Britain said on Saturday that two Royal Air Force aircraft flew a 12-hour mission earlier this week alongside U.S. and NATO forces to patrol the border of Russia.
“This was a substantial joint mission with our U.S. and NATO allies,” defence minister John Healey said.
“Not only does this provide valuable intelligence to boost the operational awareness of our Armed Forces, but sends a powerful message of NATO unity to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and our adversaries,” Healey added.
An RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic surveillance aircraft and a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane flew from the Arctic region past Belarus and Ukraine on Thursday, supported by a U.S. Air Force KC-135 refuelling aircraft.
Britain said the operation followed incursions into the airspaces of NATO countries including Poland, Romania and Estonia.
