Reports from the BBC reveal a harrowing incident in 2022 when a Russian fighter pilot engaged in a perilous maneuver to shoot down a British Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft. Fortunately, a combination of ill fortune and equipment malfunction prevented a potentially catastrophic international incident. The Rivet Joint, responsible for collecting and analyzing electromagnetic signals intelligence, was conducting surveillance over the Black Sea in October when it encountered two Su-27 fighter jets.
According to sources cited by the BBC, one of the Russian pilots believed he had received orders to eliminate the high-value reconnaissance aircraft, along with its 30-member crew. In response, he made a brazen attempt to do so. The initial air-to-air missile fired by the Russian pilot missed its target, and the second missile malfunctioned, falling harmlessly from the wing of his aircraft.
At the time of the incident, U.K. government officials downplayed its severity, with then-Defence Secretary Ben Wallace characterizing it as a "potentially dangerous engagement." Subsequently, Wallace accepted the Russian explanation, attributing the incident to a "malfunction."
However, documents released online by U.S. airman Jack Teixera painted a different picture, with U.S. officials referring to the event as a "near shoot-down." In response to such incidents, the BBC reported that RAF surveillance aircraft are now accompanied by Typhoon fighter escorts to ensure their safety.
