A Russian fighter jet almost collided with a US plane

Tensions between Russia and Western powers are higher than ever before. A Russian SU-27 fighter jet almost collided with a US reconnaissance plane over the Pacific Ocean in an aerial clash that seemed out of the Cold War.

The Pentagon announced the incident that occurred in late April. The American aircraft was flying a surveillance run about 100 kilometers off the Russian East coast and north of Japan. According to defence officials, the Russian interceptor followed the American plane and even rolled sideways to reveal its air-to-air missiles on board. US officials said the Russian jet flew ahead of the RC-135 within 30 meters in an attempt to unnerve the crew.

The incident was video captured by the US crew, but it was not released to the media. “The SU-27 approached the RC-135 and crossed nose of the US aircraft within approximately 100 feet. Senior department leaders have communicated our concerns directly to the Russian military,” said Col. Steven Warren, Pentagon spokesman.

US officials said the incident was a “reckless intercept” and one of the most dangerous aerial encounters for a US reconnaissance aircraft since the Cold War.

The RC-135U is a highly specialized reconnaissance plane known as “Combat Sent”. US Air Force has only two such models, both assigned to the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The plane is equipped with specialized communication gear designed to identify military radar signals in air, at sea and on land.