A Russian Tupolev Tu-142 Bear-F maritime patrol aircraft dropped a swarm of sonobuoys at low altitude near HMS Prince of Wales on 2 July 2026, prompting the UK Ministry of Defence to label the act unprofessional. The Tu-142 executed repeated close passes in the Norwegian Sea while deploying expendable underwater listening devices for anti-submarine warfare, directly threatening the carrier strike group. Two Royal Navy F-35B Lightning fighters intercepted and escorted the aircraft away, demonstrating active air defense protocols. This incident underscores escalating NATO-Russia tensions in the Arctic, where operators face heightened operational risks from dedicated maritime reconnaissance platforms conducting aggressive proximity maneuvers and sensor deployment near high-value naval assets.