Russian Tu-160 White Swan encounters French fighter jet

The Royal Air Force has just released images of an encounter between a Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber and two French fighter jets.

Russian Tu-160 (left) encounters two French Rafale and Mirage fighter jets. Photo: Zone militaire

On February 17, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) dispatched Typhoon fighter jets from Coningsby base (Lincolnshire) to intercept two Russian Tu-160 aircraft flying over the Atlantic Ocean near the country's airspace.

After flying southwest to avoid British airspace, one of the two Tu-160s continued to encounter two French Rafale and Mirage fighter jets, according to Zone militaire.

A source from the French Ministry of Defense confirmed that the French fighter jets were ordered to take off to support the UK under an agreement signed between NATO members. The two French fighter jets did not show hostility and sent identification signals to avoid unnecessary clashes.

"It seems that the Tu-160 was on its way to Syria to carry out airstrikes against IS. We only sent a warning signal to avoid it straying into British or French airspace," a French Defense Ministry official said.

Russia's Tupolev Tu-160 long-range bomber, codenamed Blackjack by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is a supersonic bomber that can carry conventional weapons or nuclear-tipped missiles.

A British Ministry of Defense spokesman said encounters between NATO fighter jets and Russian bombers were not uncommon.

The RAF said in November last year that its Tornado fighter jets had been scrambled 20 times in 12 months to intercept Russian aircraft approaching its airspace.

According to VNE