An armed Russian fighter jet came within just a few meters of a U.S. military plane flying over the Baltic Sea, an official told VOA Tuesday.
The Pentagon said the American plane, an RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, was uNPRofessionally "intercepted" in international airspace on Monday by a Russian SU-27 Flanker fighter jet.
"Due to the high rate of closure speed and poor control of the aircraft during the intercept, this interaction was determined to be unsafe," Defense Department spokeswoman Army Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza told VOA Tuesday.
She added that the action had the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all air crews involved.
Pentagon officials stressed that the American reconnaissance plane "did nothing to provoke" the Russian jet's behavior.
"The Russian military is within its right to exercise within international airspace, but they must respect international standards set to ensure safety and prevent accidents," Baldanza said.
Close encounters take place on a regular basis among military aircraft operating in international areas. The vast majority of encounters with American military planes are conducted in a safe manner, officials said.
一位美国官员星期二告诉美国之音说，俄罗斯一架武装战斗机在波罗的海上空逼近一架美军军用飞机，距离只有几米远。
美国五角大楼说，美军RC-135侦察机星期一在国际空域遭到了一家俄罗斯苏-27战斗机非专业的“拦截”。
美国国防部女发言人，陆军中校米歇尔·巴尔丹扎星期二告诉美国之音说，“拦截过程中由于接近速度太快，而且飞机开得不稳，所以这次互动被认为是不安全的。”
她补充说，这次行动很可能对双方所有机组人员造成严重的伤害。
五角大楼官员强调说，美国侦察机没有任何挑衅俄罗斯战斗机的行为。
美国国防部女发言人巴尔丹扎说：“俄罗斯军队在国际空域可以行使自己的权利，但是必须尊重为确保安全，防止意外事件发生的国际行为标准。”
国际空域常会发生军机近距离相遇的情况，但是有关官员说，美国军用飞机遇到的大多数这类相遇的情况都是以安全的方式进行的。