In a brief moment of tension during the Summer Olympics, the Royal Air Force scrambled a fighter jet that was on standby to defend the games against terror attacks after an aircraft lost contact with aviation authorities, according to the British Ministry of Defense.
But the Eurofighter Typhoon was able to return to its base at RAF Northhold, west London, shortly after takeoff when communication was re-established.
“A Typhoon was scrambled at 4.44 p.m. to a report that an aircraft was not in contact with air traffic control. The aircraft quickly re-established contact with air traffic control and the incident was brought to an end,” said a defense spokesman.
The ministry was unable to confirm the type of aircraft involved in the incident, but he said the plane was not flying in the restricted zone. This was the third time fighters have scrambled since the Olympics started July 27. The security-conscious Brits have kept their Typhoons in a nervous state of readiness in case of trouble.
Four of the advanced jets are on alert to intercept aircraft that may pose a threat during the Olympics.