplanes
intercepted before (or after) violating sovereign airspaces. Sometimes,
scrambles are required to greet Moscow's Tu-22 or Tu-95 bombers on
long-range training patrols or strike packages involved in (alleged)
simulated air strikes on one of North Europe's states (usually, Sweden).
Anyway, Russian Air Force missions in the Baltic area have surged, to such
an extent NATO presence has quadrupled in the last year: from one nation
providing four aircraft in QRA at one base in Lithuania (Šiauliai), to four
nations (currently Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Canada) at two
airbases (the second being Amari, in Estonia).
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