Russian MiG-31 fighter jets intercepted a US RC-135W strategic reconnaissance aircraft

A Russian MiG-31 (NATO reporting name: Foxhound) fighter jet intercepted a U.S. Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint strategic reconnaissance aircraft over the Pacific Ocean in the Kamchatka region, Russia’s National Defense Control Center reported on Friday. “Russian airspace control systems detected an air target over the territory of the Pacific Ocean approaching Russia’s state border. A MiG-31 fighter was scrambled to identify the air target and prevent it from violating the Russian state border,” the Center said in a statement. According to a recent service news release, a Russian fighter’s crew identified the air target as a U.S. Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft and shadowed it. The RC-135V/W Rivet Joint is a strategic reconnaissance aircraft designed to support theater and national level consumers with near real-time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities. The aircraft is an extensively modified C-135. The Rivet Joint’s modifications are primarily re