Norway says patrol plane was flying in international airspace over Barents Sea

A Norwegian surveillance plane flew in international airspace on Tuesday and met with Russian planes in an encounter that was described as normal, the Norwegian military said on Tuesday.

"There has been a Norwegian Orion (plane) in the area (of the Barents Sea), which happens several times a week. It was flying in international airspace," Lieutenant Colonel Ivar Moen, a spokesman at the Norwegian armed forces, told Reuters.

"It was identified as normal by Russian fighter jets, in the same way Norwegian forces identify Russian planes," said Moen, adding that it was not normal for military planes to fly with a transponders on.

"Norwegian planes also scramble to identify Russian planes along the coast of Norway. It happens regularly," he said.