Finnish Gulf incident: F/A-18 "cut the nose" to the Russian Su-30 (video)

The meeting of the two aircraft was probably over the waters of the Gulf of Finnish. The footage shows that the aircraft crosses the trajectory of the Russian Su-30 fighter at a critically close range, flying in front of his nose. Then the F/A-18 is aligned and again crosses the trajectory of the Russian fighter, but this time at a greater distance.

"In recent months, I am more and more convinced that, contrary to the existing" generally accepted thought ", the era of" dog fighting "between fighters is not so moved into the past as many are inclined to consider. In the Great War of the Great States, the battlefield can be greatly expanded With the standards of previous wars, but I suspect that rapprochement with the enemy will remain very important for a while, "one of the users wrote in the comments.

For their part, the observers noted that maneuvers, similar to the video shot, pose a serious danger. High speeds of fighters leave minimal opportunities for error, and even the slightest miscalculation can lead to catastrophic consequences. There is also a risk of turbulence created by the front aircraft, which can destabilize the fighter that follows it.

In addition, when the aircraft flies close to the nose of the other, it can enclose a pilot inspection, complicating monitoring other aircraft, land objects or potential threats, which can seriously affect the safety of the mission. "Finally, these dangerous maneuvers can lead to escalation of tensions in relations between the Armed Forces. Such actions are often perceived as aggressive or provocative, which can lead to diplomatic incidents or even armed conflicts," experts emphasized.

In view of this, in order to avoid misunderstandings, pilots maintain a safe distance, which in such situations are crucial. However, this time, apparently, the behavior of Finnish F/A-18 is due to the fact that the Russian fighter could disrupt Finland's airspace, penetrating 2. 5 kilometers into the territory of a neighboring country. Earlier it was reported that Su-30 cm2 fighters were equipped with a new radar designed for such tasks.