Russian fighter jet blasts US Navy Poseidon with its engine wake
A Russian Su-30 Flanker fighter jet allegedly crossed close in front of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea at the weekend, turning on its afterburner as it did so.
The violent wake left by the superheated air tossed the US Poseidon into a 15-degree roll from which the pilots had to urgently recover.
The deadly game lasted a total of 24 minutes, a Pentagon statement claims, with the Russian jet fighter coming as close as nine metres.
“The US aircraft was operating in international airspace and did nothing to provoke this Russian behaviour,” Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Colonel Michelle Baldanza told US media.
“Unsafe actions have the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all aircrews involved.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defence claims its pilot was simply acting to prevent the US from “embarrassing itself”.
