"Skyteradar" belyste fransk Atlantique over Østersjøen - Aviation24.be

Egentlig ganske pussig at dette slås så stort opp. Det var vanlig at vi i vår P-3B fikk såkalte skyteradarer rettet mot oss når vi var nær sovjetiske flåtestyrker i Barentshavet. A part of the game.... (Red.)

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French maritime patrol aircraft targeted by Russian S-400 radar over Baltic Sea

By

 Bart Noëth

 -

17 January 2025

0

513

French military men stand by Breguet Atlantique 2 long-range French maritime patrol aircraft on June 2, 2009 at a French air force base in Dakar as search flights around the suspected Atlantic Ocean crash site of an Air France jet that vanished with 228 people on board continue. The Airbus A330 on a flight from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to the French capital Paris disappeared on June 1, 2009. AFP/PHOTO/SEYLLOU (Photo by Seydou DIALLO / AFP)

In a concerning escalation of tensions over the Baltic Sea, a French Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft was subjected to Russian military intimidation. The aircraft was engaged in an international NATO operation when it was targeted by the fire-control radar of a Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system. The incident occurred between Wednesday night and Thursday morning while the aircraft was flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu condemned the act, labelling it an “aggressive” manoeuvre by Russia. “This action is not acceptable,” he declared in a statement on social media, reaffirming France’s commitment to upholding international law and ensuring the freedom of navigation in both international airspace and maritime zones. While no physical engagement occurred, the use of fire-control radar against an aircraft is widely viewed as a serious provocation that raises concerns over potential miscalculations and the risk of escalation.

This latest development adds to ongoing tensions between NATO and Russia, particularly in the wake of the ongoing war in Ukraine. France has reiterated its stance on continuing operations to safeguard international security, asserting that its armed forces “will continue to act to defend freedom of navigation in international airspace and waters.”