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Russian and NATO States’ Military Flights (2014 Fact Sheet)
Russian and NATO States’ Military Flights (2014 Fact Sheet)
29 January 2015
Russian long-range military aircraft regularly perform flights to remote geographic areas in order to train crews and certify equipment capabilities. These activities are conducted in strict accordance with international airspace regulations, without violation of other states’ national borders. This can be confirmed by objective control data in every particular case.
At the same time, the intensity of Russian long-range aviation flights cannot compare to overall activity of military aircraft of NATO States and some of the closest partners of the Alliance. Particularly, in 2014 one could notice considerable growth of flights by US and NATO States’ reconnaissance aircraft over the territory of the Baltic States, as well as over the Baltic and Barents Seas – up to 8-12 flights per week. Their air routes laid in the immediate vicinity of Russian borders.
US Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft performed more than 140 such flights in 2014, compared to 22 flights in 2013.
German Orion P-3C reconnaissance planes, Danish Challengers and temporarily deployed at Lithuanian airbase Zokniai Portuguese Orions as well as non-NATO Swedish Gulfstreams were persistently brought into play in order to survey activities of the Russian Armed Forces in Kaliningrad region and the Baltic Sea area. There were more than 200 such flights in 2014, in 2013 – only 125.
NATO, British and French E-3 AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft on duty in Polish and Romanian airspace were actively used to monitor the air situation in the western part of the Black Sea, over Ukraine and Russian western regions. The intensity of their activities raised from 2 flights per month in January-February 2014 to 40-60 flights per month in March-December. The total number of flights in 2014 increased up to 460, whereas in 2013 it did not exceed 20.
The events in Ukraine were used as a pretext for significant build-up in number of some NATO States’ warplanes at airbases in Central and Eastern Europe. Under the pretence of strengthening the security of the Baltic States the quantity of fighters taking part in NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission increased by 3,5 times (from 4 to 16). Moreover, groups of NATO States’ warplanes (up to 12 fighters) have been deployed on rotational basis at Polish and Romanian airbases since the beginning of 2014.
NATO States’ tactical aviation aircraft based in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria take active part in joint exercises and training with host states’ Armed Forces.
The total number of NATO States’ tactical aviation flights near Russian and Belarusian borders exceeded 3.000 in 2014 (twice as many as in 2013).
Since recently, some NATO officials through media launched a tendentious information campaign accusing Russian military aircraft creating risks for civil aviation by not switching on their transponders.
It is necessary to note that NATO States’ military aircraft always make their flights near Russian borders with transponders turned off. However, it does not mean that they are invisible to airspace control means.
(Based on Public Briefings by the Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defence)
At the same time, the intensity of Russian long-range aviation flights cannot compare to overall activity of military aircraft of NATO States and some of the closest partners of the Alliance. Particularly, in 2014 one could notice considerable growth of flights by US and NATO States’ reconnaissance aircraft over the territory of the Baltic States, as well as over the Baltic and Barents Seas – up to 8-12 flights per week. Their air routes laid in the immediate vicinity of Russian borders.
US Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft performed more than 140 such flights in 2014, compared to 22 flights in 2013.
German Orion P-3C reconnaissance planes, Danish Challengers and temporarily deployed at Lithuanian airbase Zokniai Portuguese Orions as well as non-NATO Swedish Gulfstreams were persistently brought into play in order to survey activities of the Russian Armed Forces in Kaliningrad region and the Baltic Sea area. There were more than 200 such flights in 2014, in 2013 – only 125.
NATO, British and French E-3 AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft on duty in Polish and Romanian airspace were actively used to monitor the air situation in the western part of the Black Sea, over Ukraine and Russian western regions. The intensity of their activities raised from 2 flights per month in January-February 2014 to 40-60 flights per month in March-December. The total number of flights in 2014 increased up to 460, whereas in 2013 it did not exceed 20.
The events in Ukraine were used as a pretext for significant build-up in number of some NATO States’ warplanes at airbases in Central and Eastern Europe. Under the pretence of strengthening the security of the Baltic States the quantity of fighters taking part in NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission increased by 3,5 times (from 4 to 16). Moreover, groups of NATO States’ warplanes (up to 12 fighters) have been deployed on rotational basis at Polish and Romanian airbases since the beginning of 2014.
NATO States’ tactical aviation aircraft based in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria take active part in joint exercises and training with host states’ Armed Forces.
The total number of NATO States’ tactical aviation flights near Russian and Belarusian borders exceeded 3.000 in 2014 (twice as many as in 2013).
Since recently, some NATO officials through media launched a tendentious information campaign accusing Russian military aircraft creating risks for civil aviation by not switching on their transponders.
It is necessary to note that NATO States’ military aircraft always make their flights near Russian borders with transponders turned off. However, it does not mean that they are invisible to airspace control means.
(Based on Public Briefings by the Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defence)