Norwegian fighter aircraft have been dispatched for two consecutive days to identify Russian military aircraft in international airspace off the coast of Finnmark (northern Norway). The incidents occurred on 10 and 11 March, and the Norwegian Armed Forces describe the events as expected during exercises such as Cold Response 2026.
– Although this activity is anticipated, it is important for NATO to locate and identify the aircraft. This helps maintain an overview of their frequency and flight patterns, while also demonstrating that we have control and are monitoring air traffic in our vicinity, writes the Norwegian Armed Forces in a press release.
On the morning of Tuesday, 10 March, an Ilyushin Il-20M flew in international airspace off Finnmark. The aircraft is used by the Russian military for reconnaissance and surveillance. The aircraft was identified and shadowed by two F-35s from Evenes Air Station before it turned north from Sørøya and returned to the Kola Peninsula around midday.
The flights continued on Wednesday, when another Ilyushin Il-20M flew with its transponder turned off but was routinely detected by Norwegian sensors around 09:30. Two Norwegian F-35 fighter aircraft on standby took off from Evenes Air Station. They identified and shadowed the aircraft along the Norwegian coast before it turned north off Vesterålen. The aircraft then flew south two more times, as far as the Lofoten Islands, before returning to the Kola Peninsula around 13:30.
The Norwegian Armed Forces report that they conduct approximately 40 such Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions per year. The incidents are described as routine and expected, particularly during large exercises like Cold Response 2026, which is currently taking place in northern Norway with around 25,000 soldiers from 14 NATO countries.
– It is important to emphasise that there is nothing unusual or dramatic about these Russian flights, and that Russia has the right to conduct them. The Russian aircraft likely aimed to gather situational awareness regarding allied activity in connection with Cold Response 2026, writes the Armed Forces in the press release.