By Spy Correspondent
Moscow: Russia has intercepted a US spy plane flying over the Black Sea, sparking fears of conflict between the two world superpowers.
In an announcement made by the Russian Defence Ministry said a SU-27 fighter jet had made the interception adding that a US surveillance plane was identified flying close to the Russian border.
The ministry said the aircraft identified as a P-8 Poseidon veered away from Russian airspace without permission given for the path of the plane on Monday.
The Su-27 twin engine fighter aircraft jet is equipped with an advanced infrared search and track system with the capacity to immediately detect up to ten targets within a radius of 100km and can travel at twice the speed of sound and reach up to 1,553mph (2,500kph).
The aircraft can also hold a 30mm GSh-301 gun with 150 rounds of ammunition and a range of missiles, rockets and bombs.
The incident comes amid growing tensions between the two nations, just last month Russian jets scrambled to intercept US aircrafts over Russia’s far eastern coast and this was following the June 19, incident where two Russian jets were deployed after a pair of US B-52 bombers were identified over the Sea of Okhotsk
Just over a week later, the US F-22 stealth fighter aircraft was sent to intercept four Russian reconnaissance planes off Alaska, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
The defence organisation said it was the 10th time this year Russian Tu-142s were identified near the northwest state.
The intervention in the sky comes less than 24 hours after Vladimir Putin outlined plans to strengthen Russia’s military power in the sea who confirmed on Sunday that the Navy would be armed with nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones.
The weapons in their final phase of testing, include the Poseidon underwater nuclear drone designed to be carried by submarines as well as the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile which can be deployed on surface ships.
The deadly missiles are capable of travelling at more than five times the speed of sound, making the weapons extremely difficult to track and intercept.
The announcement was made at the annual naval parade in St Petersburg and Mr Putin also confirmed an additional 40 new vessels would be added to the fleet adding that the new weapons would give Russia “unique advantages” against the rest of the world.
He said, “The widespread deployment of advanced digital technologies that have no equals in the world, including hyper-sonic strike systems and underwater drones, will give the fleet unique advantages and increased combat capabilities.”
