Russian Tu-142 flies over NATO ships in the Norwegian Sea
A Russian Tu-142 reconnaissance and antisubmarine aircraft flew over the command ship USS Mount Whitney at an unusually low altitude. The photos of this moment were published on Saturday, November 3, by AFP correspondent Pierre-Henry Deshayes on Twitter. "And suddenly a Tupolev above the NATO flagship. Russia invites itself into the great maneuvers," the journalist wrote.
Et soudain, un Tupolev au-dessus du navire-amiral de l'#Otan: la Russie s'invite dans les grandes manoeuvres #TridentJuncture18 (version plus lisible/photos exclusives de @jnackstrand) https://t.co/E0YYeFBDbe #AFP pic.twitter.com/dyoiR9GIDp
— P_Deshayes (@P_Deshayes) November 3, 2018
"Soldiers and journalists on board the American ship screamed in surprise when the plane, a Cold War relic, flew over the ship at low altitude,” said one of the correspondents, describing the situation. According to other journalists, the plane flew over the ship when a photo session was being held on the deck, which helped to capture it.
The USS Mount Whitney is a Blue Ridge-class command ship designed for management and coordination of the military forces. It is the flag ship of the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet which conducts operations in the Eastern Atlantic.
The incident took place during the Trident Juncture 2018 NATO military exercises near the Norwegian coast. Nearly all members of the military alliance take part in Trident Juncture, which started on October 25. This is one of the largest coordinated exercises of its kind. The US sent its USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier to take part in the exercises. The USS Harry Truman, a Nimitz class aircraft carrier crossed the Arctic Circle on October 19 and entered the Norwegian Sea.