Silent Flight: German Luftwaffe Caught Russian IL-20M Recon Jet Over Baltic Sea Without Flight Plan

Germany’s air force scrambled two Eurofighter jets on September 21 to identify and shadow a Russian IL-20M reconnaissance aircraft flying over the southern Baltic Sea without a flight plan or radio contact. The mission was later handed over to Swedish Gripens, officials said, according to Handelsblatt.

“Today, (Swedish) JAS 39 Gripens and (German) Eurofighters were scrambled over the South Baltic Sea, identifying and monitoring a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace,” the Swedish air force stated.

The German Luftwaffe said its “quick reaction alert force” was ordered by NATO to investigate “an unidentified aircraft flying without a plan or radio contact.” After visual identification as an IL-20M, the German jets returned to Rostock-Laage as Swedish fighters took over.

The IL-20, also known by its NATO reporting name “Coot-A,” is a reconnaissance and electronic intelligence (ELINT) aircraft developed from the Ilyushin IL-18 turboprop airliner. Entering service in the late 1960s, it is equipped with side-looking radar, optical and infrared sensors, and multiple antenna arrays designed for intelligence gathering.

The aircraft plays a key role in Russia’s signals intelligence operations, providing surveillance and monitoring of communications and radar emissions. Its operations near NATO borders are regularly tracked and intercepted by allied air forces.

Earlier, it was reported that German fighter jets from Laage intercepted a Russian Il-20M that entered NATO airspace near Rügen without an active transponder or flight plan and escorted it back toward Kaliningrad.

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