RAF Typhoon scrambled to intercept Russian warplane as Brit ace takes to skies alongside German jet in tense standoff
RAF and German fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian aircraft flying close to Estonian airspace.
It is the first time British and German air forces have carried out a joint Nato air policing operation.
The response on Tuesday saw the pair of British and German Typhoon jets react to a Russian Il-78 air-to-air refuelling aircraft between flying St Petersburg and Kaliningrad
It was escorted after failing to communicate with Estonian air traffic control.
The allied fighters also intercepted an AN-148 plane from Russia.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, two Norweigan F-35s were quickly deployed to head off two Russian military aircraft - a MiG-31 and NOR F-35 - in international airspace.
It comes as British pilots conduct joint air policing missions in Estonia alongside the German air force for the first time as the UK prepares to take over the lead in Nato missions in the country, which borders Russia.
The Ministry of Defence stressed the "routine" nature of the mission, but it comes amid tensions between the West and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
Armed forces minister James Heappey said: "Nato continues to form the bedrock of our collective security.
"This joint UK and German deployment in the Baltics clearly demonstrates our collective resolve to challenge any potential threat to Nato's borders, whilst demonstrating our combined strength."
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A Typhoon pilot from the RAF's IX(Bomber) Squadron, who was not named by the Ministry of Defence, said: "We were scrambled to intercept an aircraft that was approaching Estonian airspace. We identified and monitored it as it transited close to Nato airspace.
"Any aircraft that are not communicating with Air Traffic Control or on a recognised flight plan will be intercepted by us to ensure we know who they are and maintain flight safety for all airspace users.
"As a fighter pilot this was a routine business, even though I was flying alongside a German colleague.
"It is clear that all of our training and hard work paid off as we seamlessly operated together."
Commander of the RAF's 140 Expeditionary Air Wing, Wing Commander Scott Maccoll, said it had been "great" to see UK and German forces "operate as one team".
News of the interceptions comes after the US slammed what it called the "brazen" taking down of one of its drones by a Russian fighter jet.
The US military has warned that the incident is one of several recent "aggressive" and "dangerous" actions by Russia that risk "escalation" into war.
The drone was taken down while flying over the Black Sea near Russian occupied Crimea and the Ukraine frontline.
A Russian Su-27 jet struck the propeller of the MQ-9 Reaper drone resulting in it crash landing in the sea and its loss, the US European Command said.
Prior to the collision, which happened at 7am local time on Tuesday, two Su-27s had "dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9" in a "reckless" and "unprofessional" manner.
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The incident marked the first time since the height of the Cold War that a US aircraft has been brought down by the Russians.
