SUPERPOWERS
Finland, Estonia accuse Russia of airspace violations
by Staff Writers
Helsinki (AFP) Oct 7, 2016


Finland and Estonia accused Russia on Friday of violating their airspace, as Nordic and Baltic defence chiefs met their US counterpart to discuss growing security concerns in the region.

"Russian SU-27 violates Estonia's airspace. (Russian) ambassador summoned to (the foreign ministry in Tallinn)," Estonia's permanent representation to NATO tweeted.

Finland, which is not a NATO member, said two Russian SU-27 fighter jets flew on separate occasions on Thursday into the Finnish airspace south of the coastal town of Porvoo.

Moscow promptly denied Finland's accusations.

"A Sukhoi-27 jet .. performed a scheduled training mission over the neutral waters of the Gulf of Finland on October 6, 2016, and did not deflect from the designated flight path," the Russian defence ministry said in a press release.

The alleged airspace violations took place during the visit of Robert Work, US Deputy Secretary of Defence, as he met with his Nordic and Baltic counterparts in Helsinki.

"The only thing I can say is that these are becoming more a norm rather than the exception... I wouldn't want to speculate on the timing," Work told reporters.

"These are unsatisfactory manoeuvres that are unsafe and unprofessional," he added.

The Nordic and Baltic region's only non-aligned countries, Finland and Sweden, have stepped up their military cooperation with US, following concerns over Russia's increased military activity in northern Europe.

Finland and the US on Friday signed a bilateral "statement of intent" to "deepen and increase the practical cooperation and collaboration", after a similar deal between Sweden and US was signed in June.

Russia has warned against Sweden and Finland joining NATO, an issue that is being debated in both countries.

"The statement of intent which we signed today is another indication of how (close) we are becoming, both with Finland and with Sweden and all of the other nations in the region, those in NATO," Work said.

Finland's defence minister Jussi Niinisto described the airspace violations as "exceptional".

"It is undisputably exceptional that two airspace violations take place within 24 hours," he told the Finnish public broadcaster YLE.

.


Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
SUPERPOWERS
Indonesia holds military drill at South China Sea islands
Jakarta (AFP) Oct 6, 2016
The Indonesian air force Thursday held a major exercise around its islands in the South China Sea where there have been clashes with Chinese vessels in waters claimed by Beijing. Thousands of personnel as well as F-16, Sukhoi and Hercules planes took part in the drill around the remote Natuna islands in the far northwest of the archipelago, with President Joko Widodo in attendance. Milit ... read more


SUPERPOWERS
Raytheon to update the Netherlands' Patriot missile system

Lockheed's PAC-3 missile destroys ballistic missile targets in test

Saab gets order for man-portable air defense missile system

Lockheed gets $157 million U.S. Navy Aegis contract

SUPERPOWERS
New targeting system to double range of Russia's Pantsir: Report

State Dept. approves missile warning system sale to Egypt

Raytheon successfully tests newest AMRAAM variant

Russia sends S-300 missile system to Syria port

SUPERPOWERS
45 nations sign declaration on export, use of armed and strike-enabled drones

Drone safety: User-centric control software improves pilot performance and safety

Thales ready for Royal Navy test of its unmanned systems

Northrop Grumman to procure long-lead items for Triton drone

SUPERPOWERS
Canada defence dept selects Newtec for first DVB-S2X Airborne Modem

TeleCommunications Systems continues USMC satellite services

SES unveils new tactical surveillance and communications solution

Newest DARPA Challenge: 'Shift Paradigm' With Robot Radio

SUPERPOWERS
Oshkosh gets $42 million JLTV delivery order

Elbit to provide Bradley Fighting Vehicle's gunner hand station

Northrop Grumman gets $149 million infrared countermeasures contract

LTM gets $35 million military engineering support contract

SUPERPOWERS
Egypt military seen as expanding economic share

Moscow says Syria campaign shows 'reliability' of Russian arms

Poland drops talks in 3 bn euro Airbus chopper deal: ministry

Three missing after S. Korea helicopter crashes at sea

SUPERPOWERS
Gorbachev says world at 'dangerous' point as US-Russia tensions soar

Philippines tells US no more joint sea patrols

Indonesia holds military drill at South China Sea islands

Finland, Estonia accuse Russia of airspace violations

SUPERPOWERS
Electron beam microscope directly writes nanoscale features in liquid with metal ink

A 'nano-golf course' to assemble precisely nanoparticules

NIST-made 'sun and rain' used to study nanoparticle release from polymers

Scientists forge nanogold chains with atomic precision