US F-15s In Estonia Were Diverted To Intercept A Russian Spy Plane

"U.S. F-15s scheduled to perform a flyover in Estonia intercepted a Russian spy plane and then took part to the parade.

On February 24, Estonia celebrated its independence day.

A part of the celebrations was a military parade in the city of Pärnu. U.S. F-15C fighters belonging to the 48th Fighter Wing, currently deployed to Lithuania’s first air base in Zokniai, took part in the flyby but were forced to do double duty after being diverted to intercept a Russian plane.

Unfortunately, no details about the aircraft that was intercepted were released. The official statement by Estonian authorities only says: “Fighters identified the plane as a spy plane belonging to Russia.”

The U.S. Air Force has four F-15s from RAF Lakenheath deployed to Lithuania to help with air policing in the Baltic states. The aircraft have replaced the Belgian F-16AMs and, since January, guard the airspace over Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. These countries' air defenses have been provided on a rotational basis by 14 NATO states since 2004.

Aircraft on Quick Reaction Alert at Siauliai are often scrambled by the Control and Reporting Post of Amari, Estonia, to intercept Il-20 spy planes, Tu-22M Backfire bombers, and Su-27 fighter jets, which skirt the Baltic States' air spaces as images posted in 2013 show..."

at http://theaviationist.com/2014/02/26/estonia-flyby-delayed/#ixzz2uSTObxmz