Two RAF surveillance aircraft were deployed on a 12-hour mission to patrol NATO’s eastern border.
The plane flew almost 10,000 miles, starting from the High North (the far northern Arctic region) and continuing along the Russian border, passing through Belarus and Ukraine.
The RAF said an RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic intelligence surveillance aircraft and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft took part in the operation. It was a response to recent incursions into NATO airspace by Russian drones and fighter jets.
They were supported by a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, allowing them to go further than they could on a single load of fuel.
Both RAF aircraft were built specifically for intelligence gathering. The Rivet Joint was designed to intercept and eavesdrop on military communications, while the Poseidon is equipped for anti-submarine warfare.
John Healey, the Secretary of Defense, said: “This was an important joint mission with our US and NATO allies. This not only provides valuable intelligence to increase the operational awareness of our Armed Forces, but sends a powerful message of NATO unity to Putin and our adversaries.”
RAF Police Captain Matthew D’Aubyn said: “Missions like this demonstrate NATO’s unity and readiness to defend its members against any aggression.”
Last month, a stream of Russian drones traveled over Ukraine toward Poland, prompting NATO to send planes to shoot them down.
On September 14, a Russian Geran drone diverted into Romanian airspace near Ukraine’s southern border, while on September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace before circling for 12 minutes.
Fears of a “shadow war” designed to provoke NATO grew after at least 18 unidentified drones were spotted in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany in September and October, disrupting operations at airports.
Credit: NATO
Russia has continued to deny its involvement in the incidents at Scandinavian airports, although Vladimir Putin told a foreign policy forum in Sochi last week that he “will not send any more drones… neither to France, nor to Denmark, nor to Copenhagen.”
The raids sparked a furious debate over how NATO should counter invasions of its airspace, with Donald Trump suggesting last month that the alliance could open fire on Russian aircraft violating allied territory.
On September 12, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentinel to safeguard territory on its eastern flank. Two RAF fighter jets with the call signs “chaos 1-1” and “chaos 1-2” were deployed on their first police mission over Poland as part of the operation on 21 September.
The latest RAF mission involving the two spy planes came as Denmark on Friday announced $4.2bn (£3.2bn) of additional defense spending in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions, as well as a $4.5bn (£3.4bn) budget to buy 16 more F-35 fighter jets from the United States.
Danish Foreign Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the investment would “significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Danish Armed Forces” in the region, which lies at the intersection of North America, Russia and Europe.
In September, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said British pilots would “confront” Russian fighters entering NATO airspace without permission, adding that they were “ready to take all necessary measures” to protect the alliance.
However, NATO member countries remain divided over what stance they should take in the face of Russian provocations, with some allies pushing for a conservative approach while others calling for an aggressive stance to deter future Kremlin-led incursions.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday that allies were considering plans to deploy armed drones along the border with Russia and allow pilots to open fire on Russian aircraft, making future provocations more costly for Moscow.
President Putin has dismissed suggestions that he intends to start a war with NATO as “hysteria” but promised retaliation in kind against the “increasing militarization” of Europe.
Some European officials have attributed the violations to the “hybrid war” Moscow is waging in Europe through cyberattacks, disinformation and sabotage, amid suggestions that the EU could respond by curbing travel of Russian diplomats within the bloc.