THIS is the moment a Russian spyplane swoops low over an aircraft carrier while being shadowed by American fighter jets.

The heart-stopping clip shows Moscow’s Ilyushin Il-38N flying at low altitude just feet away from Washington’s team of impervious aircraft.

The Russian Navy plane can be seen performing a secret flyby of joint naval exercises between the US, Japan, and South Korea in the East China Sea.

But the intimidation tactic was soon countered by the US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning IIs.

Both are both typically assigned to the Carrier Air Wing Two aboard the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.

The American jets quickly took to the skies as the Russian sighting was captured near to the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier.

The tense sea clash was caught on camera as footage showed the large Kremlin aircraft travelling across the sea at a low altitude.

It was closely flanked by the team of US jets who refused to let it out of their sights.

The footage was said to have been released directly by Moscow, according to the UK Defence Journal.

They said the Russian plane, nicknamed “Dolphin”, was shadowed at some point last week.

The US Navy is yet to officially comment on the flyby altercation.

Vladimir Putin’s Il-38N is an updated version of the Cold War-era Il-38.

It is mainly used for maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare.

Russia is said to have up to 30 of the aircraft in their arsenal.

It follows on from months of suspected Russian spying in international waters.

Last week, a ‘spy ship’ and beach landing vessel sailed through the English Channel under the watchful eye of the Royal Navy.

HMS Cattistock and a Wildcat helicopter were deployed to “keep a constant watch” over the Admiral Vladimirskiy ship as it sailed.

The operation followed a similar mission earlier in March, when Royal Navy warships and helicopters tracked a Russian task group returning from Syria.

HMS Somerset has been especially busy, deploying three times in the past month alone to escort Russian ships returning from the Mediterranean.

Another dramatic Channel showdown this month saw a Royal Air Force spy plane roar over a Russian warship.

The Poseidon P-8A patrol plane buzzed the destroyer Severomorsk as it led a Russian convoy retreating past the cliffs of Dover.

The major show of force involved Merlin and Wildcat helicopters and three Royal Navy warships, including HMS Somerset.

Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard defiantly addressed the recent spate of Russian sightings by saying: “Russia should be in no doubt that the UK will defend our waters.”