U.K.: Royal Air Force experienced 'dangerous' interaction with Russian jet

Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A Russian jet released a missile in the vicinity of members of the Royal Air Force in late September, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told the House of Commons.

On Sept. 29, the RAF was patrolling international waters on the Black Sea when two Russian SU-27 fighter jets flew close by. One of the jets released a missile in the proximity of an RAF Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft.

Wallace told Parliament on Tuesday the missile was beyond visual range. This is a term used in air-to-air combat when a subject is too small to be seen or beyond the horizon. There are several types of missiles that can effectively engage in combat beyond visual range.

Wallace shared concerns over the incident in a letter to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The defense minister responded on Oct. 10, stating an investigation concluded that the missile release happened due to a "technical malfunction."

The United Kingdom is not treating the incident as a "direct escalation," Wallace said.

"Our analysis is this was a malfunction, but it is a reminder of quite how dangerous things can be when you choose to use your fighters in the manner the Russians have done over many periods of time," he said.

Russian aircraft have been cited for flying as close as 15 feet to NATO aircraft on several occasions. Two Russian bombers were also intercepted flying near Alaska by the U.S. Air Force on Tuesday. Air Force Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed this report during a press briefing with the Pentagon later that day.

Ryder also met with Wallace on Tuesday to discuss ongoing efforts to support Ukraine.