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Rare Record Shows Russian Aircraft Il-38 Being Accompanied by an F-35C and an F/A-18 from the USA Over the Aircraft Carrier USS Carl Vinson. Air Encounter Reinforces Tension Between Powers and Reminds of Cold War Operations. Video Goes Viral Among Military Analysts.
A video recently released caught the attention of specialists and the public: a Russian Ilyushin Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft was filmed flying over the Pacific Ocean at low altitude — and being directly accompanied by a US Navy F-35C fighter jet. The scene becomes even more striking when both pass practically over the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, one of the giants of the American naval fleet.
The footage also shows the presence of an F/A-18E Super Hornet, indicating a layered response from US defense. The episode took place in international waters, but close enough to activate intercept and alert protocols. The Russian aircraft, although not a direct combat aircraft, has great intelligence and surveillance capabilities — and its presence there was anything but casual.
Russian Aircraft Is Equipped for Anti-Submarine Warfare and Naval Data Collection
The Ilyushin Il-38 is not just any aircraft. It was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and continues to be operated for maritime patrol missions, anti-submarine warfare, and data collection on naval movements. Technically, it is the Russian equivalent of the American P-3 Orion.
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With the capability to detect submarines, identify ships, and track maritime communications, the Il-38 is one of Russia’s eyes on the ocean. Its presence over the USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear vessel of the Nimitz class weighing over 100,000 tons, is not seen as a mere coincidence.
According to military sources, this type of action generally serves two purposes: to gather intelligence information and to test the response of opposing forces. And that is exactly what happened.
USA Responded with F-35C and Super Hornet in Coordinated Action
In the video, a F-35C Lightning II — the most modern fighter jet in the American Navy, known for its stealth technology — can clearly be seen flying close to the Russian aircraft. The presence of the F/A-18E Super Hornet, on the other hand, indicates that the escort task force had multiple layers of response.
This type of interception is part of the standard protocol when a foreign aircraft approaches an aircraft carrier strike group. The objective is to ensure the safety of the ship and also to send a strategic message: “we are alert.”
The crossing of these aircraft did not represent direct confrontation, but rather a calculated tension — something very common among military powers like the USA and Russia.
Encounters Like This Remind Us of Cold War Times
The encounter of the Russian aircraft with American fighters was not an isolated event. Since the Cold War, it has been common for Russian aircraft to approach US strategic assets, especially in the Pacific Ocean and the Barents Sea. The USA, for their part, also carry out similar actions near Russian airspace.
In recent years, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) has recorded numerous Russian flights entering the Alaskan air defense identification zone, requiring constant monitoring and a prompt response from the Air Force.
The Pacific is, today, one of the main points of geopolitical attention on the planet, especially with the growing military presence of China and Russia’s strategic maneuvers in the region.
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