British fighter jets head off Russian aircraft near Royal Navy carrier

• UK fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian 'Bear F' maritime patrol aircraft that approached Britain’s flagship carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, in the Arctic.
• The Russian aircraft dropped a "large number" of sonobuoys, which are tracking devices used for undersea surveillance, in close proximity to the carrier.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) condemned the Russian aircraft's actions as "unsafe and unprofessional" due to its low-altitude and unnecessarily close pass.
• Two UK F-35 jets, operating from HMS Prince of Wales as part of Operation Firecrest in the Norwegian Sea, intercepted and escorted the Russian aircraft.
• The interception ensured the Russian aircraft left the area after its provocative activity near the UK's Carrier Strike Group.

IN FULL

UK jets scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft near Britain’s flagship carrier