RAF chief condemns Russia over intercepted planes near Scotland

A pair of Russian Bear aircraft pictured by the RAF during an intercept in September 2014

The chief of Britain's air force has condemned its Russian counterpart after two of its maritime patrol bombers were intercepted north-east of Scotland.

RAF Typhoon fighters were deployed from the Lossiemouth base in Moray as the Russian Tu-142 "Bear-F" aircraft approached on Wednesday.

The Russian aircraft stayed in international airspace over the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea.

However, the RAF said they were flying within the UK's "area of interest".

'Cold War relics'

Norwegian F-16s and F-35 jets, and a NATO E-3A were also deployed to monitor the Russian planes, which were regarded as unidentified as they had not made radio contact with civilian or military Air Traffic Control, or filed a flight plan.

Such flights by Russian air force planes are not uncommon. RAF jets were also scrambled twice in one week last month to monitor similar Tu-142 Bear aircraft.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston, said the flights of the "Cold War era" Russian bombers contravened air traffic regulations.

"These Russian bombers are relics of the Cold War, do not comply with international air traffic regulations and are a hazard to civilian and military aircraft," he said.