F-35 Stealth Fighters Scrambled To Intercept Russian ‘Super Interceptor’ MiG-31 Hours After Su-27 ‘Took Down’ Reaper Drone

On March 15, the Norwegian Armed Forces scrambled two F-35 fighter jets on a NATO Quick Reaction Alert mission after detecting two Russian warplanes outside Norwegian air space north of Finnmark.

The Russian warplanes—a Su-24 and a MiG-31—were intercepted in international airspace by two Norwegian F-35s sent out on a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission from the Evenes air base, according to the Norwegian Armed Forces.

The Russian fighter jets took off from the Kola Peninsula. Meanwhile, the Norwegian Armed Forces have also made public images of the Russian MiG-31. With rising regional tensions, such interceptions are becoming more frequent.

On March 9, the two Norwegian F-35s deployed as part of NATO’s north QRA scrambled from Evenes Airport to intercept the Russian Il-38 aircraft.

The two Russian aircraft came from the Kola Peninsula’s Severomorsk-1 air base. Both the Tu-142 and the Il-38 are housed at the base. The planes were reportedly on the lookout for NATO submarines when conducting operations over the Barents Sea.

In January 2022, the EurAsian Times reported that the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RoNAF) marked the momentous occasion when F-35s officially assumed the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty, ending the F-16 fleet’s 42-year involvement in assisting its nation and NATO.

The goal of NATO Air Policing is to maintain the safety of Alliance airspace. NATO stated that it is a collective effort and requires the constant presence of fighter aircraft and crews ready to respond rapidly to airspace violations.

Norwegian airspace has never been breached by Russian aircraft in the post-Soviet era. Yet, as a regular operation to protect NATO’s airspace, Norway launches fighter jets to intercept Russians in the far north.

Meanwhile, Northern Norway hosts two extensive military exercises: Joint Viking and Joint Warrior.

Norway’s Joint Viking exercise is entering its second week with nearly 20,000 soldiers from numerous NATO and partner nations participating in the drills inside the Arctic Circle. Warships from several NATO nations are also present in the British naval exercise Joint Warrior off of Northern Norway.