Swedish fighter jets intercepted Russian bombers in the Baltic Sea, raising tensions between Russia and NATO.
Sweden scrambled two Jas 39 Gripen fighter jets to intercept a pair of Russian Tu-22 Backfire bomber jets flying over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, according to Försvarsmakten, the Swedish Armed Forces. The Gripen jets identified the Russian bombers, which were then escorted by two Su-27 Flanker fighter jets. Newsweek reached out to the Swedish Armed Forces, Försvarsmakten, and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment.
This incident is significant because it is one of seven instances in which NATO fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian aircrafts violating airspace regulations last week. The increase in these instances could lead to worsening relations between Russia and NATO. With tensions increasing between Russia and the intergovernmental alliance, Moscow Defense Minister Andrei Belousov warned of war between Russia and NATO within the next decade. In addition to Sweden, Finland also responded to the sighting of the Russian bomber jets by sending the F-18 Hornet fighter jets, which were then replaced by the Dutch F-35 Lightning II as NATO's Air Policing. The Jas 39 Gripen, produced by Saab AB, is a Swedish fighter aircraft capable of conducting offensive and defensive operations and is known for its high maneuverability. Sweden announced in September that it would give Ukraine some Jas 39 Gripen jet spare parts as part of a $445 million military aid package. Describing the Gripen, Justin Bronk of RUSI previously wrote that 'it is explicitly designed to counter Russian and fast jets by flying very low and having an internal electronic warfare suite, and to be easy to maintain and operate from dispersed bases with mobile teams in vehicles.' Tu-22 Backfire bombers, also referred to as Tu-22M3, are long-range missile carrier bombers produced since 1978 by the Russian company Tupolev
RUSSIA SWEDEN NATO BALTIC SEA AIRSPACE VIOLATION
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