>A Russian fighter jet tried to shoot down a British spy plane over the Black Sea after the pilot misunderstood the instruction “you have the target”. Two Su-27 fighter planes were ordered to shadow the RC-135 Rivet Joint as it flew through international airspace south of Ukraine on a surveillance mission on September 29 last year.
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>The Rivet Joint was able to intercept the communications between the two Russian pilots even as the pair debated whether they had permission to shoot down the RAF aircraft.
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>The first Russian pilot unleashed an air-to-air missile at the RAF spy plane after believing he had been given permission to fire. He thought he had been told by his radio operator on the ground “you have the target”, according to the BBC.
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>The missile missed the Rivet Joint because it failed to lock on to its target, sparing the lives of about 30 crew members on board and narrowly averting a major international incident.
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>However, despite the pilot of the second Su-27 reacting angrily, the first pilot decided to fire another missile, having seen his initial attempt to shoot down the plane fail. The second missile fell from the plane’s wing, apparently due to a malfunction or because the launch was aborted. The entire interaction lasted about 90 minutes.
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>Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, confirmed the incident in the Commons a few weeks after it happened. He said a missile had been released “in the vicinity” of the RAF plane.
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>However, the Pentagon leaks earlier this year shed more light on the near-fatal interaction between the aircraft, describing the incident as a “near shoot-down”.
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>Since the near-miss Rivet Joints have continued to fly sorties in international airspace south of Ukraine but are now accompanied by Typhoon fighter jets from RAF Akrotiri. Analysis by The Times earlier this year based on flight-tracking data found the missions are taking place almost once a week.
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>The RAF has been flying Rivet Joints over the Black Sea since 2019 and the missions are carefully co-ordinated to minimise the risk of escalation. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) publicise the details of the flight paths in advance and the planes fly with their transponders on, which means their location can be tracked.
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>Surveillance flights are also regularly carried out over the Barents Sea and the Baltic Sea.
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>Tensions remain high over the Black Sea in particular, especially after an incident in March when a US MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone was intercepted and damaged by two Su-27 fighter jets, causing it to crash into the water. It was the first time the Unites States and Russian air forces had come into direct contact since the Cold War.
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>Rishi Sunak said last week that the RAF would continue to fly reconnaissance missions over the Black Sea. The prime minister condemned President Putin’s decision to abandon the Black Sea grain deal after Russia threatened to attack civilian vessels exporting food from Ukraine. Citing declassified British intelligence, he accused Moscow of firing missiles at a cargo ship in the summer.
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>An MoD spokesman said: “Following an incident last September between an RAF Rivet Joint aircraft and two Russian Su-27 fighter jets over the Black Sea, the former defence secretary informed the House of Commons within three weeks of the event occurring in the interest of transparency and safety. “Our intent has always been to protect the safety of our operations, avoid unnecessary escalation and inform the public and international community. This incident is a stark reminder of the potential consequences of Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.”
Wow, so when the Russian pilot “misheard” the first instruction and missed he fired a second missile, despite the other pilot’s angry objection. Sounds like he went completely rogue as downing a Rivet Joint would have been a major escalation.
Well the Russians can count themselves lucky really, I don’t think it would have caused NATO to get involved but it would have stirred the pot
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**Article Text**
>A Russian fighter jet tried to shoot down a British spy plane over the Black Sea after the pilot misunderstood the instruction “you have the target”. Two Su-27 fighter planes were ordered to shadow the RC-135 Rivet Joint as it flew through international airspace south of Ukraine on a surveillance mission on September 29 last year.
>
>The Rivet Joint was able to intercept the communications between the two Russian pilots even as the pair debated whether they had permission to shoot down the RAF aircraft.
>
>The first Russian pilot unleashed an air-to-air missile at the RAF spy plane after believing he had been given permission to fire. He thought he had been told by his radio operator on the ground “you have the target”, according to the BBC.
>
>The missile missed the Rivet Joint because it failed to lock on to its target, sparing the lives of about 30 crew members on board and narrowly averting a major international incident.
>
>However, despite the pilot of the second Su-27 reacting angrily, the first pilot decided to fire another missile, having seen his initial attempt to shoot down the plane fail. The second missile fell from the plane’s wing, apparently due to a malfunction or because the launch was aborted. The entire interaction lasted about 90 minutes.
>
>Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, confirmed the incident in the Commons a few weeks after it happened. He said a missile had been released “in the vicinity” of the RAF plane.
>
>However, the Pentagon leaks earlier this year shed more light on the near-fatal interaction between the aircraft, describing the incident as a “near shoot-down”.
>
>Since the near-miss Rivet Joints have continued to fly sorties in international airspace south of Ukraine but are now accompanied by Typhoon fighter jets from RAF Akrotiri. Analysis by The Times earlier this year based on flight-tracking data found the missions are taking place almost once a week.
>
>The RAF has been flying Rivet Joints over the Black Sea since 2019 and the missions are carefully co-ordinated to minimise the risk of escalation. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) publicise the details of the flight paths in advance and the planes fly with their transponders on, which means their location can be tracked.
>
>Surveillance flights are also regularly carried out over the Barents Sea and the Baltic Sea.
>
>Tensions remain high over the Black Sea in particular, especially after an incident in March when a US MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone was intercepted and damaged by two Su-27 fighter jets, causing it to crash into the water. It was the first time the Unites States and Russian air forces had come into direct contact since the Cold War.
>
>Rishi Sunak said last week that the RAF would continue to fly reconnaissance missions over the Black Sea. The prime minister condemned President Putin’s decision to abandon the Black Sea grain deal after Russia threatened to attack civilian vessels exporting food from Ukraine. Citing declassified British intelligence, he accused Moscow of firing missiles at a cargo ship in the summer.
>
>An MoD spokesman said: “Following an incident last September between an RAF Rivet Joint aircraft and two Russian Su-27 fighter jets over the Black Sea, the former defence secretary informed the House of Commons within three weeks of the event occurring in the interest of transparency and safety. “Our intent has always been to protect the safety of our operations, avoid unnecessary escalation and inform the public and international community. This incident is a stark reminder of the potential consequences of Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.”
Wow, so when the Russian pilot “misheard” the first instruction and missed he fired a second missile, despite the other pilot’s angry objection. Sounds like he went completely rogue as downing a Rivet Joint would have been a major escalation.
Well the Russians can count themselves lucky really, I don’t think it would have caused NATO to get involved but it would have stirred the pot