ISLAMABAD: British F-35 fighter jets intercepted a Russian military aircraft after it repeatedly approached the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in the Norwegian Sea, Britain's Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Monday.
According to the MoD, the incident occurred on July 2 while the UK-led Carrier Strike Group was operating under NATO command in the High North as part of efforts to strengthen security in the North Atlantic.
The ministry said a Russian Bear-F maritime patrol aircraft made several low-altitude passes "unnecessarily close" to HMS Prince of Wales before dropping a large number of sonobuoys, underwater sensors used to detect submarines, near the carrier.
The MoD described the aircraft's actions as "unsafe and unprofessional."
In response, two F-35 fighter jets were launched from HMS Prince of Wales and escorted the Russian aircraft away until it left the area, the ministry added.
British Defense Minister Dan Jarvis, who recently visited personnel aboard HMS Prince of Wales near Iceland, praised the professionalism of the deployed forces and reaffirmed the UK's commitment to safeguarding regional security, according to the MoD.
The latest encounter comes ahead of a NATO meeting in Ankara, where member states are expected to discuss continued support for Ukraine and broader security challenges posed by Russia.
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