According to the Navy alert, the interaction was "determined to be unsafe due to the Su-35 conducting a high-speed, inverted maneuver, 25 ft. directly in front of the mission aircraft." The news release also notes that American pilots and crew were put at risk due to the interaction.
"The crew of the P-8A reported wake turbulence following the interaction. The duration of the intercept was approximately 42 minutes," the release adds, also noting that the "US aircraft was operating consistent with international law."
The release comes after the US Space Command issued an announcement Wednesday claiming it had knowledge that Russia had reportedly conducted a test for a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile.
"Russia's DA-ASAT test provides yet another example that the threats to US and allied space systems are real, serious and growing," Gen. John W. Raymond, commander of US Space Command and chief of space operations for the US Space Force, said in a statement.
The Wednesday release by US Space Command also comes after US officials in January claimed that Russian inspector satellite Kosmos-2542 was "chasing" a US spy satellite. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry at the time denied the allegations and said that the US was making such claims to provoke a space race.
