Russian pilot shows dangerously close encounter with USA's F-35 fighter jet

A pilot of the Russian Aerospace Forces showed a dangerously close encounter with USA's fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet. The footage was published on Fighterbomber the Telegram channel.

“It should be understood that almost any such close approach can result in contact between the aircraft, which at such speeds is almost guaranteed to end in ejection,” the caption to the video reads.

The video was made from the cockpit of a Russian fighter as it was escorting a Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber.

According to Fighterbomber, the dangerous encounter occurred somewhere over Alaska.

Details

The Tupolev Tu-95 (Russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the Soviet Air Forces in 1956 and was first used in combat in 2015. It is expected to serve the Russian Aerospace Forces until at least 2040.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth strike fighters. A multirole combat aircraft designed for both air superiority and strike missions, it also has electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 contractor with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the carrier variant (CV) catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) F-35C.