Pentagon Releases Video of Russian Su-27 Flanker Intercepting U.S. Air Force B‑52 Bomber Over Black Sea

The U.S. Department of Defense has released the video show­ing a Russian Su-27 “Flanker” fight­er air­craft inter­cept­ing a U.S. Air Force B‑52H Stratofortress bomber that was con­duct­ing rou­tine oper­a­tions in the Black Sea over inter­na­tion­al waters.

According to a state­ment from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA), the Russian pilots flew in an “unsafe and unpro­fes­sion­al manner” while cross­ing within 100 feet of the nose of the B‑52 mul­ti­ple times at co-alti­tude and while in after­burn­er “caus­ing tur­bu­lence and restrict­ing the B‑52’s abil­i­ty to maneu­ver”.

USAFE-AFAFRICA Statement:

At approx­i­mate­ly 11:19 a.m. on Aug. 28, 2020, two Russian Su-27 Flanker pilots inter­cept­ed a U.S. Air Force B‑52 bomber that was con­duct­ing rou­tine oper­a­tions in the black sea over inter­na­tion­al waters. The Russian pilots flew in an unsafe and unpro­fes­sion­al manner while cross­ing within 100 feet of the nose of the B‑52 mul­ti­ple times at co-alti­tude and while in after­burn­er caus­ing tur­bu­lence and restrict­ing the B‑52’s abil­i­ty to maneu­ver.

“Actions like these increase the poten­tial for midair col­li­sions, are unnec­es­sary, and incon­sis­tent with good air­man­ship and inter­na­tion­al flight rules,” said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa com­man­der. “While the Russian air­craft were oper­at­ing in inter­na­tion­al air­space, they jeop­ar­dized the safety of flight of the air­craft involved. We expect them to oper­ate within inter­na­tion­al stan­dards set to ensure safety and pre­vent acci­dents,” he added.

Our B‑52 Stratofortress air­craft was con­duct­ing rou­tine oper­a­tions in inter­na­tion­al air­space exer­cis­ing our free­dom of nav­i­ga­tion and over­flight. The U.S. Air Force rou­tine­ly oper­ates air­craft in the region in accor­dance with rec­og­nized inter­na­tion­al safety stan­dards as pre­scribed in International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rules of flight.

The inter­cept came during a NATO single-day mis­sion titled Allied Sky when six U.S. Air Force B‑52 Stratofortress strate­gic bombers flew over all 30 NATO nations in Europe and North America in a unique spin on reg­u­lar­ly recur­ring Bomber Task Force (BTF) mis­sions in Europe.

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