Coot!

This is coolbert:

 Hot flash update. Thanks to Freeper. 

 Canada stands tall!

That Baltic Sea area now apparently an area of intelligence and counter-intelligence activity as not seen in a long time. Coot spotted and intercepted!!

"Russian spyplane violates Lithuania airspace, Canadian Hornets intercept it"

AND intercepted by NATO warplanes of the Canadian Air Force on routine patrol.

Coot greatly resembles the American P-3 Orion. Stubby little wings with big engines attached. Soviet aircraft design bureau staff greatly admired the P-3 and basically did a clone of same?

 
"Two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet jets intercepted and shadowed a Russian Air Force Il-20 Coot over Lithuania. On Nov. 8, two RCAF CF-18 (or CF-188) Hornet jets deployed to Lithuania for NATO Baltic Air Policing mission were radar-vectored to intercept and escort a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 Coot-A plane flying off the Baltic coast."

"According to Canadian media outlets, the CF-18s were conducting a routine training sortie out of Siauliai airbase, when they were re-tasked to visually ID the Russian ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) plane that had violated Lithuania’s airspace (even if some sources say the Il-20 was reached by the Canadian Hornets as it was flying over international waters – hence, in international airspace)".

"The CF-18s shadowed the Il-20 for 5 minutes, took some photographs (not yet released), then were ordered to return to base."

Understand a small nation such as Lithuania has a very small air force with very limited capability. BUT is a constituent member of NATO. Reacting to the COOT intrusion should not been seen as unusual but rather as a measure of resolve.

According to the wiki, Lithuania DOES NOT HAVE IN THEIR INVENTORY ANY COMBAT WARPLANES. Is totally reliant on NATO for air space policing what it is called:

"After Lithuania joined NATO organization back in 2004, its (alongside Latvia's and Estonia's) air space is protected by NATO. NATO members provide usually 4 fighter aircraft, based in Lithuania, to police the Baltic States’ airspace."

coolbert.