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Russian Il-20M Spy Plane Intercepted Two Days in a Row by Norway

FlyMarshall NewsroomBy No Comments7 Mins Read

A Russian Il-20M surveillance aircraft was intercepted two days in a row by Norwegian F-35s in international airspace around the country while NATO’s Exercise Cold Response is ongoing.

The Norwegian Armed Forces announced that the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s (RNoAF) F-35A Lightning IIs intercepted a Russian Il-20M “Coot” surveillance aircraft operating in international airspace around the country two days in a row. The statement stressed that these events are now routine, but also said they were expected as the country is currently hosting NATO’s Exercise Cold Response 2026.

“It is important to emphasize that there is nothing unusual or dramatic about such Russian flights, and Russia has the right to conduct these missions,” said the Norwegian Armed Forces. “The Russian flights are most likely intended to gather situational awareness of allied activity in connection with Cold Response 2026.”

This episode is reminiscent of what we saw in August 2025, when an Il-20M was intercepted three times in less than a week operating inside the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) as Exercise Northern Edge 2025 was ongoing in the region. While NORAD did not confirm whether Russian aircraft were surveilling the exercise, the proximity in timing is notable.

The Intercepts

The Norwegian Armed Forces said the two intercepts were conducted on Mar. 10 and 11, 2026. The photos released show that the Il-20M aircraft involved was the same on both days, with the aircraft bearing the serial RF-95671.

On Mar. 10, the aircraft was flying in international airspace off Finnmark, said the statement. The Il-20M was “identified and shadowed by two Norwegian F-35s before it turned north from Sørøya and returned to the Kola Peninsula around 12:00.”

The Russian Il-20M intercepted by a Norwegian F-35A on Mar. 10, 2026. (Image credit: Norwegian Armed Forces)

On Mar. 11, the Il-20M returned once again to the area. The aircraft “was flying with its transponder switched off but was routinely detected by Norwegian sensors around 09:30.”

Two Norwegian F-35s on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty were scrambled from Evenes Air Station. The F-35s, after the Visual Identification (VID), shadowed the aircraft “along the Norwegian coast before it turned northwards off Vesterålen,” continuing to monitor as it “flew south twice more, reaching as far as Lofoten, before returning to the Kola Peninsula around 13:30.”

Norway further stated that intercepting the aircraft “helps maintain an overview of their frequency and flight patterns, while also demonstrating that we remain in control and are monitoring air traffic in our immediate area.”

Norwegian F-35s are operating from Ørland and Evenes, providing QRA coverage in the south and north, respectively. The Lightning II took over the QRA mission from the F-16 Fighting Falcon in 2022.

Russian Il-20M

The intercepted aircraft was the Ilyushin Il-20M, known by its NATO reporting name “Coot.” The Il-20M is a specialized reconnaissance and electronic intelligence (ELINT) platform, equipped with an array wide array of antennas, IR (Infrared) and Optical sensors, a SLAR (Side-Looking Airborne Radar) and satellite communication equipment to gather electronic and communications intelligence.

The aircraft can be used for intelligence gathering missions, eavesdropping the communications, detecting ground, maritime and aerial systems’ emissions and pinpointing their positions to build an Electronic Order of Battle of the NATO assets in the region.

The Russian Il-20M intercepted by Norway on Mar. 11, 2026. (Image credit: Norwegian Armed Forces)

Russian Il-20s regularly perform long-range reconnaissance missions in the Baltic region, flying in international airspace with its transponder turned off. The type has been employed in various theaters, including Syria, where Russian Il-20s supported military operations and one was accidentally shot down by Syrian air defenses in 2018.

In addition to the flights in the Baltic region, the Coot also flew within the Alaskan ADIZ in some rare occasions, especially when large scale exercises are in progress. One such instance was in August 2025 during Northern Edge 25, which involved some 6,400 personnel, 100 aircraft, and seven ships – including the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) aircraft carrier.

As mentioned earlier, the Cold Response 26 exercise is currently ongoing and, with the variety of assets and capabilities deployed, that would be a hard-to-pass target for data collection. With the aircraft being the Russian Aerospace Forces’ premiere spy plane, the appearance of the Il-20M in the area was already expected, and its presence two days in a row, intercepted by F-35s, shows Russia’s interest in the exercise’s operations. 

Cold Response 2026

The Norwegian Armed Forces noted that the appearance of the Il-20M surveillance aircraft coincides with the ongoing NATO Exercise Cold Response 2026. The exercise is Norway’s largest military exercise in 2026, taking place in Northern Norway and Finland, and in the seas outside North Norway from Mar. 9 to 19.

The Norwegian-led biennial winter exercise gathers 32,500 participants, of which 7,500 in Finland and 25,000 in Norway. Of the participants in Norway, 11,800 are training on Norwegian ground, while the rest will be at sea and in the air, according to statements.

Norway explained that the main land and air activity takes place in northern Norway and northern Finland, while sea activity will take place in the maritime areas off the coast of Norway. Cold Response 2026 is described as a multi-domain operation, with military effects coordinated across the land, maritime, air, cyber and space domains.

The participants come from 14 nations: Norway and Finland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, Türkiye, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and NATO. The exercise will demonstrate “Norway’s and NATO’s ability to defend the Alliance’s northern flank,” as well as enhance interoperability among allied forces and support the integration of Finland and Sweden into NATO, said the statements.

In parallel with the live exercise, the Norwegian Armed Forces say a large-scale simulation is also being conducted, involving significantly larger simulated forces than those participating physically. “This increases the realism, complexity and demands placed on the participating headquarter,” says the statement.

The U.S. deployed multiple assets, including F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, UK, which will fly out of Ørland, Norway. Additionally, HH-60W Jolly Green IIs assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and HC-130J Combat King IIs assigned to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, are operating out of Bardufoss, Norway.

In support of the combat training operations, KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, UK, and a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to March Air Reserve Base, California, have been deployed to Sola, Norway. Additionally, the exercise has been described as “a significant milestone to demonstrate the readiness of a U.S.-based Marine Air Ground Task Force to swiftly composite and rapidly deploy across the Atlantic, be received by Norwegian forces, and conduct operations that enable larger NATO operations.”


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