Britain intercepted Russian aircraft over Baltic Sea in recent days

[Martin68]

3. Intercepts not only send a message to Russia that they can't penetrate NATO defenses, they also provide invaluable

training for flight crews and detection stations. In addition, the signals intelligence that is intercepted during the takeoff and flight of these aircraft are also vital information. Even routine conversations between aircraft and ground crews reveal important information about protocols and procedures that will be useful in the event of an actual conflict. If interceptions are "easy," that means defenses are up and working effectively.