An American RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft was buzzed by a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet over the Baltic Sea near Russia\u2019s Kaliningrad Region, according to the Pentagon, which accused the Russian pilot of coming dangerously close to the US aircraft.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the morning of April 7, a US RC-135U, flying a routine route in international airspace, was intercepted by a Russian Su-27 Flanker in an unsafe and unprofessional manner,\u201d<\/em> the Washington Free Beacon (WFB) cited Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen M. Lainez as saying.<\/p>\n \u201cThe United States is raising this incident with Russia in the appropriate diplomatic and official channels,\u201d<\/em>she added.<\/p>\n The official said that a Russian Su-27 (NATO designation \u2013 Flanker) passed within a half-dozen meters of the unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, whereas the Sukhoi\u2019s wingspan is 14.7 meters. The Pentagon spokeswoman dubbed the behavior of Russian pilot \u201creckless\u201d<\/em> and endangering the safety of the RC-135 crew.<\/p>\n Major-General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said that the interception was launched after \u201cRussian air defense radars spotted an unidentified air target over the Baltic Sea making steady progress toward the national border.\u201d<\/em> The aircraft had its transponder turned off, Konashenkov said.<\/p>\n The Sukhoi Su-27 dispatched to intercept the target identified it as a US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft RC-135U and reported the aircraft\u2019s type and tail number to headquarters. After the Su-27 made several fly-bys around the spy plane, the RC-135U altered course and moved away from Russian border.<\/p>\n \u201cNo emergency situation was reported during the fly-by of the American reconnaissance aircraft,\u201d<\/em>Konashenkov said.<\/p>\n The RC-135 is a military version of a Boeing-707 and the intercepted RC-135U version is code-named Combat Sent, specializing in gathering intelligence on \u201cenemy electronic signals and radar emitters.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n No details have been released on the mission of the RC-135, but the aircraft was reportedly in a position to monitor Russian military activities in western Russia and Kaliningrad.<\/p>\n It is in the Kaliningrad exclave where Moscow recently decided to deploy Iskander-M nuclear capable tactical quasi-ballistic missile systems.<\/p>\n The head of Russia\u2019s Upper House Committee for Foreign Relations, Konstantin Kosachev, called on to NATO to stop their \u201chysterics\u201d over flights by the Russian Air Force, \u201cpresenting them as aggression and demonizing Russia.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Pentagon to protest \u201cunsafe and unprofessional\u201d intercept by Russian Su-27 http:\/\/t.co\/Hzb5M2YdzL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/eN2VZtoJjF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Alert 5 (@alert5) April 10, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n