Six US, Canadian Jets Intercept Bomber Off Alaska
In an eerie flashback
to different times, NORAD fighters from the US and Canada tracked
and joined on a Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber cruising 15 miles off the
coast of Alaska on Thursday.
The Russian war plane remained in recognized international
airspace, but got close enough to the coast to get NORAD
controllers' attention.
NORAD Commander Admiral Timothy Keating told the Denver Post,
"We have a near-sacred responsibility to protect and defend the
United States and Canada against any and all threats. We will not
waver in this responsibility."
Ground controllers directed four US F-15 and two Canadian CF-18
fighters, all fully armed, to the area where the Russian
bomber was operating. After tracking and intercepting the Bear,
NORAD aircraft joined on it and US pilots snapped a few photos -- a
frequent cold war activity for military pilots on both sides.
Canadian Armed Forces Captain Jennifer Faubert told
Reuters, "This wasn't treated as a hostile. It was just being
vigilant and letting them know that NORAD is alive and well."
Apparently the Russian air force is conducting training
exercises in the region, not known at this time is how many
aircraft are participating.
NORAD commanders have asked Russia to notify them before they
start exercises that might require a close approach to US or
Canadian borders.
An aerial maneuver such as a mid-air join up is risky enough
when all the pilots involved know what the others are doing. Risks
multiply rapidly if crews flying armed war planes aren't sure of an
approaching war plane's intentions.
In the case of Thursday's incident, NORAD was probably aware of
Russian training flights via media reports -- officials haven't
said whether Russia's military notified NORAD directly.
Russian military aircraft cruising near US borders, and vice
versa, was a common occurrence during the cold war.
The US maintained a fleet of observation aircraft during the
cold war manned with language interpreters and electronic
eavesdropping and monitoring equipment.
Those aircraft frequently flew close to the Russian
coast provoking Russian air defense forces and recording their
response. Military experts then analyzed the data collected from
those flights to develop attack strategy and tactics.
There is no indication, however, that the Russian Bear
intercepted Thursday was engaged in any activity beyond a military
training exercise.
NORAD says an incident similar to Thursday's occurred in April
of this year.
(Aero-News thanks the 12th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf Air
Force base for the photo... which is guaranteed to soon be
wallpaper on a more than a few computers around here.)