French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said a French naval maritime patrol aircraft, the Atlantique II, was hit by the fire control radar of Russia’s long-range air defense system while flying over the Baltic Sea earlier this week. The incident is the latest to occur in the highly strategic region, where NATO and Russian assets closely monitor each other, and a recent spate of suspected sabotage of undersea infrastructure. This comes as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials increasingly warn of the threat of Russian “hybrid warfare” tactics here and across Europe.
“On Wednesday night, the French maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique 2 became the target of Russian threats,” Lecorne said in a statement to X today. “The aircraft was patrolling international airspace over the Baltic Sea as part of a NATO operation and was illuminated,” according to the S-400 ground air defense system’s fire control radar. This aggressive behavior by Russia is unacceptable. Our military will continue to act to protect freedom of navigation in international air and maritime space. ”
“Shooting radar at our aircraft in international waters is an aggressive act,” French military spokesman Colonel Guillaume Vernet said. “The professional demeanor of the crew prevented the situation from escalating.”
Additional reports suggest that Atlantic 2 was not only locked on by fire control radar, but also suffered some form of interference from Russian forces.
Atlantic 2 reportedly flew from its home base in Lan-Bihue in Brittany, northern France, and took a route that took it off the coasts of Sweden and the Baltic states.
Atlantique 2 began its service primarily as an anti-submarine warfare platform, but its mission range has increased significantly in recent years, as you can read here.
As a surveillance asset both on the water and on land, Atlantique 2 is well equipped with sensors, especially after the Standard 6 upgrade, with 18 sensors in progress.
In its current configuration, the twin-engine turboprop aircraft is equipped with a Thales Searchmaster active electronically scanned array (AESA) surveillance radar, a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera under the nose, and an MX-20 sensor with electro-optical and infrared cameras. It has a turret. Under the aft fuselage are a tail-mounted magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) to acquire submarines and wingtip electronic support device (ESM) pods to intercept radio communications. The aircraft has a mission crew of 10 sensor operators, plus four more in the cockpit.
With a range of 4,300 nautical miles and a duration of 14 hours, the Atlantique 2 is an ideal surveillance asset and can also carry out strike missions on land.
“We are the only French aircraft equipped with so many images and electromagnetic surveillance kits that can stay in the area for such long periods of time, up to 14 hours on a mission.” One of two aircraft in Atlantic 2 Squadron commander told Air Force Monthly in 2019. 2019. “This allows us to assess the intelligence, consolidate it, confirm that it is a target that needs to be dealt with, and release our weapons.”
The exact location of the incident is unknown, but it is almost certain that the French navy plane was in international airspace near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. The Baltic Sea is the area where Atlantic 2 and other NATO maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft routinely operate, ensuring safe navigation and monitoring Russian sea and air movements as well as ground operations in Kaliningrad. I’m monitoring it. between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
This highly militarized enclave is a key area of interest for NATO. Not only is it home to the headquarters of the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet, but it is also home to an important military air base and serves as Russia’s missile fortress. It is home to the ground-launched Iskander short-range ballistic missile and temporarily housed the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile launched by the MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor. In the past, there was speculation that Russia would deploy the 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile (SSC-8 screwdriver). U.S. officials say the controversial weapon violates the terms of the now-expired Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, leading to the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty.
As for the S-400, this long-range air defense system was previously deployed to Kaliningrad, but it was reported that at least some of the systems or their components were relocated from the enclave in late 2023. It is likely to be used in the Ukraine war. However, the systems involved in this week’s incident did not necessarily need to be in Kaliningrad to illuminate French naval aircraft. The firing range is said to be more than 320 miles, and the fire control radar was installed in Belarus and may have illuminated aircraft off the coast of Kaliningrad, and if there is information about Atlantic 2, it may have been installed near St. Petersburg. There is a possibility that it was. It operated at the eastern end of the Baltic Sea, flying off the coast of Finland or Estonia.
In any case, the fact that radar associated with the S-400 locked on to Atlantic 2 may have provided very useful information to the French Navy. The aircraft could have used ESM equipment to not only eavesdrop on communications between Russian air defense operators, but also to gain a better understanding of the S-400 and its use. At the very least, the mission crew aboard the French aircraft would have been able to determine where the threatening high-frequency radiation was coming from, as well as determine the S-400’s location and the type of radar used.
Following reports of sabotage incidents targeting undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, maritime patrols and surveillance in the region have been stepped up, in addition to regular intelligence flights in the region. Most notably, an undersea cable between Estonia and Finland was damaged in December, and the ship believed to be responsible, the Eagle S, was reportedly equipped with extensive spy equipment.
As we recently reported, the newly created Baltic Sentry Mission, launched this week, is dedicated to protecting the region’s critical underwater infrastructure.
A NATO naval spokesperson told TWZ earlier this month: “We have a continuing military presence in the Baltic Sea, which continues to fully support our Baltic allies.” We continue to work with our allies to determine options and assets to maintain a durable military presence. ”
Furthermore, Russia has long been accused of large-scale interference with GPS navigation in the Baltic Sea region. Russian GPS jamming has been reported in the Baltic states since at least 2017, and British authorities said last year that a Royal Air Force Dassault 900LX business jet transporting the British Defense Secretary experienced GPS jamming while flying near Kaliningrad. I confirmed that. Russia is accused of using similar tactics to target military aircraft in other parts of Europe.
GPS systems are widely used for precise aircraft navigation, making them safer and more efficient, and most aircraft are equipped with a backup system in the event of loss of GPS.
Russia, on the other hand, has a wide range of human-portable and vehicle-mounted electronic warfare systems that can jam communications, “spoof” GPS signals, and stealth attacks from intended locations. They can even reportedly feed false information into the network, such as flying vehicles. course.
The Baltic Sea region has long been the backdrop for sometimes tense exchanges between NATO and Russian military assets, but the Ukraine war and recent outbreaks of overt undersea sabotage have pushed the region to the brink. has received increased attention, and officials are now speaking out more often and openly. About the Kremlin’s evil intentions here and elsewhere.
Yesterday, Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), said Russian interference with aircraft is “pervasive” and extends “far beyond Europe’s borders.” “This is an extremely serious situation,” he said. ”, affecting all types of aircraft, both military and civilian.
There appears to be little prospect that this type of interference will diminish, especially in the Baltic Sea region. While using air defense radar to illuminate NATO aircraft in international waters is a provocative act, it is not the first time Russia has used belligerent tactics in these waters, and it will almost certainly not be the last.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
