Near_Misses

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40 encounters 11 dangerous

2014

30 encounters 9 dangerous

20 encounters 7 dangerous

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE RUSSIAN KIND

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DENMARK / RUSSIA March 3, 2014 A commercial airliner narrowly avoids a collision with a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that was not broadcasting its position.

U.S. / RUSSIA April 12, 2014 An unarmed Russian fighter aircraft makes 12 passes near the USS Cook.

SWEDEN / RUSSIA April 20, 2014 A Russian reconnaissance aircraft observes Swedish military installations from a narrow corridor of international airspace near the Swedish border.

U.S. / RUSSIA April 23, 2014 A Russian fighter makes threatening moves in the vicinity of a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, including demonstrating that it is armed.

NETHERLANDS / RUSSIA April 23, 2014 Two Russian bombers are intercepted by fighter aircraft after entering Dutch airspace.

U.K. / RUSSIA April 24, 2014 RAF fighters intercept and shadow Russian aircraft in international airspace.

NATO / RUSSIA April 28, 2014 NATO aircraft policing the Baltics are scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft in international airspace.

U.K. / RUSSIA May 18, 2014 RAF fighters intercept a Russian helicopter and shadow it back to its parent warship.

U.S. / RUSSIA June 4, 2014 U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian bombers off the coasts of Alaska and California.

NATO / RUSSIA June 12, 2014 NATO fighters intercept Russian aircraft in international airspace near Latvia.

DENMARK / RUSSIA June 15, 2014 Armed Russian aircraft approached the heavily populated Danish island of Bornholm before breaking off in what appears to have been a simulated attack.

U.K. / RUSSIA June 17, 2014 RAF fighters intercept a Russian air formation in international airspace.

CANADA / RUSSIA July 9, 2014 The Canadian frigate HMCS Toronto is buzzed by a Russian aircraft that comes within 300 meters.

SWEDEN / RUSSIA July 16, 2014 An armed Russian aircraft intercepts a Swedish surveillance plane conducting operations between Gotland and Latvia in international airspace, coming within 10 meters of the plane.

U.S. / SWEDEN / RUSSIA July 18, 2014 A U.S. surveillance plane conducting operations near Russia's Kaliningrad exclave takes refuge in Swedish airspace after being approached by Russian fighters.

POLAND / RUSSIA August 1, 2014 Polish fighters patrolling the skies over the Baltics are intercepted by Russian aircraft flying near Estonian airspace.

U.S. / RUSSIA August 7, 2014 Russian strategic nuclear bombers conduct at least 16 incursions into northwestern U.S. Air Defense Identification Zones.

NATO / RUSSIA August 28, 2014 NATO jets policing the Baltics are scrambled to intercept a Russian A-50 early-warning aicrcraft and two long-range Su-27 jet fighters over the Baltic Sea.

FINLAND / RUSSIA August 29, 2014 Multiple breaches of Finnish airspace by Russian aircraft.

FINLAND / RUSSIA September 1, 2014 Russian naval and air units twice interfere with the course of a Finnish research vessel.

NATO / RUSSIA September 11, 2014 Canadian fighters intercept Russian aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

SWEDEN / RUSSIA September 17, 2014 Two Russian military aircraft enter Swedish airspace south of the island of Oland.

U.S. / RUSSIA September 17, 2014 Russian jets enter the U.S.-Canadian Air Defense Identification Zone off the coast of Alaska on two separate occasions on 17-18 September.

U.K. / RUSSIA September 19, 2014 RAF fighters are scrambled to shadow Russian aircraft in international airspace north of Scotland.

SWEDEN / RUSSIA October 3, 2014 A Russian fighter flies within meters of Swedish surveillance aircraft in an incident deemed 'unusually provocative.'

NATO / RUSSIA October 20, 2014 NATO aircraft policing the Baltics intercept Russian Il-20 surveillance aircraft in international airspace.

NATO / RUSSIA October 21, 2014 A Portuguese F-16 policing Baltic airspace with NATO intercepts Russian Il-20 surveillance aircraft that entered Estonian airspace near the island of Saarema.

NORWAY / RUSSIA October 29, 2014 Norwegian Air Force fighters intercept Russian aircraft off the coast of the northern county of Finmark.

U.K. / RUSSIA October 31, 2014 RAF intercepts Russian aircraft approaching U.K. airspace.

NATO / RUSSIA November 6, 2014 NATO fighters intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane in international airspace near Latvia.

CANADA / RUSSIA November 8, 2014 RCAF fighters intercept Russian aircraft in and near Lithuanian airspace.

NETHERLANDS / RUSSIA November 12, 2014 Dutch fighters intercept a Russian transport aircraft after it entered Estonian and later Lithuanian airspace.

U.S. / RUSSIA November 14, 2014 Russian bombers circle the island Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific.

NORWAY / RUSSIA November 30, 2014 Norwegian jets intercept a Russian jet over the North Sea.

NATO / RUSSIA November 30, 2014 NATO hunts for a suspected Russian submarine.

FINLAND / RUSSIA December 7, 2014 Finnish jets intercept a large Russian formation that flew out of Russia's Kaliningrad exclave.

CANADA / RUSSIA December 8, 2014 Canadian fighters intercept Russian bombers near Canadian airspace.

NETHERLANDS / RUSSIA December 8, 2014 Dutch aircraft intercept Russian bombers near Kaliningrad.

SWEDEN / RUSSIA December 12, 2014 A Russian military aircraft, flying without using its transponders, flies within close proximity of a commercial airliner south of Malmo.

NORWAY / RUSSIA December 18, 2014 A Russian aircraft is intercepted by Norwegian fighters near the northern Norwegian county of Finmark.

NATO / RUSSIA January 1, 2015 U.S. and British aircraft track suspected Russian submarine activity.

NATO / RUSSIA January 23, 2015 NATO scrambles Typhoon fighters Russia reconnaissance aircraft was spotted Baltic Sea.

U.K. / RUSSIA January 28, 2015 Russian bombers are intercepted over the English Channel by the Royal Air Force.

U.K. / RUSSIA January 29, 2015 British fighter jets are scrambled to intercept Russian bombers.

NATO / RUSSIA January 30, 2015 Russian air force Il-78 refueling tankers are intercepted by Italian NATO jets over the Baltic Sea.

NATO / RUSSIA February 6, 2015 Russian patrol aircraft intercepted by NATO jets over the Baltic Sea.

U.K. / RUSSIA February 18, 2015 The British RAF scrambles warplanes to intercept two Russian bombers.

NATO / RUSSIA March 10, 2015 NATO jets intercept a Russian refueling aircraft.

TURKEY / RUSSIA March 15, 2015 Turkish jets intercept a Russian plane off the coast of Turkey.

NATO / RUSSIA March 24, 2015 Two Russian bombers en route to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave are intercepted by NATO and Swedish aircraft.

U.S. / RUSSIA April 7, 2015 A Russian fighter flies within 7 meters of a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace.

U.K. / RUSSIA April 14, 2015 RAF jets intercept Russian bombers flying near British airspace.

U.S. / RUSSIA April 22, 2015 Two Russian bombers are intercepted by U.S. jets off the coast of Alaska.

U.S. / RUSSIA April 23, 2015 A U.S. reconnaissance plane is intercepted by a Russian jet.

U.S. / RUSSIA May 1, 2015 A Russian fighter 'buzzes' a U.S. destroyer in the Black Sea.

NATO / RUSSIA May 14, 2015 NATO jets intercept a Russian bomber near Scotland.

SWEDEN / RUSSIA May 22, 2015 Swedish fighters are scrambled to intercept Russian bombers approaching Swedish airspace.

U.S. / RUSSIA July 4, 2015 Two Russian bombers deliver a Fourth of July message to American pilots who intercepted them.

U.S. / RUSSIA July 4, 2015 U.S. fighters intercept Russian bombers off the southern coast of Alaska.

U.K. / RUSSIA September 1, 2015 U.K. fighter jets intercept Russian bombers north of Scotland.

JAPAN / RUSSIA September 1, 2015 Japanese fighters are scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft.

U.S. / RUSSIA October 1, 2015 Reports of at least one close encounter between Russian and U.S. aircraft over Syria.

TURKEY / RUSSIA October 1, 2015 Turkish jets intercept Russian aircraft inside Turkish airspace.

U.S. / RUSSIA October 21, 2015 A Russian fighter jet encounters a U.S. Reaper drone flying over Syria.

U.S. / RUSSIA October 27, 2015 The U.S. Navy launches fighters to intercept Russian aircraft approaching a U.S. carrier.

U.S. / RUSSIA October 30, 2015 U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian bombers over the Sea of Japan.

U.K. / RUSSIA November 19, 2015 RAF Typhoon fighters are scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft in international airspace near the U.K.

TURKEY / RUSSIA November 24, 2015 Turkey shoots down a Russian Sukhoi jet near the Syria-Turkey border after it flew over Turkish airspace.

U.S. / RUSSIA November 24, 2015 Russian aircraft circle U.S. military installations on Guam.

U.K. / RUSSIA November 19, 2015 NATO aircraft intercept a Russian jet over the Baltic Sea.

U.S. / RUSSIA January 27, 2016 A Russian Su-27 fighter jet comes within 6 meters of a U.S. RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft.

U.K. / RUSSIA February 17, 2016 RAF jets intercept Russian bombers 'heading for U.K. airspace.'

NATO / RUSSIA February 17, 2016 NATO fighter jets are scrambled from an air base in Lithuania to intercept a Russian IL-20 military transport aircraft.

SWEDEN / RUSSIA March 22, 2016 Sweden intercepts four Russian military planes flying with their transponders off.

U.S. / RUSSIA April 12, 2016 An unidentified fighter jet performs aggressive flight maneuvers within close proximity of the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea.

U.S. / RUSSIA April 14, 2016 A Russian fighter jet performs a barrel roll near an U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane in international airspace.

NATO / RUSSIA April 26, 2016 NATO fighter jets policing the Baltics are scrambled from a Lithuanian air base to identify and escort a Russian Su-27 military aircraft.

NATO / RUSSIA April 27, 2016 NATO identifies a Russian Il-38 flying in accordance with its flight plan, but while it was communicating with air-traffic control it had its onboard transponder switched off.

NATO / RUSSIA April 28, 2016 NATO fighters identify and escort a Russian IL-18 aircraft flying from Kaliningrad without a pre-filed flight plan, not using its onboard transponder, and not maintaining communication with air traffic control centres.

U.S. / RUSSIA April 29, 2016 A Russia Su-27 fighter intercepts a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft flying a routine route in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

NATO / RUSSIA May 10, 2016 RAF fighter jets intercept five Russian aircraft flying near Estonia.

NATO / RUSSIA May 16, 2016 British Royal Air Force fighter jets intercept three Russian military transport planes.

U.S. / RUSSIA July 7, 2016 Two pairs of Russian bombers fly off the coasts of California and Alaska -- forcing the Air Force to scramble fighter jets to intercept each flight.

POLAND / RUSSIA July 29, 2016 Two Polish F16 fighter jets intercept a Russian light aircraft flying toward the city of Krakow.

U.S. / RUSSIA September 5, 2016 A Russian Su-27 flies within meters of a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea.

ICELAND / RUSSIA September 22, 2016 Three Russian Tupolev TU-160 bombers allegedly fly close to an Icelandic passenger jet with their transponders switched off, making them less detectable to civilian radar.

NORWAY / BRITAIN / FRANCE / SPAIN / RUSSIA September 22, 2016 Two Tupolev TU-160s are intercepted by aircraft from Norway, Britain, France, and Spain as they fly toward Western Europe.

U.S. / RUSSIA October 2016 Reports of at least one close encounter between Russian and U.S. aircraft over Syria.

FINLAND / RUSSIA October 6, 2016 A possible violation of Finnish airspace by a Russian Su-27 fighter is detected over the Gulf of Finland.

FINLAND / RUSSIA October 6, 2016 A second possible violation of Finnish airspace by a Russian Su-27 fighter jet is detected over the Gulf of Finland.

Close encounters with the Russian air force are nothing new to the West, but amid heightened tensions over Ukraine over the past few years they have become increasingly provocative and confrontational.

40 encounters 11 dangerous

This timeline primarily focuses on encounters involving Russia's air force. Source: European Leadership Network; Media reports.

30 encounters 9 dangerous

20 encounters 7 dangerous

U.S. / RUSSIA April 21, 2016 A Russian Air Force MiG-31 jet intercepts a U.S. P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flying in international airspace near the Kamchatka Pensinsula.

BULGARIA / RUSSIA July, 2016 Bulgaria’s defense minister said Russian military aircraft had entered what he termed 'Bulgaria’s area of responsibility' in NATO airspace four times in the past month.

This timeline features encounters involving Russia's air force. Source: European Leadership Network; Media reports.

Guam

Baltic Sea: 24

California

Alaska: 3

North Sea: 6

Black Sea: 2

Syria: 4

UK coast: 8

Baltic Sea: 10

Japan

California

Baltic Sea: 14