Russian Tu-142 Crews Defended After HMS Prince of Wales Flyby
Russian Tu-142 crews acted professionally during a Northern Fleet submarine search mission near HMS Prince of Wales, Admiral Vyacheslav Popov said.
Russian Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft crews were carrying out a scheduled mission to search for foreign submarines in the Northern Fleet’s area of responsibility and acted professionally, former Northern Fleet commander Admiral Vyacheslav Popov told RIA Novosti.
He was responding to claims from the British Ministry of Defence, which alleged that a Russian Tu-142 had made an «unsafe and unprofessional» pass near the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales during exercises. According to the British side, the aircraft dropped sonar buoys, prompting the carrier to launch F-35 fighter jets to intercept and escort two Russian Tu-142 planes.
Popov, who commanded the Northern Fleet from 1997 to 2001, gave a different assessment of the episode. In his view, the Russian crews demonstrated proper training and composure by not reacting to what he described as provocative actions by the British side. Judging by the available video footage, he said, the aircraft completed the task assigned by command and dropped sonar buoys in the part of the Atlantic that had been designated in advance.
The admiral explained that such buoys are used to detect submarines and play an important role in tracking foreign underwater vessels in sea areas close to Severomorsk, the main base of the Northern Fleet.
Popov added that missions of this kind are routine for Tu-142 crews and are assigned on a planned basis. Their execution, he noted, depends on the operational information available to Northern Fleet command at the time. In his assessment, this practice will continue regardless of British attempts to interfere.
Russia has previously stated on multiple occasions that flights by Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are conducted in compliance with international rules for the use of airspace.