Russia reportedly jammed the signals of an RAF jet carrying Defence Secretary John Healey near the country's border, in an electronic attack that disabled satellite communications for the entire three-hour flight back from Estonia.
Details of the Incident
The electronic attack struck a plane carrying Mr Healey as he made his way back to the UK after visiting troops stationed in Estonia. The satellite signal on the government plane was disabled for the entire three-hour flight, forcing pilots to use backup navigation systems to determine their location. GPS was blocked, and phones and laptops were unable to connect to the internet.
The attack also caused parts of the dashboard in the cockpit of the Dassault Falcon 900LX aircraft, a plane used by King Charles, to malfunction. The suspected Russian interference took place on Thursday when Mr Healey was returning to the UK alongside political and military advisors.
Technical Impact and Response
The jamming occurred at the beginning of the journey, but the signal could not be restarted while airborne as the RAF jet needed to be shut down and rebooted. A defence source told The Times that the ‘reckless’ Russian interference could have potentially affected other civilian aircraft, but the RAF was ‘well prepared to deal with this’.
Previous Incidents
It is not known if Mr Healey was intentionally targeted. Moscow is believed to have jammed the GPS signal on a jet carrying former defence secretary Grant Shapps in 2024. The latest incident came a day after it emerged that Russian jets imperilled an RAF spy plane by flying within 20ft of it.
In the closest confrontation yet between the two countries' air forces, Vladimir Putin's pilots flew reckless passes at more than 500mph past the nose of the RAF Rivet Joint over the Black Sea last month. The slightest error would have cost the lives of everyone involved on both sides.
Russian Manoeuvres
The Russian fighter pilots, in what is known as a 'Crazy Ivan' manoeuvre that is designed to unsettle the enemy, conducted six harrowingly close passes, causing the RAF surveillance plane's autopilot system to disengage and trigger emergency procedures.
Mr Healey last week condemned the manoeuvre, which continued a Kremlin campaign of intimidating British jets and warships as Mr Putin tests the UK’s resolve. He said: 'This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace. These actions create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation. I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding professionalism and bravery of the RAF crew who continued their mission despite these dangerous actions. Let me be very clear: this incident will not deter the UK's commitment to defend Nato, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression.'
Surveillance Flights Suspended
RAF surveillance flights over the Black Sea now appear to have been suspended in the wake of the near miss. Publicly available flight-tracking data reveals that no RAF Rivet Joint Surveillance aircraft have flown over the region since April 21. That is despite Mr Healey’s vow that the UK would not be deterred by last month's 'dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace'.
Broader Concerns
The Black Sea incident also came amid growing concerns over Russian activity in UK waters. Kremlin submarines have been identified conducting missions to surveil Britain's vital undersea data cables, the Ministry of Defence revealed last month. The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment.
