HMS Prince of Wales F-35 intercept of Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber before Oslo arrival, Digi Mart USA News (Oslo, Norway): The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales arrived in Oslo on Saturday after spending time in dense fog farther out in the fjord. The ship is in Oslo for the Atlantic Future Forum, a defense conference held in the Norwegian capital because of Norway’s strategic position within NATO and its proximity to Russia and the Arctic.
Before the carrier headed for Oslo, a Russian bomber reportedly showed interest in HMS Prince of Wales and other warships taking part in a NATO exercise off the Norwegian coast. In late October and the first week of November, the ship took part in the exercise “Neptune Strike 26-4” with allied ships and aircraft off Norway.
The Royal Navy said a Russian aircraft appeared during the exercise. In a press release, the navy stated: “The presence of such a NATO force drew the attention of the Russians, and HMS Prince of Wales quickly launched its F-35 fighter jets to intercept a long-range Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber.” The navy did not specify which variant of the Tu-95 was involved, noting that the type comes in several configurations, including maritime reconnaissance.
The Royal Navy announced the incident on November 6, but it did not disclose exactly when or where the interception took place. It also did not say how many F-35 jets were scrambled against the Russian aircraft.
In July, the British Ministry of Defence said two British F-35s were dispatched when a Russian Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft flew “unnecessarily close” to a group of ships that included HMS Prince of Wales. The Tu-142 is a maritime reconnaissance aircraft based on the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber.
That incident took place in the Norwegian Sea, and the two British fighters were tasked with escorting the Russian aircraft away from the ships.
