Boris Johnson’s newly-painted plane and two (RAF) Typhoon fighters were scrambled to intercept a Russian warplane off the coast of Scotland today.
The Prime Minister’s Voyager jet was sent from RAF Lossiemouth along with the fighters this afternoon.
But the Russian aircraft turned away as they approached UK airspace so an interception wasn’t needed.
The Voyager was rebranded with the Union flag to “better represent” the UK abroad at a cost of £900,000 last month.
The plane which has been dubbed Hair Force One also has a military role in refueling jets while in the air.
The Russian planes remained in international airspace and turned away as they approached what is known as the UK Flight Information Region, northwest of the Western Isles.
The Voyager returned to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and the Typhoon crews to their station in Moray.
The Minister for Armed Forces James Heappey MP said: “Once again our RAF personnel have demonstrated their exceptional abilities to protect our skies, responding to provocation without hesitation.
“The dangerous flying of Russian aircraft towards our air space is a clear reminder of the threats that we face as a nation on a daily basis.”
The newly-decorated plane is fitted with a state-of-the-art communications system that will have encryption to enable secret messages to be sent in flight.
The interior of the eight-year-old Voyager had a £10 million makeover in 2016 when David Cameron was prime minister.
It was fitted with 58 business-class seats but is still able to carry out RAF mid-air refueling missions when required.
RAF Typhoons have been involved in a number of interceptions with Russian spy planes recently in Lithuania.