Lakenheath F15's intercept Bears over Iceland

[Huh??]

Just like the good old days!



Suffolk jets escort Russian planes


May 8, 2003 05:15

FIGHTER jets from an American base in Suffolk intercepted two Russian planes and escorted them back to international airspace in an incident which brought back memories of the Cold War.

The F-15C Eagle aircraft from RAF Lakenheath intercepted the Russian TU-142 Bear F and Bear J planes while on a mission to Iceland.

The Russian aircraft entered Icelandic airspace, prompting the immediate launch of three 493rd Fighter Squadron F-15C air-superiority fighters and a tanker deployed to the U.S. Air Force's 85th Group at Keflavik in Iceland.

F-15C pilot Major Marcus Cade said: "This is the first time I have ever intercepted a Russian Bear bomber. Once you get into flow of the mission, it all felt surprisingly routine.

"We were within 150 feet of the Bears; at that range, you see people in the aircraft, but that was about all. We showed them that we have the ability to intercept them at a time and place of our choosing – and that's what we did. The intercept was flawless."

The mission began as the U.S. Air Force 932nd Air Control Squadron received reports from Norway they had an unknown aircraft pass through their area and they were intercepting to get identification.

The Russian planes were escorted by the U.S. jets for about 15 minutes, during which time the pilots took photographs and confirmed the identification of the aircraft.

The Americans stress the Russian planes were in no way hostile or threatening.

Major David Brien, chief of plans and programmes for the 85th Group, said: "We've had dialog and discussion with first the former Soviet Union and now Russia for a long time now. This is just something that happens periodically, where for whatever reason, they bring aircraft from their area to here just to see our response times. We went from a 12-hour to a one-hour alert status immediately."

The 493rd Fighter Squadron deployed March 5 in defence of NATO Air North and Iceland. Squadrons of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy aircraft have defended Iceland and NATO Air North at Keflavik since the two countries signed a defence agreement in 1951.



http://newsru.com/pict/id/large/545113_20030508193959.gif East Anglia Daily Times (http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/news/story.asp?datetime=08+May+2003+05%3A15&tbrand=EADOnline&tCategory=News&category=News&brand=EADOnline&itemid=IPED07+May+2003+17%3A15%3A41%3A267)

[BEagle]

Within 150ft? What a bunch of Spam poofs!

Back in the real Cold War, after the usual photos of door numbers and any bits which might excite the spooks and much to the surprise of both the QRA F4s and the Bear mates, we'd formate alongside the chum in the rear gunners seat and reveal The Sun calendar in the flight deck window of our Vickers Funbus. Samantha Fox (against a dark background) was a particular favourite - little does Ms Fox know what a part (or parts!) she played in the collapse of the Sovietski Soyuz! When Sammy was revealed in all her glory to the poor, bored $od in the back of the Bear, the effect was electric! Ivans in their little rubber hats would appear at every window of their bomber and beckon furiously for a better look! Of course we'd oblige and they'd grin, wave and make appropriate universally-understood 'masculine' gestures about Sam. Then we'd wave back and go home, leaving the Ivans to head off back to their land of cabbage sandwiches and vodka wondering at the crazy ways of the Brits!

[Fox3snapshot]

Now those sorta stories are what we need in this forum...best of all, by all accounts, those told by those who have..!

Hang around mate, we need to keep this place alive!

:ok:

[Art Field]

The jolly jape a pair of Bears would play on the poor old VC10's, the K2 in particular, was to let us formate (only to half a mile it says here you understand, hrmp) on the leader , then no2 would creep up behind, no1 would slow down and they would try and sandwich us between them. The 10 would be near the buffet and not too manoeverable. They make a phenominal sound and have a very wide speed range but I reckon the crews must all end up deaf. Why did the Victors and 10s do the intercepts, because the F4s broke so often and anyway our cloud and clonk was better at picking them up than AI.

[ghost-rider]

Nice story BEagle ! :ok:

I remember one particular day back in 1984 when we ( RAF Buchan ) were scrambling both 43 & III Sqns from RAF Leuchars in their entirity to intercept the mass incoming North Cape threat ! :uhoh:

I think we reached Q19 airborne, with Q20 & Q21 at cockpit readiness ! :ooh:

To be fair, the Iceland contingent, "SLOGIN" & "MOGAS", were fairly busy as well, as were the Noggies and Danes !

How we managed without data links etc is beyond me ! HF voice x-tell with a Shackleton was a real bundle of joy !!! :\

And as to quite how we got so many airborne at the same time was a subject of a BOI !! ;)

Hmm ! The good ol' days ! :)

[BEagle]

Yes indeed! The best QRA mixy-blob I ever saw was 2 Bears, 1 VC10K, 1 Phantom, 1 Victor, 1 Lightning and 2 Noggie F16s all in the same formation!

When the TriMotor was first doing Q, I once heard the dimwitted Sloegins say "Say, the British Nimrod (it was a VC10K) has just left; now we've gotten a DC10 joinin"

So much for ac recce by Uncle Spam's finest. Which is why it came as no surprise that they couldn't tell a Blackhawk from a Hind D some years later.......

[tony draper]

I read somewhere that as you got close to a Bear the engine sound made your teeth vibrate.

[CarltonBrowne the FO]

A mate was a Phantom Nav in the 80s and 90s at Leuchars, he told a great story about intercepting Bears....
They put 2 F4s into the hangar, and painted them identically. Same reg, same repair marks, same scuff marks- everything. Then they chose 2 crews with as similar builds to each other as possible, put said crews and aircraft on Q, and waited.
Next time a Bear came over, the 2 F4s were launched, but only the lead actually intercepted- the No 2 went to the tanker and got topped off.
As the lead started to get low on fuel, the No 2 went closer, , but stayed in cloud. When the cloud cover was suitable, the lead drifted into cloud, and the No 2 took up his position. The lead then went to the tanker.
After a little while, the Bear crew (who had a fair idea of the F4's endurance) started to thiink it was time their escort went for fuel. Soon after that, they started to gesture at the F4 crew, waving their watches, then trying everything they could to pass the message: "you are running out of fuel!"
At the next suitable clouds, the No2 drifted into cloud, the lead appeared in his place, the No 2 went to the tanker... they kept this up all the way down the East Coast of the UK, and as far as I know all the way back up... and somewhere in the Kremlin, there is a dusty file about a new Phantom variant which can carry a load of missiles and still has 5 hours endurance... ;)

[Yeller_Gait]

A picture taken from the RAF Kinloss website.... The Flanker had only been airborne for some 30 seconds , and the photo was taken from the starboard side of the Mighty Hunter.

Flanker fly-by (http://www.kinloss-raf.co.uk/gallery/otherac/images/2.htm)

[wub]

Didn't a Flanker lose the top of one fin after colliding with a prop on a Norwegian P-3, in a simialr flyby?

[tony draper]

Mr Flanker don't seem to be carrying much in the way of stuff to shoot at you.
:rolleyes:

[rivetjoint]

You say that as though your life may depend on that knowledge one day :)

[Jackonicko]

Mike J,

Actually that one's a T10K - a prototype of the carrier version. It was there to make up numbers on that cruise by the carrier Kuznetsov. At that time, the aircraft was still officially known as the Su-27K, the Su-33 desig having been used by the OKB, but not by the Navy until very recently.

Dunno what the centreline store was - some speculated that it was a recce pod, others that it was associated with a prototype (laser-based?) landing aid.

But they can carry 12 AAMs.....