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Royal Air Force scrambles Typhoon jets to respond to ‘unidentified aircraft’

A spokesman declined to confirm the origin of the ‘unidentified aircraft’ while the operation is ongoing.

Henry Jones
Wednesday 02 February 2022 12:23 GMT
Typhoon jets have been scrambled to respond to “unidentified aircraft” approaching the United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force has confirmed (MoD/PA)
Typhoon jets have been scrambled to respond to “unidentified aircraft” approaching the United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force has confirmed (MoD/PA) (PA Media)

Typhoon jets have been scrambled to respond to “unidentified aircraft” approaching the United Kingdom the Royal Air Force has confirmed.

The jets, launched from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray Scotland are joined by a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

An RAF spokesman declined to provide further detail on the operation until it is over.

The RAF routinely intercepts aircraft approaching what it describes as the “UK area of interest.”

In November 2021, jets were launched in response to Russian TU-160 Blackjack strategic bombers.

Officials said at the time the fighters escorted the Russian aircraft out of the “area of interest”, and that the bombers did not enter UK airspace.

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