Video Shows US Fighter Jets Escorting Russian Il-38N Near USS Carl Vinson in International Airspace
A U.S. Navy F-35C and F/A-18F Super Hornet escorted a Russian Il-38N patrol aircraft as it flew near the USS Carl Vinson in international airspace, U.S. officials confirmed.
The incident was recorded in a video that surfaced on social media, showing the Russian Il-38N flying low near the aircraft carrier. U.S. Navy jets from the Carl Vinson were seen flying alongside it.
The exact location and date of the operation were not disclosed but the U.S. Pacific Fleet confirmed that the encounter took place recently while the Carl Vinson was operating in the Pacific. The Russian aircraft was intercepted and escorted in what the Navy described as a “safe and professional” manner.
The Il-38N, known by NATO as “May,” is a Russian maritime patrol aircraft used for surveillance and anti-submarine missions. It’s an updated version of a Soviet-era aircraft with a distinctive sensor pod above the cockpit.
It is unclear if the Russian flyby was a planned surveillance mission or coincidental. Russian sources had previously reported Il-38 aircraft operating near Japan for training.
Meanwhile, the U.S. F-35C is a fifth-generation stealth fighter with advanced radar, electronic warfare, and multi-role combat capabilities, while the F/A-18F Super Hornet is a carrier-capable multirole fighter featuring enhanced avionics, extended range, and versatility for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
The Carl Vinson had just completed a joint exercise with South Korea and Japan in the East China Sea from March 17 to 20 and was later seen in Guam before moving toward the U.S. Central Command region.
