Fighters from the Finnish and Swedish Rapid Reaction Force (QRA) were alerted to intercept and identify Russian military aircraft in international airspace over the Gulf of Finland. It was the first joint operational identification mission for the air forces of the two countries. According to the Swedish Armed Forces, the fighters were activated on September 24, Fox News reported.
"Here's what close cooperation looks like in practice. "Thanks to many years of cooperation built on trust and strong personal ties, we can now operate seamlessly together - as an air force, as a nation and as allies," said Major General Jonas Wikman, commander of the Swedish Air Force.
Fox News notes that the Russian formation included a Tu-134 transport aircraft, a MiG-31 high-altitude supersonic fighter-interceptor (designed to detect and engage threats at long distances) and Su-30 multi-role fighters capable of fighting both in the air and against ground targets.
The media emphasizes that concerns about Russian military activity on NATO's eastern flank have grown after a series of airspace violations. These incidents include Russian drones entering Polish airspace, a Mi-8 helicopter flying from Kaliningrad to Poland, drones being shot down in Romania and Moldova, and armed Russian aircraft entering Estonian airspace before being intercepted by NATO fighter jets on September 18.