Russian and NORAD forces intercept "hijacked" jet in drill

[S_O_C_O_M]

Russian and NORAD forces intercept "hijacked" jet in drill​

August 10, 2010

Two NORAD F-22 fighter jets fly alongside a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner, on Sunday, on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A NORAD F-22 fighter jet flies off the wing of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner over a mountainous area of Alaska at the end of a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East.

Fighters from Russia and the North American Aerospace Defense Command on Sunday intercepted a Gulfstream jet simulating a hijacked Boeing 757 commercial jetliner flying from Anchorage to the Far East Sunday.

Exercise Vigilant Eagle was the first joint counter air-terrorism exercise between NORAD and the Russian air force.

"What we are practicing today is communication procedures between NORAD, plus U.S. civilian air traffic control agencies and our Russian counterparts so that we can pass on information to them about air terrorism events to allow them to posture their forces to respond in kind," Canadian Forces Col. Todd Balfe, Alaska NORAD Region deputy commander, said in a NORAD report.

The Gulfstream squawked an emergency to ground controllers five minutes after take-off from Anchorage. The FAA requested assistance from NORAD, which tracked the flight with an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft, diverted two F-22 fighters to intercept the plane and notified Russian authorities, because the plane's route would take it over Russian airspace.

At a predetermined location halfway across the Pacific Ocean, the NORAD E-3 handed over control to a Russian A-50, and two Russian SU-27 fighters joined the chase.

"Terrorism is something that affects all our countries," Col. Alexander Vasilyev, deputy director of security and safety for the Russian air force, said in the NORAD report. "So it is very important that we work together to develop procedures and bring the relationship between our countries closer together to unite our countries in the fight against terrorism."

The plane landed safely in the Far East to be handed over to authorities after six hours of tracking. The participants then rested overnight and conducted the exercise in reverse, with a handover from Russia to NORAD.

Russian and NORAD forces intercept "hijacked" jet in drill

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

Canadian Forces Col. Todd Balfe, deputy commander of the Alaskan NORAD region, takes a personal photo as he looks out the window of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it is escorted by a NORAD F-22 fighter jet as it flies through U.S. airspace on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

A pair of NORAD F-22 fighter jets fly off the wing of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner over a mountainous area of Alaska at the end of a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East.

A Russian Su-27 fighter jet flies off the wing of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it flies through Russian airspace on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

A Russian Su-27 fighter jet flies off the wing of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it flies through Russian airspace on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

Two Russian Su-27 fighter jets fly next to a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it flies through Russian airspace on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

A Russian Su-27 fighter jet flies off the wing of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it flies through Russian airspace on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

The pilot of a Russian Su-27 fighter jet is seen as he flies next to a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it flies through Russian airspace on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

Canadian Forces Col. Todd Balfe, deputy commander of the Alaskan NORAD region, takes a personal photo as he looks out the window of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it is escorted by a Su-27 Russian fighter jet as it flies through Russian airspace on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

U.S. Army Sgt. Mike Humphreys, a NORAD spokesman, looks out the window of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it is escorted by a Su-27 Russian fighter jet as it flies through Russian airspace on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

Russian Air Force Col. Alexander Vasiliev, right, talks with Canadian Forces Col. Todd Balfe, left, deputy commander of the Alaskan NORAD region, as U.S. Air Force interpreter Tech. Sgt. Paul Shoop, center, translates, as they fly aboard a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner on a route from an undisclosed location in the Far East to Alaska.

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

A Russian Su-27 fighter jet flies alongside a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

Two Russian Su-27 fighter jets fly alongside a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

Two Russian Su-27 fighter jets fly alongside a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

Canadian Forces Col. Todd Balfe, deputy commander of the Alaskan NORAD region, takes a personal photo as he looks out the window of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it is escorted by two Su-27 Russian fighter jets in Russian airspace on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

Canadian Forces Col. Todd Balfe, deputy commander of the Alaskan NORAD region, looks out the window of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it is escorted by two Su-27 Russian fighter jets in Russian airspace on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

Russian Air Force Col. Alexander Vasiliev looks out the window of a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner as it is escorted by two Su-27 Russian fighter jets in Russian airspace on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

Russian Air Force Col. Alexander Vasiliev, right, talks with Canadian Forces Col. Todd Balfe, center, deputy commander of the Alaskan NORAD region, as U.S. Air Force interpreter Tech. Sgt. Paul Shoop, translates at left, as they fly aboard a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

U.S. Air Force interpreter Tech. Sgt. Paul Shoop, left, works on his computer, as Russian Air Force Col. Alexander Vasiliev sits across the aisle aboard a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

A NORAD F-22 fighter jet flies alongside a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

Two NORAD F-22 fighter jets fly alongside a civilian airplane playing the role of a hijacked airliner on a route from Alaska to an undisclosed location in the Far East.

 

[gambit]

Just in case anyone starts cheering that the MIGs can get RCS figures of the F-22, I advise people to look very carefully at those F-22s, specifically at the underside where visible is a little 'dingleberry' of a radar enhancer...

Most likely it is a 'luneberg lens'...

Lüneberg Reflector lensref - Luneburg radar

The Luneberg reflector gives an homogeneous response inside a wide angle. It is an ideal passive responder, perfect for highlighting, and eventually monitoring the radar target to which it is attached, with a high level of security.
The Luneberg lens is the most efficient passive radar reflector available.
The Luneberg reflector requires no power supply nor maintenance.

IMI ADM-141 TALD

The A/B37U-1(V)1 is a chaff-dispensing vehicle carrying up to 36 kg (80 lb) of chaff, the A/B37U-1(V)2 is a passive radar decoy which uses a Luneberg lens the enhance its radar signature, and the ADM-141A uses both passive (Luneberg lens) and active (RF amplifier) radar enhancers.

There really is no way for observers to know the magnifications of the installed devices, but have no doubt that it will be at least the same, if not greater, than MIGs' RCS figures.