6 meters! Russian fighters made two close passes, British pilot shook afterward: "This battle can't be fought!"
Britain's Sky News recently revealed a military standoff event that occurred in the Black Sea airspace last month. During a routine patrol, a Royal Air Force reconnaissance aircraft was approached successively by Russian Su-35 and Su-27 fighter jets.
The unarmed aircraft, a British Royal Air Force RC-135V/W "Sentry" joint reconnaissance plane, was flying over international airspace in the Black Sea when its flight was interrupted by two Russian combat aircraft.
A Russian Su-35 rapidly closed in on the side of the British aircraft. When the distance became extremely close, the British reconnaissance plane's onboard electronic warning system suddenly triggered. At the moment the emergency alarm sounded, the autopilot system—previously maintaining stable flight via onboard computers—also ceased operation, causing the aircraft to instantly lose auxiliary thrust.
The British pilots had to immediately take manual control. According to sources, the failure of the autopilot caused temporary panic among crew members inside the cockpit.
Just minutes later, a second Russian Su-27 approached from directly ahead at high altitude, executing six consecutive weaving maneuvers directly in front of the British aircraft’s nose. According to British reports, during these two close intercepts, the closest approach of the Russian aircraft to the British plane’s nose was less than 6 meters—equivalent in width to a standard city street.
This incident occurred amid increased reconnaissance efforts by NATO countries such as Britain and the United States in the Black Sea region. Since last year, NATO military flights have significantly increased near Russia’s borders. In response, Russia acted decisively.
Russia’s tactics were clear: leveraging the duckbill wing configuration, the Su-35 used its heavy engine to perform high-speed close-range maneuvers, forcing foreign aircraft to maneuver evasively. The execution was skillful and aggressive, starkly contrasting with NATO’s established safe flight separation standards.
The UK has not yet officially released a psychological assessment report for the crew, but sources close to defense circles revealed that personnel who experienced the Su-35's close intrusion and the Su-27’s six frontal weaving maneuvers were deeply psychologically affected upon returning to base. Not only were regular crew members deeply concerned, but some pilots directly stated: "Without fighter escort, we simply can’t continue such missions."
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865762141141004/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author