Scramble, scramble! How aircraft from Palma moored ship kept the Russians at bay

Over 30 live intercepts of armed Russian fighter and bomber aircraft

F35 jets seen on the carrier in Palma. | JOAN LLADO

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter26/11/2021 12:36

Details have emerged of how the Russian air force attempted to track and disrupt operations by the Royal Navy aircraft carrier, Queen Elizabeth, (now moored in Palma).

Infact, at one stage the carrier had to keep one of its F35 stealth jets on constant alert because of the Russian threat. This took place in June in the eastern Mediterranean when the aircraft carrier was heading for the Far East. Jets from the Queen Elizabeth were involved in operations over Syria and Iraq. This caught the attention of the Russian military.

"So we were also having to maintain a ready alert on the deck to counter daily probing from the Russian air force coming out to the carrier. Over 30 live intercepts of armed Russian fighter and bomber aircraft were conducted in just over two weeks," Commander UK Carrier Strike Group Commodore Steve Moorhouse, told FlightGlobal.

“Responding to quick alert like that is something the Royal Navy hasn’t done with aircraft carriers for a generation. So that’s meant understanding the readiness state that you have to maintain so you can get the jets off at sufficient time to ensure you can intercept an incoming aircraft at appropriate range," he told Flightglobal.