Russian MiG-31 Scrambled to Escort Norwegian Air Force Plane Over Barents Sea

On 11 September, Russian airspace control over the Barents Sea discoverd an air target approaching the Russian state border.

The Russian MiG-31 fighter jet took off over the Barents Sea to escort the Norwegian Air Force P-3C Orion patrol aircraft, according to the Russian National Defence Control Centre.

"To identify the air target and prevent a violation of the Russian State Border, a MiG-31 fighter from the air defence forces of the Northern Fleet was dispatched. The crew of the Russian fighter identified the air target as an aircraft of the R-3C Orion base patrol aircraft of the Norwegian Air Force and escorted it over the Barents Sea," the Russian National Defence Control Centre said in a statement.

After the foreign military aircraft turned away from the border, the Russian fighter returned to its home airfield. It is noted that the flight of the Russian aircraft was carried out in accordance with international rules for the use of airspace.