A video that has gone viral on social media appears to show a Spanish Air Force F-18 fighter jet and a Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet colliding head-on over the Baltic Sea.
Video recorded by the navigator of the Su-30SM multirole fighter jet #Russian Naval aviation over the Baltic Sea shows their close encounter with Spanish Air Force EF-18A Hornet fighters recently engaged in Baltic air policing (flew from Šiauliai,… pic.twitter.com/VaE5qC6tUr
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) July 15, 2024
Remember that Finland and Sweden joining NATO turned the Baltic Sea into a “NATO lake” because Russia is surrounded by members of the military alliance. Pictures of the two fighters were shared on social network ‘X’ by journalist and aviation historian Babak Tagwe, showing a “close encounter” between the two planes over the Baltic Sea.
“A video recorded by a Russian Naval Aviation Su-30SM navigator over the Baltic Sea shows a close encounter with Spanish Air Force EF-18A Hornet fighters recently engaged in Baltic air policing (Siauliai, Lithuania),” Taghvaee wrote this Monday.
There is some doubt as to which NATO ally the F-18 belongs to, with speculation that it may be a Finnish aircraft.
Recall that NATO announced last April that Spain and Portugal were mobilizing combat units as part of a mission aimed at “protecting the skies” over the Baltic Sea, which will last until the end of this month.
Lt. Col. Pablo Estrada, commander of the Spanish division, said the mission was NATO’s fourth major air patrol mission in the Baltic region. “This and our strong commitment to NATO air policing at home, our support for enhanced air defense in Bulgaria and Romania and continued support with surface-to-air missile defense systems – Patriot in Turkey and NASAMS in Latvia – demonstrate Spain’s strong commitment to NATO missions and partnerships. Security — in the south and in the north,” Estrada said.
Lt. Col. Jose Diaz, commander of the Portuguese division, highlighted the mission as the seventh time his F-16 jets had been mobilized to “defend the skies over the Baltic.” “As one of NATO’s founding partners, it is an honor for Portugal to continue to support this important mission in the 75th year since NATO’s creation – the 20th year of Baltic air policing,” Diaz said. “Our crew and support staff will again prove their professionalism and experience during the mission,” he said.
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