Russia, which came to the fore with interception activities frequently in front of the Baltic, the Black Sea and Alaska, has recently intercepted a reconnaissance activity.

A Falcon 20 electronic warfare aircraft belonging to the Royal Norwegian Air Force was subjected to interception activity by a Russian Aerospace Force MiG-31 (NATO Reporting Name: Foxhound) while flying in international airspace over the Barents Sea. “On August 4, 2020, the Russian airspace control systems detected an air target over the neutral waters of the Barents Sea approaching Russia’s state border. A MiG-31 fighter from the Northern Fleet’s air defence quick reaction alert forces was scrambled to intercept the target ” information announced.

Approaching the Norwegian platform within flight safety limits, MiG-31 returned to the mission area after the completion of the activity. With a maximum take-off weight of 46,200 kilograms, MiG-31 can climb to a 67,500 feet service altitude. The maximum speed of the platform, is limited to 2.8 Mach, can carry the R-33 missile. The operational range of the MiG-31 is about 3,000 kilometres with additional fuel tanks.