Fighter jets scrambled to North Sea near Shetland
Andrew Hirst
Fighter jets have been scrambled for an operation south of Shetland.
The RAF confirmed that Quick Reaction Typhoon Fighters from RAF Lossiemouth, on the north Scottish coast, had launched this morning but would not comment on an ongoing operation.
The Planefinder app also shows an RAF tanker circling in the North Sea, southeast of Shetland. The Airbus A330 is an aerial refuelling tanker.
A Nato-operated Boeing E-3A was also shown to have been circling directly above Shetland, the app showed. The E-3A is a early warning and control aircraft used for all-weather surveillance, command, control, and communications.
The Quick Reaction Alert programme has previously been involved in intercepting Russian aircraft near UK airspace.
Sky New’s foreign affairs editor Deborah Haynes tweeted to say the fighters were positioned “northeast towards Norway in case a number of long range Russian aircraft head towards UK area of interest”.
Earlier this week the RAF confirmed Typhoon jets would be used in training, which would include air-to-air refuelling.
