The incident was highlighted in a tweet by the official UK Carrier Strike Group Twitter account.
“UK F-35Bs launched from the deck of @HMSQNLZ and flew alongside @Forsvaret_No Norwegian F-35As to escort a Russian Maritime Patrol Aircraft as it flew in proximity to UK Carrier Strike Group. #UKCSG23 #JEFtogether”.
The UK Carrier Strike Group, led by flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth, has been actively involved in a series of combat simulations alongside international naval partners in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea as part of its autumn deployment.
This series of activities aimed to prove the capability of the Strike Group to act cohesively with international allies. Among the partner nations involved in the deployment were Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands, among others.
Earlier, the deployment featured the UK Carrier Strike Group participating in Exercise Cobra Warrior, the Royal Air Force’s largest annual exercise, in which varied missions were executed, from defending against aerial threats to executing strike attacks.
Additionally, the UK forces are scheduled to collaborate with ships and personnel from Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) nations in the next phase of the deployment, which includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
It’s worth noting that such incidents of military aircraft from different nations coming into proximity are not uncommon. Standard operating procedures, such as the escort carried out by the UK and Norwegian F-35s, are followed to ensure the safety and security of all involved.
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Lt Col Stuart Crawford is a defence analyst and former army officer. Sign up for his podcasts and newsletters at www.DefenceReview.uk
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