A Russian fighter jet zoomed within just 10 feet of a U.S. Navy spy plane over the Black Sea on Wednesday, the latest in a string of daring maneuvers involving Russian aircraft and the U.S. military, a defense official with knowledge of the incident told Fox News.
The Russian Su-27 Flanker jet flew dangerously close to a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft used primarily for anti-submarine warfare while on routine patrol in international airspace, defense officials said.
The Russian defense ministry accused the Navy plane of flying with its transponderwhich emits an identifying signalturned off. A U.S. defense official would neither confirm nor deny the accusation but told Fox News, "It is not a requirement for a military aircraft to have its transponder turned on."
