The NATO alliance scrambled its fighter jets more than 400 times to intercept approaching aircraft in 2020, mostly in response to Russian military planes, the defense organization said Monday.
The missions represent a continuing uptick in Russian flights near the NATO perimeter.
“In recent years, we have seen an increased level of Russian military air activity close to the alliance’s borders,” NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said in a statement.
In 2020, NATO air forces in Europe responded to 350 flights from Russian military planes — a “moderate” increase from 300 such intercepts in 2019, the organization said.
Russian military aircraft are a challenge to Western defenses for a number of reasons.
“Russian military aircraft often do not transmit a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, do not file a flight plan, or do not communicate with air traffic controllers, posing a potential risk to civilian airliners,” the group wrote in a statement.
Norway reported earlier this year that its own NATO contingent launched 41 intercepts as of mid-September. Pilots there have identified foreign aircraft including Russian Tu-160 Blackjack long-range bombers, Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft from the Northern Fleet, and other warplanes.
Throughout Europe, NATO maintains about 40 air surveillance radars and…
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