French aircraft were conducting maritime surveillance.
PARIS: Tensions between Moscow and NATO member France are rising amid the Russia-Ukraine war. A French naval patrol aircraft, Atlantique 2, was flying over the Baltic Sea. Meanwhile, the Russian air defense system S-400 took aim. The S-400 “locked” this French aircraft on its radar.
Analysts say this could be an attempt by Russian air defenses to jam it. Russia did this with the help of its own fire control radar. Previously, a Russian mistake caused a plane to crash, killing many people. The French plane is said to have been on a surveillance flight for about five hours.
French aircraft were conducting maritime surveillance in the waters surrounding the Baltic states, including Sweden. During this mission, French aircraft inspected 200 ships but found no suspicious activity. The survey was conducted to investigate recent damage to submarine communications and power cables.
An AFP reporter was also on board when the plane took off. During this time, sabotage attempts were made by Russian air defense systems.
French army furious with Russia
The French military revealed that there was an attempt to sabotage the plane during the mission. In military terms, jamming means targeting an object using radar. French military spokesperson Colonel Vernet strongly condemned this move by Russia, calling it an act of aggression by Russia. He also said that Russia’s move is not limited to this area. Colonel French praised the Navy members and said they acted professionally.
The French Navy said Russia’s move may be aggressive but is unlikely to pose a threat to military aircraft from NATO countries.
Meanwhile, the French defense minister also said that Russia tried to target and intimidate French naval aircraft, even when French military aircraft were in international airspace. He said Russia’s actions were completely unacceptable.
He said that our military is capable of defending itself against any Russian move, whether in international airspace or maritime waters. This French aircraft is also good at detecting enemy submarines and is equipped with several advanced sensors.
