Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov dismissed Pentagon claims that the maneuver by the Russian SU-27 against the U.S. Air Force RC-135 was “unsafe and unprofessional.”
"We’re already getting used to claims of Pentagon representatives regarding alleged 'non-professional' maneuvers of our fighters when intercepting the U.S. scout planes on the Russian borders," he said in a statement carried by the state-run ITAR-TASSnews agency. "At the same time, we want to note that the RC-135U surveillance plane tries to sneak up to the Russian border with the transponder turned off each time. Therefore, the air defense forces on duty have to lift the fighter to visually identify the type of aircraft and its tail number.”
All flights of Russian aircraft are performed in compliance with international regulations, Konashenkov told ITAR-TASS. U.S. military planes should either not perform flights close to the Russian border or turn the transponder on so they can be tracked by radar, he said.
It was the latest in a series of incidents where Russian aircraft have buzzed American planes or ships operating in the region. The United States has expressed concerns that the dangerous maneuvers could lead to mishaps and escalate tensions between the two countries.
The Pentagon statement on Friday's incident did not detail the type of maneuver the Russian pilot performed, but a senior defense official said the Russian aircraft flew along the U.S. aircraft and then did a "barrel roll" over the top of the aircraft, closing within 100 feet of the American RC-135. The official asked not to be named since he was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.
Earlier this month, Russian attack planes buzzed the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook during the U.S.' joint exercises in the Baltic Sea.
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