Two F-35 fighters from the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier have been scrambled to intercept a Russian Tu-142 ‘Bear-F’ maritime patrol aircraft over the Norwegian Sea.
On July 6, 2026, the Britain’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) aircraft said the Russian plane “flew unnecessarily close to HMS Prince of Wales” in an “unsafe and unprofessional” manner.
The Carrier Strike Group deployed on Operation FIRECREST were “approached repeatedly” by the Russian Bear-F, which dropped multiple sonobuoys nearby and failed to respond on international safety frequencies.
“Two UK F-35s from HMS Prince of Wales intercepted and escorted the aircraft until it left the area,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense said.
Photos shared by the UK government show the Russian Tu-142 flying close to a Royal Navy ship with the F-35 fighters in pursuit.
Separately on July 6, 2026, the UK announced that its Carrier Strike Group would be defending Europe and the North Atlantic, with F-35 jets conducting NATO air policing operations from the deck for the first time.
“UK F-35 jets are patrolling the skies above Iceland and the High North from HMS Prince of Wales to help protect NATO allies against increasing Russian threats,” a spokesperson said.
There are over 1,500 British personnel spread across the aircraft carrier, Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, and RFA Tidespring.
Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis and the Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, recently visited UK forces onboard HMS Prince of Wales. Iceland is providing support to allied forces operating from its territory.
While operating in the Norwegian Sea on Operation FIRECREST, the UK's Carrier Strike Group was approached repeatedly by a Russian 'Bear-F' maritime patrol aircraft.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 6, 2026
The aircraft flew unnecessarily close to HMS Prince of Wales, dropped multiple sonobuoys nearby, and failed to… pic.twitter.com/LLPgwo2VXA
The visit by Jarvis comes as elite British troops are taking command of the alliance’s high readiness special operations force for the first time.
The UK’s Special Operations Forces assumed leadership of the Special Operations Component Command within NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF) on July 1, 2026. The force is the spearhead of the ARF, able to deploy anywhere in the world within days.
“We live in an increasingly dangerous and uncertain time, and it’s deployments like this, supported by allies and partners including Iceland, that improve our deterrence and defense as part of NATO,” Jarvis said.