A Russian Tu-142 Bear-F maritime patrol plane flew near the plane provider HMS Prince of Wales within the Norwegian Sea, dropping a number of sonobuoys whereas failing to reply to radio calls. F-35Bs from the provider intercepted and escorted the plane till it disengaged.
Whereas working within the excessive north on Jul. 2, 2026, throughout Operation Firecrest, the Royal Navy’s flagship drew the eye of a Tu-142MK (NATO reporting title Bear Foxtrot) maritime patrol plane from the Russian Navy’s air arm.
Two F-35B Lightning jets from the plane provider intercepted and escorted the Bear-F till it departed the realm. The Russian crew failed to interact with calls on worldwide radio frequencies whereas flying near the Royal Navy-led job group, dropping ‘tens’ of sonobuoys because it did so. Photos present this motion continued even whereas the British jets have been flying alongside the plane.
Official remark from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) labelled the Tu-142’s actions as “unsafe and unprofessional”.
Whereas working within the Norwegian Sea on Operation FIRECREST, the UK’s Service Strike Group was approached repeatedly by a Russian ‘Bear-F’ maritime patrol plane.
The plane flew unnecessarily near HMS Prince of Wales, dropped a number of sonobuoys close by, and didn’t… pic.twitter.com/LLPgwo2VXA
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 6, 2026
Monitoring of NATO operations by Russian air, floor, and sub-surface property on this area is much from unusual, although the proximity of the flyby and the energetic deployment of sonobuoys on this occasion indicated a extra aggressive posture than is common.
Sonobuoys, outfitted with hydrophones, are used to take heed to underwater sounds and are normally utilized in an try to find submarines. Nonetheless, these hydrophones is also used to gather intelligence on the acoustic profiles of NATO warships, which would supply precious information for Russia’s submarine fleet.
Whereas, for apparent causes, no remark has been made about what occurred to those sonobuoys after the Russian plane left the realm, it will not be shocking if not less than a quantity have been later collected by NATO forces each to take away the risk and to examine the units and find out about their capabilities – and whether or not they have modified in comparison with different beforehand captured sonobuoys.
The incident was first coated by Politico, reporting from on board the plane provider. Additionally on board was the brand new UK Secretary of State for Defence, Dan Jarvis.
EXCLUSIVE: Britain intercepted two Russian planes final week after transferring an plane provider to the Arctic Circle to assist NATO missions.
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) July 6, 2026
The Defence Secretary joined the crew of the flagship to make the announcement that the provider’s F-35Bs have been assigned to NATO’s Air Policing duties, the primary time they’ve taken on this mission whereas deployed on board a ship. This got here solely hours earlier than information of the Russian plane’s actions broke.
“It was an honour to go to our deployed personnel who’re conducting operations that assist maintain our nation and our allies secure. We stay in an more and more harmful and unsure time, and it’s deployments like this, supported by allies and companions together with Iceland, that enhance our deterrence and defence as a part of NATO,” Jarvis stated.
🎯 Jarvis stated it was “mission vital” to ship the funding pathway to its NATO dedication on the subsequent spending overview “as early as doable.”
🏭 He confirmed that Britain has now hit one in every of it’s two NATO pledges (to spend 1.5% of GDP on security-related resilience.)
— Mason Boycott-Owen (@Masonboyowen) July 6, 2026
For air defence sorties, UK F-35Bs can carry AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided missiles internally and the AIM-132 ASRAAM infrared-guided missile on exterior pylons, the place different air arms typically subject AIM-9X Sidewinders.
The Tu-142, serial RF-34059, carries the title Yuriy Malinin in cyrillic textual content. It’s a part of a small however essential fleet, offering a task in Russia’s arsenal roughly analogous to NATO’s P-8 Poseidons, P-3 Orions, and Breguet Atlantique 2s. A latest assault by Ukraine on Taganrog airfield destroyed not less than one Tu-142 sub hunter, in addition to a specialist Tu-142MR Bear-J variant used to speak with submarines.
Traditionally, the Tu-142 was additionally operated by India, however these have been withdrawn in 2017 and India now operates a P-8 variant often called the P-8I Neptune.
Operation Firecrest
HMS Prince of Wales started Operation Firecrest in Might 2026, escorted by Sort 45 destroyer HMS Duncan and replenishment vessel RFA Tidespring. Preliminary workouts noticed the provider lead a defence towards swarm assaults by simulated missiles and quick assault craft throughout Train Tamber Protect. Carried out within the fjords of Norway, the train introduced collectively Martlet-armed Wildcat HMA2 helicopters and the rising experience of the Royal Navy’s specialist drone unit, 700X Naval Air Squadron.
Consideration was then turned to the underwater area through the annual Train Dynamic Mongoose. The plane provider joined with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) to achieve actual world expertise looking submarines, a task performed by ultra-quiet diesel-electric submarines from Germany, Norway, and Portugal.
We see you. HMS Prince of Wales is collaborating in Train Dynamic Mongoose with Standing NATO Maritime Group One. pic.twitter.com/sUsHVBDfQ2
— HMS Prince of Wales (@HMSPWLS) Might 22, 2026
Whereas the F-35Bs are the signature plane operated by the Prince of Wales, the ship can also be house to Merlin HM2 helicopters. Designed as specialised anti-submarine (ASW) warfare plane, the Merlin HM2 can use sonobuoys and/or a dipping sonar to find and determine submarine threats.
It could actually function in tandem with a warship or as an impartial functionality, and, if essential, the Merlin can interact detected submarines with Sting Ray torpedos.
