SMOKIN' ACES
RAF fighter jets intercept 50 warplanes flying close to Nato airspace in just four months in border showdown with Putin
BRITISH fighter jets in charge of defending Nato's eastern flank from Vladimir Putin have intercepted 50 of his warplanes in four months.
RAF Typhoons currently based in Estonia have flown more than 500 hours as they led the alliance's air policing operations in a powerful show of force to Russia.
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Royal Air Force personnel have returned to the UK after a gruelling four month mission to defend the skies over the Baltic against any Russian threats.
Members of 140 Expeditionary Air Wing and a squadron of RAF Typhoon fighter jets have been conducting "Quick Reaction Alert" intercepts of any potential threats near to Nato airspace.
The deployment, named "Op Azotize", began with RAF pilots flying missions alongside the German Air Force, which is when the first ever joint air intercept between NATO allies took place.
British and German Typhoons shadowed a Russian air-to-air refuelling aircraft and transport aircraft flying between St Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
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Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Hundreds of RAF pilots and personnel have spent months away from their families, working round-the-clock alongside our allies to keep Europe’s skies safe.
“The UK’s successful leadership of Nato's air policing mission in Estonia, resulting in the interception of dozens of Russian aircraft by the RAF, sends a strong message to Putin that we stand united with our allies against any threat to our borders.”
The fighter jet squadron was always held at a moment's notice - ready to scramble and take on any possible threat in the skies.
After taking full leadership of the air policing mission, RAF Typhoons regularly flew QRA missions – intercepting 21 Russian fighters, long-range bombers, and reconnaissance aircraft in just 21 days.
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Defence Minister Baroness Goldie DL paid tribute to the "commitment and dedication" of the 140 Expeditionary Air Wing in protecting Nato airspace.
"The day to day, personal sacrifices made not only by the individuals but also their families in the name of duty are nothing short of commendable," she added.
While deployed in Estonia, the RAF took place in the largest Nato Air Deployment exercise since the Cold War.
In a declared show of force to Putin, the alliance had over 250 aircraft and 10,000 personnel from 25 Nato and partner nations involved in the aerial war games.
Last month, The Sun's Jerome Starkey found out what it is like to be intercepted by RAF Typhoons.
He was onboard a transport jet as fighters from eight allies blasted into the sky during drills to prepare for a Russian incursion.
The jets armed with air-to-air missiles roared up to his plane's wing tips in scenes that echoed the classic film Top Gun.
Earlier in July, President Putin’s doomsday jet was intercepted by RAF fighters on a mission over the Baltic Sea.
British typhoons closely shadowed the nuclear command and control aircraft as it flew in and out of the Russian city of Kaliningrad - eerily near Nato's borders.
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In June, the RAF scrambled its fighters to intercept Russian warplanes that were buzzing near to Nato's airspace in a nail-biting mid-air standoff.
One thousand British Army soldiers remain stationed at Tapa Army Base in Estonia.
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