Intercept a plane meaning. Intercept the spy. Why are foreign planes so often driven away from Russian borders? Air defense combat aircraft
Tu-95 is a Soviet turboprop strategic missile-carrying bomber, the fastest propeller-driven aircraft, which became one of the symbols of the Cold War.
2. Possibly the Faroe-Icelandic border, approximately 1960-1970. Reconnaissance and target designator Tu-95RTs of the 392nd ODRAP aviation of the Red Banner Northern Fleet, A/B Kipelovo, Vologda and Lightning F.6 XP 753 of the British Royal Air Force, 23 squadron, Leuchers airbase, Scotland. This aircraft was in service from 1965 to 1988. By the way, the 392nd Regiment, in particular, is known for the first opening of the CVN 70 "Carl Vinson". Thank you very much for the information and corrections to this post. ilya_kramnik
The only turboprop bomber in the world adopted for service and mass-produced. Designed to destroy important targets behind enemy lines with cruise missiles at any time of the day and at any time. weather conditions. Along with the American B-52 strategic bomber, the Tu-95 is one of the few military aircraft that have been in continuous service for more than half a century.
3. The carrier-based fighter Vought F-8 Crusader and the hero of the post Tu-95. 
On July 30, 2010, a world record for a non-stop flight for aircraft of this class was set - in 43 hours, the bombers flew about 30 thousand kilometers over three oceans, refueling four times in the air
4. I didn’t find the year. Tu-95 and Grumman A-6 Intruder, let's help with the year! 
There are many modifications of this aircraft, of which I will highlight only one - the Tu-142 - an anti-submarine aircraft.
5. 1980 F-4E and Tu-95 
The development and operation of the aircraft was accompanied by significant difficulties. The cabin was poorly suited for long flights. Uncomfortable seats and a toilet - a portable tank with a toilet seat, dryness and air pollution with oil dust - all this led to premature fatigue of the crews. In the modification of the Tu-95MS, some of the shortcomings were corrected.
5. 1982 By the way, the photo shows not a Tu-95, but a Tu-16 accompanied by a Grumman A-6 Intruder carrier-based attack aircraft. 
Particular problems arose when operating the aircraft in winter time. A mixture of mineral oils (MS-20 and MK-8) is poured into the oil system of NK-12 engines, which thickens at temperatures below 0 degrees so that the screws cannot be turned. Therefore, before each flight, all engines were warmed up with ground-based engine heaters (heat guns). In their absence (for example, at an operational airfield), the engines were covered with heat-insulating covers and started every few hours to warm up. A significant part of the aviation fuel was thus wasted. At the end of the 1980s, the industry began to produce a special motor oil - MH-7.5U, which allows starting NK-12 engines in frosts down to -25 degrees. Today, the production of this oil has practically been curtailed. On some of the modified Tu-95MS, an auxiliary power point, which allows air to be taken for pre-flight heating of the engines.
6. 1982 F-4S and Tu-142 
Replacing an NK-12 engine is extremely labor-intensive compared to other types of aircraft, has a lot of features, and requires certain personnel qualifications and special skills.
The plane still does not have a crew ejection system, which makes it very difficult to escape a falling plane in the event of an accident.
7. Tu-95RTs and F-106 
After the collapse of the USSR, regiments from Kazakhstan were transferred to Russia. In 1998, Ukraine began to destroy the strategic bombers it had inherited with funds allocated by the United States under the Nunn-Lugar program, but after negotiations, Ukraine transferred eight Tu-160 and three Tu-95 (and a batch of cruise missiles) to Russia in exchange for writing off part of the debt for gas purchases. Three Tu-95MS aircraft, one of which now serves as a museum exhibit, were left in Ukraine, all the rest were disposed of.
8.F/A-18 Canadian Navy and Tu-95. 
As of 2011, only 32 Tu-95MS are combat-ready. Several dozen will be upgraded to the Tu95MSM version from 2013, they will be capable of carrying Kh-101 missiles, and will serve until 2020-2025.
9. Tu-95RTs and F-14 
Between April 22 and May 3, 2007, two Russian Tu-95MS aircraft were involved in an incident that occurred during the British Army's Neptune Warrior exercise, held in the Clyde Bay of the North Sea near the Hebrides. Russian aircraft appeared in the area of the exercise (conducted in international waters), after which two British fighters were lifted from the Luachard airbase in the Scottish region of Fife. The fighters escorted the Russian planes until they left the exercise area. According to a British Air Force spokesman, this was the first such incident since the end of the Cold War.
10. 03/06/1986. The Tu-142M is accompanied by a US Navy P-3C patrol aircraft. 
In August 2007, Tu-95MS, as part of an exercise, flew near the US Navy base on the island of Guam in Pacific Ocean, in July - in close proximity to the British air border over the North Sea, and on September 6, British fighters had to meet eight Russian bombers at once
11. F-14A or F-14D strategic bomber Tu-95. 
On the night of February 9-10, 2008, four Tu-95s took off from the Ukrainka airbase. Two of them flew close to Japan’s air border and one of them, according to the Japanese side, which later issued a note of protest, violated the border for three minutes. The second pair of aircraft headed towards the aircraft carrier Nimitz. When the Russian planes were about 800 km away from the ship, four F/A-18s were scrambled to intercept. At a distance of 80 km from the aircraft carrier group, American planes intercepted the Tu-95, but despite this, one of the “bears” passed over the Nimitz twice at an altitude of approximately 600 meters.
12. F-14 Tomcat and Tu-142. 
Similar incidents in international waters began to occur quite often after the resumption of regular strategic air patrol flights in August 2007. The press usually covers every such incident, and in NATO countries such incidents are considered “Cold War-style provocations.”
13.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that if the Tu-95s are still flying, they are “in good working order,” saying that “I don’t think we consider it a particular threat, but we are monitoring it, watching closely.” and I’m sure the Pentagon is watching this too.”
14.
In 2013, the modernization of the Tu-95MS to the Tu-95MSM version will begin. Electronic equipment will be replaced, while the airframe and engines will not be modified. The bombers will be equipped with a new targeting and navigation system, which will allow the use of the new X-101 strategic cruise missiles. A navigation system based on GLONASS will also appear. In total, it is planned to modernize several dozen bombers, and write off the rest. The modernization is designed to extend the life of the aircraft until 2025.
15. Let's help with the definition again! I don't understand anything about foreign planes. I can only recognize such famous aircraft as Valkyrie, F-117, B-2 and of course Blackbird. 
16.01/09/2008. A Tu-95, accompanied by an F/A-18, flies over the aircraft carrier Nimitz. 
In the photo below: On November 29, 2007, American F-22 Raptor fighters for the first time carried out a conditional interception of Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers. Russian strategists were detected at a great distance by US radars in Alaska. One of the “bears”, who found himself a short distance from airspace Alaska around Aleutian Islands, was intercepted and escorted for several minutes by two Raptor fighters from the 3rd Tactical Air Wing. Presumably, the “intruder” on Thanksgiving Day was a registered Tu-95MS “Blagoveshchensk” bomber, assigned to the 326th Heavy Bomber Air Division (Ukrainian, Amur Region). Aircraft from two air regiments of this division are periodically transferred to the northern “jump” airfields of Anadyr and Tiksi for flights, as the pilots say, “around the corner.”
17. 29.11.2007. Near the Aleutian Islands. F-22A of the 3rd air wing of the US Air Force, Elmendorf air base, Alaska, and Tu-95MS of the 326th TBAD, A/B Ukrainka, Amur region. 
Politics, 06 Sep, 02:32
The Ministry of Defense counted reconnaissance aircraft near the borders of Russia During the week, Russian fighters carried out 23 sorties to interception foreign aircraft-scouts. Over the past week, the Russian military spotted 31 at the borders ... defense (air defense) over the past week carried out 23 sorties for interception and escort of foreign aircraft-scouts. According to the publication, violations of Russian airspace... Russian Tu-95s flew over Bering Sea accompanied by the US Air Force ... the flight of strategic bombers was more than ten hours. "All flights aircraft are carried out in strict accordance with International rules the use of air... the bombers were intercepted by US Air Force fighters. The agency published photographs interception Russian bombers. The last time Russian Tu-95s flew... The Ministry of Defense detected 26 in a week aircraft at the borders of Russia ...foreign aircraft-scouts. The defense department noted that there were no violations of Russian airspace. June 10 Russian Su-27 fighter intercepted aircraft-US and Swedish reconnaissance officers over the Baltic. Over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea were discovered aircraft-US Air Force intelligence officers... The US announced the “unsafe” interception of an American plane by Su-35 ... the airspace above it (INCSEA). Russian Su-27 intercepted American over the Baltic airplane-intelligence officer “Unsafe actions increase the risk of miscalculation and the likelihood of a collision... rules for the use of airspace.” For the last time about interception American Su-27 airplane-reconnaissance P-8A Poseidon over the Baltic Sea in the Russian...Politics, March 11, 02:54
The Ministry of Defense spotted 17 aircraft near the borders of Russia in a week ... completed three flights for the week interception and escort of foreign aircraft-scouts. Russian Su-27 intercepted American over the Baltic airplane-intelligence officer The defense department noted that there were no violations of Russian airspace. March 7 Russian Su-27 fighter intercepted airplane ... The Ministry of Defense showed the interception of a Swedish Air Force plane over the Baltic Sea ... The Su-27 fighter of the Russian Aerospace Forces rose to interception Swedish airplane-a Gulfstream reconnaissance aircraft, which was approaching the Russian border from the Baltic... was raised airplane on interception. This was reported to RBC by the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Interception Swedish airplane Su-27 fighter for interception goals... NATO fighters flew three times a day to intercept Russian aircraft ...Kaliningradskaya. Aircraft the flight route was also not reported. NATO aircraft also flew out to meet them. "All Russian aircraft were flying in international airspace. Interception with... Su-27 "irresponsible" intercepted American EP-3 over the Black Sea. The Russian military said that airplane was raised to interception an unidentified aerial target that... NATO fighter jets escorted two Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea ...NATO fighters escorted twice last week aircraft Russian Armed Forces over the Baltic Sea. This was reported on... the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania. As noted in the message, on October 11, fighters intercepted airplane An-26, which was flying from Kaliningrad. The Ministry of Defense noted that... he used a transponder, but did not provide a flight plan. While driving airplane made radio contact with dispatchers. On the same day there was...Politics, 21 Sep 2018, 05:58
The Ministry of Defense spotted 13 reconnaissance aircraft near the borders of Russia in a week ... air defense (air defense) 13 times raised fighters for interception and escort of foreign aircraft. US fighters intercepted two Russian bombers near Alaska “Air...coast violations Murmansk region, near Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land. Airplane with number 61-0015 and call sign Chaos43 took off from the airbase...Politics, 13 Sep 2018, 01:24
US fighter jets intercept two Russian bombers near Alaska ... , What interception The bombers were carried out in international airspace off the coast of Alaska. Latvian armed forces detected two Russian airplane at the borders... Russian by plane were not violated, NORAD clarified. A similar incident occurred off the coast of Alaska on September 1. Then American F-22s intercepted Russian Tu-95, as well as airplane-Il-78 tanker. Russian fighters scrambled to intercept near the borders 7 times a week ... Aircraft from the duty air defense forces climbed seven times in a week interception in order to prevent violation of Russia's air borders by foreign... borders, 20 aircraft were recorded that were conducting aerial reconnaissance. Aircraft PVD climbed five times interception, however, the border was not violated. The Ministry of Defense called the data on Russia's interception of Israeli aircraft nonsense ... . Previously about rapprochement aircraft reported Times Of Israel The Russian Ministry of Defense commented on reports from the Israeli newspaper The Times Of Israel about “ interception» Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers belonging to the Israeli Armed Forces aircraft F-16. About these messages... The media learned about the interception of Israeli aircraft by Russian Su-34s ... agreement between Moscow and Tel Aviv to avoid conflicts in the sky, intercepted F-16s belonging to the Israeli Armed Forces, The Times of Israel newspaper learned. Fighters of the Russian Armed Forces Su-34 intercepted in the Middle East, Israeli F-16s. This is reported by the local... according to him, it happened on the morning of May 28th. Interception, as the Israeli newspaper points out, was committed by Russian by plane, despite the current agreement between Moscow and... The Ministry of Defense intercepted 10 reconnaissance aircraft near the borders of Russia in a week ... Air defense carried out ten sorties on interception and escort of foreign aircraft. The Ministry of Defense counted 24 airplane-a reconnaissance officer at the borders of Russia in a week... the borders of Russia. At the same time, Russian pilots flew five times to interception foreign aircraft.Politics, 30 March 2018, 03:30
The Ministry of Defense reported on the interception of six reconnaissance aircraft in a week ... noted that the air defense forces on duty carried out six sorties to interception and escort of foreign aircraft. The Ministry of Defense emphasized that violations...Politics, 16 Feb 2018, 13:17
The Ministry of Defense spotted 16 reconnaissance aircraft near the borders of Russia in a week ... on interception and escort of foreign aircraft. It is clarified that there were no violations of Russian airspace. CNN learned about the flight airplane Russia... within the framework of the Vienna Document 2011. On February 13 it was reported that airplane- a US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft flew near the borders of the Kaliningrad region.Politics, 01 Feb 2018, 22:24
The United States announced plans to continue military flights over the Black Sea ... , what all aircraft The US, which is heading towards Crimea, will be met by fighter jets from Russia Despite interception over the American Black Sea airplane electronic intelligence... for the military aircraft The United States "has every right to be there." “Flights will continue,” concluded McKenzie. Interception Russian Su-27 American airplane-scout over Cherny... The United States showed a video of the Su-27 maneuver during the interception of an American reconnaissance aircraft ... to the ship at a safe distance." Information about the departure of a Russian fighter to interception airplane-US reconnaissance officer who flew over the neutral waters of the Black Sea... last year. The Russian Ministry of Defense later stated that the Su-30, intercepting airplane USA, “helped American colleagues avoid an international scandal that would have caused... CNN learned about the flight of a Russian plane within 1.5 m from a US Navy reconnaissance officer ... Russian airplane committed an "unsafe" interception» airplane- US Navy reconnaissance officer. After that the American airplane was forced to “terminate its mission,” sources told CNN Russian airplane intercepted American airplane... American fighter airplane changed its trajectory to move away from Russian airspace. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Su-30, intercepting American airplane-scout... The US Air Force published video of the Su-30 interception in November and December ... The US Department of Defense released a video interceptions Russian aircraft Su-30 in November and December 2017. Aircraft The Russian Air Force did not give the necessary signals, reported... . Russian military aircraft American ones are also periodically intercepted. So, at the end of November 2017, Russian Su-30 intercepted over the Black Sea American airplane-scout... The Pentagon accused the Russian Su-30 of “unsafe” interception of a US plane ... -30 made “unsafe” over the Black Sea interception American P-8A Poseidon, the Pentagon said. Airplane The United States did not do anything that could... The Su-30 made an “unsafe” move in the skies over the Black Sea interception anti-submarine patrol airplane USA P-8 Poseidon. CNN reported this..., considers the actions carried out by the Russian fighter to be “unsafe”, because the Russian airplane during interception flew 50 ft (15.2 m) in front of P... The Ministry of Defense spoke about seven cases of interception of foreign aircraft ... Russian fighters flew seven times over the past week interception intelligence aircraft. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense. The department said that... the defense reported that it had recorded 20 foreign aircraft who conducted reconnaissance Russian borders. on their interception Russian fighter jets took off six times... The Ministry of Defense reported six interceptions of reconnaissance aircraft in a week ... for a week 20 foreigners conducted reconnaissance near the borders of Russia aircraft, six times to them on interception Russian fighters took off. This is stated in a statement from the Ministry of Defense. The military department emphasized that during the flights of foreign aircraft-intelligence officers... on the territory of Spain. Earlier, on July 11, it became known that the intelligence airplane US P-8A Poseidon completed another flight near the Russian base... The United States showed a photo of a Russian Su-27 approaching a reconnaissance aircraft ... to sources. According to the channel, at the moment interception distance between Russian and American by plane was only five feet (1.5 m). Also... in turn, they stated that the Su-27 was indeed lifted to interception airplane The US Air Force, after the military detected an aerial target moving... “literally ten minutes later,” another reconnaissance aircraft appeared in the sky airplane. The Russian side also complied with it interception. Andrey Gatinsky Russian fighter intercepts US Air Force plane over Baltic ...military airplane was spotted over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, June 6, at 10:00 Moscow time. on his interception One Su-27 was raised from the air defense duty forces of the Baltic Fleet. He escorted an American missile-carrying bomber. After airplane... air to intercept American military aircraft, who carried out reconnaissance near the borders of Russia in the south of the Baltic. As the agency notes, these were aircraft-RC scouts... The Pentagon spoke about the interception of a US military aircraft by the Chinese Air Force ... Two airplane Chinese Air Force is 'unprofessional' intercepted coast patrolman airplane US Navy P-3 Orion in the sky in South China... rank Gary Ross, CBS News reports. According to him, American airplane is in international airspace and could carry out operations without hindrance... this is the second case interception by plane PRC US Air Force. A similar incident occurred on May 19, when Chinese fighter jets approached an American airplane at a distance of approximately... The United States announced the interception of its plane in Syria by a Russian fighter ... the fighter completed interception airplane The US Air Force is in the skies over Syria, said the commander of the US Air Force in the region, Jeffrey Harrigian. Russian actions airplane he called the fighter of the Russian Aerospace Forces “unprofessional” intercepted military airplane The United States is in the skies over Syria, reported... The Dutch Ministry of Defense announced the flight of a Su-24 near the frigate Evertsen ... . Two military personnel were scrambled to escort Russian fighters. airplane Sweden. According to the ministry, the Dutch frigate Evertsen is part of... the region,” the ministry clarified. Earlier, the Polish military announced interception Russian airplane- reconnaissance aircraft Il-20M. The incident occurred, according to Defense24 TV channel, in... The Polish military announced the interception of a Russian spy plane ... Polish fighters intercepted over the Baltic Russian airplane- reconnaissance aircraft Il-20M. This was announced by Polish Air Force press secretary Marek... on Monday, May 15. "Pilots aircraft F-16 received an unidentified alert airplane, which was flying with the transponder turned off and not..., an on-duty pair of fighters was scrambled into the air to identify the Russian airplane-a reconnaissance officer flying towards Kaliningrad. After identification, the Polish fighters returned... The Ministry of Defense spoke about the interception of an American reconnaissance aircraft on May 9 ... The Su-30 fighter was lifted to interception American combat airplane P-8A Poseidon over the Black Sea, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported. Incident... on Tuesday, May 9, the Su-30 fighter was lifted to interception airplane-US reconnaissance aircraft P-8A Poseidon over the waters of the Black Sea. About... Fox News channel, citing its own sources, reported that interception lasted 12 minutes. Andrey Gatinsky The media learned about the US interception of Russian Tu-95 and Su-35 near Alaska ... Military aircraft The US Air Force on Thursday, May 4, climbed to interception two Russian Tu-95 missile-carrying bombers and two Su-fighters ... with reference to informed US officials. According to the TV channel, the military aircraft flew up to the coast of Alaska at a distance of 80 km in the area... of an American F-22 fighter to escort the military aircraft Russia. Interlocutors told Fox News that Russian aircraft British fighters scrambled to intercept Russian bombers ... Two British fighters are scrambled for interception Russian bombers. As stated by the British Ministry of Defense, aircraft from Russia heading towards UK airspace Two RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled to interception two Russian...Politics, 11 Sep 2015, 20:16
Russian Tu-160 spotted near British airspace ... ten Russians intercepted aircraft. A week later, the British side published their photo. Recently, there have been increasing reports of interception Russian aircraft by NATO forces. At the end of July this year, at least two cases were reported in which alliance fighters discovered airplane-scout...MOSCOW, November 28 – RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. Pilots of duty fighter aircraft of the Russian air defense in recent months literally live in the sky. NATO aircraft appear at the country's borders more and more often: more than ten times a week, according to the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, the aviation of the “Western partners” is behaving more and more boldly and assertively. However, serious incidents have so far been avoided, largely thanks to the professionalism and composure of Russian fighter pilots. Read about what air interception is according to all the rules of aviation tactics in the RIA Novosti material.
Information warfare between large states can often cast a generally routine situation in a light unfavorable for one of the parties. On Tuesday, CNN, citing sources in the Pentagon, reported that the P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft of the US Air Force. The crew of the fighter allegedly, for no apparent reason, “cut off” the American over the neutral waters of the Black Sea - with a sharp maneuver from right to left, he crossed the course of the Poseidon. At the same time, the R-8A was thoroughly “churned up” by the jet streams of the powerful Su-30 engines, after which the purely “peaceful” side chose not to get involved with the “bully” and went away.
As military experts and civilian analysts have repeatedly stated, the main objective NATO reconnaissance missions near Russian borders test the strength of air defense forces. How quickly they react, where they are located, what complexes they are represented by. VKS respond to each such “visit” as quickly as possible. Firstly, other countries do not necessarily need to own one important information. Secondly, repelling a military aircraft defiantly heading towards the border of a sovereign state is a matter of prestige and principle. Thirdly, it is unknown what order the pilot of the potential intruder received. This means that its interception is a matter of national security. As a rule, each air operation is carried out according to a clear scenario.
“First of all, the aircraft must be escorted,” Major General, Honored Military Pilot of Russia Vladimir Popov told RIA Novosti. “The fighter on duty approaches the target and follows a parallel course with it. the main task at this stage - to identify the intruder aircraft. Next, the interceptor transmits primary information to the ground: aircraft type, nationality, tail number. Immediately after this, the fighter pilot begins to actively attract the attention of the suspicious aircraft - it is necessary to show that he is under surveillance. The pilot, continuing to move on a parallel course, makes a quick roll to the left and right - “flapping his wings.” On the one hand, it says: “Pay attention, I’m here!” On the other hand, it clearly demonstrates air-to-air missiles mounted on slings under the wings.”
If the intruder does not react in any way, the fighter, maintaining the same course, increases speed and moves slightly forward in order to be guaranteed to be within the visibility range of the crew of its counterpart. When the pilot is convinced that he is being observed, he turns the control stick and makes a delicate “nod” towards the state border, hinting that it is time for the visiting guest to be honored. If the intruder does not respond, the pilot repeats all the elements in the same sequence, but from the other side of the suspicious aircraft. According to the rules of aviation etiquette, these actions are extremely correct, “gentlemanly” signals.
“In most cases, our pilots do not have contact with NATO aircraft,” Popov emphasized. “We cannot talk to the intruder pilot because we usually do not know his radio frequency. But if we do know, then, of course, we continuously bombard the airwaves with messages about "The inadmissibility of his behavior and we strongly recommend that he change course. In Syria, by the way, Russian and American aviation are at least coordinating their actions and have a common communication channel. This allows us to avoid potential air accidents. But such cooperation is very rare today."
Impudence or breakdown
Over the past three to four years, the situation in the sky has become more tense. At NATO’s initiative, many programs for interaction between Russian and Western countries were curtailed military aviation. If earlier representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance warned the Ministry of Defense about planned flights in countries neighboring Russia (for example, in the Baltic states), now they prefer to remain silent about them. Moreover, NATO has significantly increased the number of cross-border air operations.
“We don’t know in advance who is sniffing around our borders for what and why,” says the major general. “Maybe the plane is flying by, maybe it has a breakdown. Or maybe it’s deliberately forcing us to react so that Western politicians will later once again they stated that the “Russian bear” does not know how to behave in the air. By the way, if we take the American version of Saturday’s events at face value, then it was their “Poseidon” that was “rude” If our Su-30 really “cut off” the R-. 8A and hit it with its jet streams, which means that the “anti-submarine” blatantly ignored all the previous “gentlemanly” signals, and the fighter pilot had to attract the attention of the “Poseidon” in a more aggressive way. I can assume that the American side was moving at a slight angle towards ours. border, so the Russian pilot could decide on such a maneuver."
If the intruder is not timid and is not frightened by turbulence, the interceptor “cuts off” him again. At the same time, he can request help from another machine. Next, two fighters take the reconnaissance aircraft in pincers and accompany it from both sides. If the intruder, even under such an escort, nevertheless crosses the border, the interceptors, with careful but unambiguous maneuvers, begin to force him to land at a Russian airfield. The second scenario is that the fighter pilot can show a “yellow card” and open fire along the intruder’s flight path from a cannon, as well as a combat or signal flare. This is both a clear threat and a last-ditch attempt to attract attention: “Where are you going?! Turn around immediately!” According to Vladimir Popov, similar situations arose regularly on the borders of the USSR in the 50s of the last century.
“I want to emphasize that today such a development of events is very rare,” said the lieutenant general. “Pilots of most countries fly politely and still do not cross the border. They provoke, yes. But they know when to stop. One more point: it is very important understand that even a military aircraft may experience a failure of radio equipment and navigation systems. And it is in distress, but is not able to send a signal. In this case, we politely “land” it with us, and then release it.
Viktor Popov recalled how a Russian plane found itself in a similar situation. On September 15, 2005, a group of Su-27 fighters flew from the Siversky airfield in the Leningrad region to one of the air bases near Kaliningrad. Already on the route, the pilot of one of the cars, Major Valery Troyanov, reported loss of orientation. Having exhausted the fuel supply, the pilot ejected. It turned out that he ended up on Lithuanian territory by mistake. The fighter crashed 55 kilometers from Kaunas. During the investigation, it turned out that the causes of the accident were piloting errors, as well as a failure of the navigation system.
The pilot, fortunately, survived. A loud international scandal was avoided - it was obvious to experts that the plane crossed the border unintentionally. However, this incident provoked a scandal in Lithuania when it became clear that the “invasion” of the Russian “drying” went unnoticed by the national air defense.
Last argument
However, we must not forget that cross-border incidents in the air can end much more tragically.
“A fighter pilot has the right to open fire only if a foreign aircraft has violated airspace, has not responded to previous signals and refuses to follow the convoy,” explains Vladimir Popov. “The pilot requests ground and, if he receives the appropriate order, shoots down the target. The most striking example: on November 28, 1973, an Iranian Air Force RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft, piloted by Iranian and American pilots, from Turkey invaded the airspace of the USSR through Armenia and Georgia. Our MiG-21SM fighter under the control of the captain flew out to intercept in the Georgian region. Gennady Eliseev. He had two missiles. He launched one along the enemy’s flight path as a warning. He did not turn away with the second missile, but it lost its target in the clouds.
An order came from the ground to stop the enemy at any cost. It was unknown what equipment and weapons the intruder was carrying and what its purpose was. And Eliseev decided on the last argument. He rammed the enemy, hitting his plane from below. The Soviet captain was killed and the RF-4C crew ejected and were captured on the ground. Later they were exchanged for our scouts. This case is the first in the history of aviation air ram on a supersonic plane. Western pilots prowling along Russian borders today would do well to remember him more often.”
Pilots of duty fighter aircraft of the Russian air defense have literally been living in the sky in recent months. NATO aircraft appear at the country's borders more and more often: more than ten times a week, according to the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, the aviation of the “Western partners” is behaving more and more boldly and assertively.
However, serious incidents have so far been avoided, largely thanks to the professionalism and composure of Russian fighter pilots. Read about what air interception is according to all the rules of aviation tactics in the RIA Novosti material.
Information warfare between large states can often cast a generally routine situation in a light unfavorable for one of the parties.
The crew of the fighter allegedly, for no apparent reason, “cut off” the American over the neutral waters of the Black Sea - with a sharp maneuver from right to left, he crossed the course of the Poseidon. At the same time, the R-8A was thoroughly “churned up” by the jet streams of the powerful Su-30 engines, after which the purely “peaceful” side chose not to get involved with the “bully” and went home.
The version of the Russian Ministry of Defense is much more prosaic. The American plane was moving at high speed towards the Russian state border. A fighter from the duty air defense forces of the Southern Military District flew out to intercept it.
The Su-30 approached the Poseidon, flew around the aircraft, and determined its type and nationality. After this, both aircraft went about their business - the R-8A headed away from the Russian borders, and the Su-30 returned to the air base. In principle, it’s difficult to even call this event an interception - they “greeted” and ran away.
"Gentlemanly" signals
As military experts and civilian analysts have repeatedly stated, the main purpose of NATO reconnaissance missions near Russian borders is to test the strength of air defense forces. How quickly they react, where they are located, what complexes they are represented by.
VKS respond to each such “visit” as quickly as possible.
First, other countries do not necessarily have such important information.
Secondly, repelling a military aircraft defiantly heading towards the border of a sovereign state is a matter of prestige and principle.
Thirdly, it is unknown what order the pilot of the potential intruder received. This means that its interception is a matter of national security. As a rule, each air operation is carried out according to a clear scenario.
“First of all, the aircraft must be escorted,” Major General, Honored Military Pilot of Russia Vladimir Popov told RIA Novosti. - The fighter on duty approaches the target and follows a parallel course with it. The main task at this stage is to identify the intruder aircraft.
Next, the interceptor transmits primary information to the ground: aircraft type, nationality, tail number. Immediately after this, the fighter pilot begins to actively attract the attention of the suspicious aircraft - it is necessary to show that he is under surveillance.
The pilot, continuing to move on a parallel course, makes a quick roll to the left and right - “flapping his wings.” On the one hand, it says: “Pay attention, I’m here!” On the other hand, it clearly demonstrates air-to-air missiles mounted on slings under the wings.”
If the intruder does not react in any way, the fighter, maintaining the same course, increases speed and moves slightly forward in order to be guaranteed to be within the visibility range of the crew of its counterpart.
When the pilot is convinced that he is being observed, he turns the control stick and makes a delicate “nod” away from the state border, hinting that it is time for the visiting guest to be honored.
If the intruder does not respond, the pilot repeats all the elements in the same sequence, but from the other side of the suspicious aircraft. According to the rules of aviation etiquette, these actions are extremely correct, “gentlemanly” signals.
“In most cases, our pilots do not have contact with NATO aircraft,” Popov emphasized. - We can't talk to the intruder pilot because we usually don't know his radio frequency.
But if we know, then, of course, we continuously bombard the airwaves with messages about the inadmissibility of his behavior and strongly recommend that he change course. In Syria, by the way, Russian and American aviation are somehow coordinating their actions and have a common communication channel.
This avoids potential air accidents. But such cooperation is very rare today.”
Impudence or breakdown
Over the past three to four years, the situation in the sky has become more tense. At NATO's initiative, many programs for interaction between Russian and Western military aviation were curtailed.
If earlier representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance warned the Ministry of Defense about planned flights in countries neighboring Russia (for example, in the Baltic states), now they prefer to remain silent about them. Moreover, NATO has significantly increased the number of cross-border air operations.
“We don’t know in advance who is snooping around our borders, what and why,” says the major general. - Maybe the plane is flying by, maybe it has a breakdown. Or perhaps he is deliberately forcing us to react, so that later Western politicians will once again declare that the “Russian bear” does not know how to behave in the air.
By the way, if we take the American version of Saturday’s events on faith, then it was Poseidon who was “rude”. If our Su-30 really “cut” the R-8A and battered it with its jet streams, it means that the “anti-submarine officer” blatantly ignored all the previous “gentlemanly” signals.
And the fighter pilot had to attract the attention of Poseidon in a more aggressive way. I can admit that the American plane was flying at a slight angle towards our border, so the Russian pilot could decide on such a maneuver.”
If the intruder is not timid and is not frightened by turbulence, the interceptor “cuts off” him again. At the same time, he can request help from another machine.
Next, two fighters take the reconnaissance aircraft in pincers and accompany it from both sides. If the intruder, even under such an escort, nevertheless crosses the border, the interceptors, with careful but unambiguous maneuvers, begin to force him to land at a Russian airfield.
The second scenario is that the fighter pilot can show a “yellow card” and open fire along the intruder’s flight path from a cannon, as well as a combat or signal flare.
This is both a clear threat and a last-ditch attempt to attract attention: “Where are you going?!” Turn around immediately!” According to Vladimir Popov, similar situations arose regularly on the borders of the USSR in the 50s of the last century.
“I want to emphasize that today such a development of events is very rare,” said the lieutenant general. - Pilots from most countries fly politely and still do not cross the border. They provoke, yes. But they know when to stop.
One more point: it is very important to understand that even a military aircraft can experience failure of radio equipment and navigation systems. And he is in distress, but is unable to give a signal. In this case, we politely “plant” him with us, and then let him go home.”
Viktor Popov recalled how a Russian plane found itself in a similar situation. On September 15, 2005, a group of Su-27 fighters flew from the Siversky airfield in the Leningrad region to one of the air bases near Kaliningrad.
Already on the route, the pilot of one of the cars, Major Valery Troyanov, reported loss of orientation. Having exhausted the fuel supply, the pilot ejected. It turned out that he ended up on Lithuanian territory by mistake. The fighter crashed 55 kilometers from Kaunas. During the investigation, it turned out that the causes of the accident were piloting errors, as well as a failure of the navigation system.
The pilot, fortunately, survived. A loud international scandal was avoided - it was obvious to experts that the plane crossed the border unintentionally. However, this incident provoked a scandal in Lithuania when it became clear that the “invasion” of the Russian “drying” went unnoticed by the national air defense.
Last argument
However, we must not forget that cross-border incidents in the air can end much more tragically.
“A fighter pilot has the right to open fire only if a foreign aircraft has violated airspace, has not responded to previous signals and refuses to follow the convoy,” explains Vladimir Popov.
The pilot requests “ground” and, if he receives the appropriate order, shoots down the target. The most striking example: on November 28, 1973, an Iranian Air Force RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft, piloted by Iranian and American pilots, invaded Soviet airspace from Turkey through Armenia and Georgia.
In the Georgian region, our MiG-21SM fighter flew out to intercept, under the control of Captain Gennady Eliseev. He had two missiles. He launched one along the enemy aircraft's flight path as a warning.
He didn't turn away. Eliseev fired a second missile to kill, but it lost its target in the clouds. And the gun jammed.
An order came from the ground to stop the enemy at any cost. It was unknown what equipment and weapons the intruder was carrying and what its purpose was. And Eliseev decided on the last argument. He rammed the enemy, hitting his plane from below. The Soviet captain was killed and the RF-4C crew ejected and were captured on the ground. Later they were exchanged for our scouts.
This incident is the first aerial ramming of a supersonic aircraft in the history of aviation. Western pilots prowling along Russian borders today should remember him more often.”
Speculations about the “Soviet threat” repeated in every possible way are necessary for militaristic circles Western countries to reinforce and cover up their plans for an arms race and material preparation for war. One of the activities of the Pentagon and its partners in this direction was the creation of a widely ramified system, which includes combat aircraft as active assets.
The tasks assigned to air defense aviation are formulated in the foreign military press as follows:
- destruction of single or groups of enemy aircraft invading the airspace of NATO countries;
- air cover of “dead” zones that are not protected by anti-aircraft weapons or were formed as a result of the enemy’s destruction of some missile defense positions;
- air protection of certain directions or areas of its territory.
Air defense combat aircraft
Combat aircraft Air defense systems in the foreign press are usually called fighter-interceptors or simply interceptors. In some air forces European countries NATO uses conventional fighters equipped with appropriate weapons, or some modernized multi-role tactical fighters, to carry out air defense missions. They are sometimes called air defense fighters. They operate, as a rule, in simple meteorological conditions.Fighter-interceptors abroad are considered to be the F-106 Delta Dart (Fig. 1), F-101 Voodoo, F-102 Delta Dagger (), F.3 and F.6 (). Fighters that are used to intercept air targets and are armed with appropriate weapons for this purpose include: F-5A (,), F-101G (,). Examples of multi-wing tactical fighters that have been modernized for air defense purposes are the -C (), F-4E 2 (USA) aircraft. They are equipped with either higher-power engines, or starting boosters, or special systems that allow you to automatically reach the target and fire weapons.
Rice. 1. A flight of F-106 interceptor fighters in flight
The difference between an interceptor fighter and a fighter, as foreign military experts previously believed, was as follows. The first one did not necessarily have to have high maneuverability characteristics. Basically, he was assigned the role of carrier of air-to-air missiles. He was required to operate in any weather conditions, day and night, reach the target without complex maneuvers and hit it mainly while catching up at the greatest possible distances from the covered object or territory.
A fighter usually destroys a target in close air combat at a relatively short distance from the covered object or group of aircraft.
However, the experience of the wars in Vietnam, as well as on, showed that air battles that began with missile launches from long distances often developed into short-range maneuvering ones. Many guided missiles did not reach the target due to restrictions on overload and the widespread use of various RPM means. Therefore, in the future, aircraft used as fighter-interceptors improved maneuverability characteristics, on-board equipment and weapons.
In the unified NATO air defense system in Europe, control and warning centers are responsible for directing aircraft to targets.
According to foreign press reports, to expand aviation control capabilities, including guidance, the United States is developing. Aircraft equipped with this system are capable of detecting air targets long before they are registered. The aircraft crew, having identified the target, can call interceptor fighters and direct them at it.
Performing an interception
The interception flight is carried out from the “duty at the airfield (aircraft carrier)” or “duty in the air” position. Can also be applied independent search enemy in the air.Interception from the position of “duty at the airfield” is considered the most optimal in terms of expenditure of forces and resources. It is recommended to use it when fighters manage to take off, approach the target and destroy it on the approaches to covered troops or objects (at given interception lines) even before the air enemy uses weapons.
The foreign press reported that some of the crews of NATO fighter-transmitters are on duty at airfields around the clock. They can be in 5- or 15-minute readiness for departure (for duty crews of UK fighter-interceptors, 5- and 10-minute readiness is established).
Interception from the position of “duty in the air” is that when an air enemy appears, fighters from the duty zones are sent towards him and attack him.
Duty in the air is organized in the event that fighters do not have time to intercept the enemy at a given point from the position of “duty at the airfield” or for some reason it is impossible to obtain timely information about him.
Crews independently search for the enemy using onboard radar and visually. The search is usually organized in those areas and at those airspace altitudes that are not visible by ground-based radars. For orientation, crews can be given by radio general information about the air situation: the probable location of the enemy, the nature of his actions, the number of targets, etc.
During interception, control centers direct the fighter to the target until its onboard radar is detected or captured. After this, the fighter crew attacks the target independently, taking the appropriate position and observing the missile launch range or firing from cannons.
The start of the attack depends on the target detection and acquisition range of the airborne radar (currently it ranges from 40 to 90 km), and the missile launch line is selected based on their firing ranges (for missile-launched missiles the maximum range is 15 km, and for missiles it is 25 km) .
According to foreign experts, an enemy aircraft can be attacked: from the tail, from the front, from the traverse, or on intersecting courses. The choice of attack direction depends on many factors, and primarily on the position of the target relative to the interceptor at the time of the meeting, as well as on the weapon mounted on it.
The foreign press cited the following example of a training mission being carried out by the crew of an F-106 aircraft to intercept an air target flying at high altitude on subsonic speed(Fig. 2)
Rice. 2. Scheme of interception (on a collision course) of an air target flying at high altitude (1 and 2 - beams of the onboard radar when viewing and locking on a target, an explanation of other designations is given in the text)
Having detected and identified the air “enemy” (Fig. 2, a), the control center transmitted commands for the fighters to take off (Fig. 2, b). The takeoff of the aircraft, armed with two Falcon AIM-4F missile launchers, took place in afterburner mode. At a speed of 350 km/h, the interceptor lifted off the runway. The afterburner was turned off at a speed of 460 km/h. Then, having reached a speed of 750 km/h, the plane began to quickly gain altitude (Fig. 2, c), increasing the speed to 950 km/h. After that, he switched to horizontal flight. The pilot established radio contact with the control center (Fig. 2, d). Next, commands to the plane were received via a telemetry line. The on-board indicator constantly displayed data (course, airspeed, altitude), which the pilot used to guide the aircraft to the “enemy” (target). At the same time, the pilot received information about it (course, speed, altitude, as well as range and azimuth).
On the cartographic indicator, the pilot saw the position of his aircraft relative to the target and determined the interception method. When the target mark was at the appropriate height and range, the pilot removed the weapon control system fuse, selected the appropriate radar viewing sector and pointed the antenna at the air “enemy” (Fig. 2.d), who was flying on a collision course at an altitude of 12,000 m (distance to it was 50 km). The attack was carried out using the “snap-up” method, which involved quickly approaching the “enemy” and then attacking him from below on a collision course. To do this, the pilot turned on the afterburner, and the plane quickly switched to supersonic speed. When the target was 5° to the left of the aircraft centerline, the onboard radar captured it (Fig. 2, f). After this, the pilot contacted the control center and began to independently carry out the final stage of the attack (the aircraft can be controlled automatically or manually). Having selected the range scale “26 km” on the radar indicator screen, the pilot observed the target mark.
At a distance of approximately 22 km from the “enemy” (its superiority over the attacking aircraft was not reported in the foreign press), the interceptor began to reach the missile launch line. The direction to the target was maintained by combining the command index with the central indicator mark. The plane was put into a sharp climb. The outer range ring on the indicator screen began to narrow, and when it reached the size of the launch range ring, the missile automatically left the guides (Fig. 2, g). A signal appeared on the indicator indicating that the rocket had launched. Then the plane performed a maneuver to exit the attack (Fig. 2, h). The return of the interceptor fighter to the air base also took place according to commands from the control center.
If the air “enemy” interfered during an attack, the pilot turned on the on-board radar in the interference tracking mode and the station re-acquired the target. In this case, another rocket was automatically launched.
Approximately the same scheme for intercepting high-altitude targets, as noted in the foreign press, is also inherent in other types of interceptor fighters. Characteristic of them is take-off in afterburner mode, rapid approach to the target and a quick attack.
According to American pilots, attacking air targets using the snap-up method is the most difficult and much attention is paid to its development.
To repel a massive enemy raid, as reported in the foreign press, air defense fighters are supposed to be brought into battle in three echelons: the first - from the air duty zones (beyond the rear border of the zones affected by the first lane of missile defense fire); the second - from airfields from five-minute readiness (100-120 km from the front line); the third - from 15 minutes of readiness. In this case, the group will be guided to an air target by the leader.
Combat training
The NATO command pays great attention to increasing the combat readiness of fighter-interceptor crews. For this purpose, regular inspections of aviation units and air defense units are carried out, competitions and exercises are organized.For routine training, F-106 fighter-interceptors, for example, use the training ground at Tyndall Air Force Base (Florida). Each squadron of these aircraft conducts aerial firing there for a week every year. In addition, every day aircraft crews conduct training interceptions of targets flying at high and low altitudes using RPD systems.
The NATO command, in addition to individual pilot training, organizes annual exercises during which the tasks of air defense of troops and facilities using fighter aircraft are solved. For example, in 1974, such exercises were “Crack Force” and .
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