The Italian Eurofighter
Typhoon interceptors have had their first close encounter with a Russian jet
since taking over the lead nation role within NATO Baltic Air Patrol.
On January 30, two Italian Air Force
Typhoons deployed to Šiauliai, Lithuania, to provide Air Policing in the
Baltics region, were scrambled to identify and escort a Russian Air Force
Il-78 Midas flying close to NATO Baltic States airspace, Latvia’s Military said
on its official Twitter account.
Although no further details about the
mission have been disclosed, it looks like the Russian Il-78 shadowed by the
Italians was not one of the tankers that supported the Russian Tu-95 Bear
strategic bombers on their 19-hour mission to the Atlantic Ocean earlier this
week, but it was probably only flying a training sortie over the
Baltic Sea.
Still, the air policing mission marks the first
intercept mission by the Italian F-2000s (as the Typhoons are designated within
the Aeronautica Militare) on Russian planes since the Italian Air Force took
over the lead role of BAP on January 1.
http://theaviationist.com/2015/01/30/italian-typhoons-intercept-midas/
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