Pottering about at low level over the Med once in a Vulcan, we were intercepted by an F-14. No doubt our meandering MRR boat-spotting had raised their concern, but a friendly wave and away they went back to the 'boat'. On another occasion the ItAF scrambled a couple of F-104s when we'd climbed back up to high level on our way back to Malta - from the south, which must have sparked interest as it would have looked like something of Gaddafi's heading towards Italy!
Although our VC10K was described by a couple of Keflavik-based Sloe Gins as 'a British Nimrod' and the TriStar which came to take over 'our' Bear as 'an airliner', the aircraft recce skills of our own phighter mates weren't too hot. Out of Cyprus one crew spotted a 'weird 4-tailed aircraft' and had no idea what a USN Greyhound was. My captain in the F-104 intercept thought the F-104s were Libyan Floggers....
Tragically, the 1994 mis-ID of a couple of Blackhawks as Hinds by a pair of F-15s wasn't picked up by the E-3 crew, with the devastating consequence of 26 deaths. It was probably rather unfortunate at a later OPC mass brief to reply "Hind - waste the mutha!" when the aircraft recce quiz briefer put up a slide of an F-15...…
During Desert Storm, one crews replied in the affirmative when asked if a USN aircraft could have some fuel - and promptly cleared an EA-3B Skywarrior to refuel from a wing pod...at night. That must have been interesting!
While it's amusing to note peacetime recce goofs, it's a subject which fighter crews should take very seriously!