A French Navy Atlantique II patrol aircraft was spotted by a Russian air defense (AD) system near the border with the Kaliningrad region. The incident occurred in the Baltic Sea on March 19, but it became known later.
The Atlantique II was participating in the "Baltic Eye" mission and circling in the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. The aircraft was illuminated by the fire control radar from a Baltic Fleet ship.
The General Staff of France reacted with concern to the incident. The department stated that illumination by air defense radar "indicates hostile intentions".
This is not the first such case. In January 2025, the Atlantique II was spotted by a Russian S-400 air defense system based in Kaliningrad. At that time, the French aircraft was monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
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