Associated Press
•A Russian Su-35 fighter jet on Sunday conducted an "unsafe" intercept of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft operating over the Mediterranean Sea, the US Navy said.
•The Russian fighter came within 25 feet of the US aircraft, "seriously jeopardizing the safety of flight of both aircraft," the Navy said.
•Sunday's intercept marked the second time in four days that a Russian fighter jet has conducted a dangerous intercept of a US Navy plane.
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For the second time in four days, a Russian fighter jet conducted an "unsafe" intercept of a US aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, the US Navy said on Sunday.
The Navy said in a press release that over roughly an hour and a half on Sunday, a Russian Su-35 fighter twice intercepted a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft operating in international airspace over the Mediterranean. While the first intercept was acceptable, the Navy considered the second "unsafe and unprofessional."
During the risky intercept, the Russian fighter executed a "high-speed, high-powered maneuver that decreased aircraft separation to within 25 feet, directly in front of the P-8A, exposing the US aircraft to wake turbulence and jet exhaust," the Navy said. The P-8A descended to create space between it and the Russian fighter jet.
The Navy accused the Russian pilot of "seriously jeopardizing the safety of flight of both aircraft."