RC-135U intercepted by an SU-27

[DaveBB]

Things have changed.  In all the pictures of Soviet bombers being escorted, the tail guns are in the stowed position.  Anymore, they are in the ready position. 

I'd have an F-15 with conformal fuel tanks and drop tanks fly underneath the the RC-135 for it's mission profile.  It would be a good time to see the status of the Russian plane and Russian training.  If it happened to save about 20 American lives from a mid-air collision with a Russian fighter, well that's just a bonus.

[Toad]

So…will your F-15 with conformal fuel tanks be able to escort the RC for approximately 8 hours without refueling?

Will your fighter pilot get a little bit fatigued flying so tight to the RC as to make one radar return for a steady 8 hours?

While the thought is nice, there's no way it would work. Remember, the RC is a receiver, not a tanker; no boom.

[PR3D4TOR]

I think the USAF and the three-letter agencies are too fond of the intel these RC planes collect to jeopardize the current rather amicable relationship with the Russians in the air. They may get away with shooting one down and pretending it was an accident, but the next time the Russians will send a squadron up to make sure, and if they spot this F-15 shadowing the RC-135 the game is up. The RC-135's may then have to face the real possibility of being shot down rather than just harassed. Like in the old days.

[Toad]

There aren't going to be any F-15s shadowing RCs unless the mission is very close to an F-15 base. Even then I doubt there'd be continual escort. Really, there's no reason to do so with the Soviets.

The unofficial squadron motto was "alone, unarmed and unafraid."  I seriously doubt that will change.

It may be hard for some of you to grasp but they have been intercepting RC-135s for decades. We've been intercepting Bears for decades. Both sides understand the rules of the game.

[-ammo-]

You would be surprised (maybe) how frequently this is happening in the last 4-5 months in the Baltic and Black Seas.  Some of the encounters are reported and some are not.


Putin is not happy with that NATO is establishing an increased military footprint (NFIUs and other command entities) in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland (MNC-NE), Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania (MND-SE). 

[-ammo-]

There aren't going to be any F-15s shadowing RCs unless the mission is very close to an F-15 base. Even then I doubt there'd be continual escort. Really, there's no reason to do so with the Soviets.

The unofficial squadron motto was "alone, unarmed and unafraid."  I seriously doubt that will change.

It may be hard for some of you to grasp but they have been intercepting RC-135s for decades. We've been intercepting Bears for decades. Both sides understand the rules of the game.

Yep - but NATO has enjoyed relative tranquility up until the last few months. 

[ghi]

BRICS vs IMF proxy.  when i was born world population was 3.7 billion ,today are over 7 billion; too many humans for limited resources; I read if 1.6 billlion Muslims stop washing and start using toilet paper like us, we'll run out of trees in few years;

look at this madness;
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

maybe they are right with Agenda21  , the world needs sustainable development ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenda_21

[BoilerDown]

Its all just a game of determining that the other side is still able to fight, or showing that your own side is [still] able.  The worse relations are, the more important this game is to the players.  But its still just a game until politicians decide it isn't, as opposed to the militaries or individual pilots.  As none of the sides are politically remotely close to a shooting war, there's nothing to be concerned about.

[earl1937]

I would like for Earl to weigh in on this situation. Of course he told about his RB-50 being intercepted by a Mig-17.  Two F-86s came to the rescue though.

I'm sorry I hurt your feelings Predator.  My deepest apologies.

Can't speak to todays recon equipment, but back in the "day", the whole idea was to hide and "see", so if there were clouds around where we were, we were in them. At that time, I don't think anyone knew how accurate the North Koreans and Chinese radar systems were, so we tried to keep in the "dark" from eyeballs!
Yes, we saw a lot of interceptors who came up to look and see what was going on, as we had air to air radar on board also and it was pretty accurate.
My concern in today's world situation is the "lone wolf" who decides without input from the "higher ups", to start a shooting war on his own.
If the "genie" gets out of the bottle, can we as civilized people, put it back in, or will personal ego's rule the day and destroy the world as we know it now?
Both sides play a dangerous game every day, and the joker is the new kid on the block, the "nuts in the mid East", I don't think they ever think about tomorrow and the ramifications of their actions.
What is scary to me is the fact that the end of life for all of us is just 20 to 30 minutes away, if cooler heads don't prevail about life as we know it on this planet. Of course, if I believed that I had 72 virgins and heaven waiting on me, not sure I would care what happened to everybody else! LOL

[FLOOB]

I value American lives far more than that of other nations.  That is the basis of my argument.

Why?

[DaveBB]

There aren't going to be any F-15s shadowing RCs unless the mission is very close to an F-15 base. Even then I doubt there'd be continual escort. Really, there's no reason to do so with the Soviets.

The unofficial squadron motto was "alone, unarmed and unafraid."  I seriously doubt that will change.

It may be hard for some of you to grasp but they have been intercepting RC-135s for decades. We've been intercepting Bears for decades. Both sides understand the rules of the game.

Not quite as benign of game as you may believe.


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAir-to-air_combat_losses_between_the_USSR_and_US&ei=Zqo1VYSgDfeKsQSz_4HQAQ&usg=AFQjCNGprBqwH3zctaoe_SDjqmSDlAC3sQ&sig2=QmAClB8-hCj-ZqdT4Q1nLg

[Ack-Ack]

Not quite as benign of game as you may believe.


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAir-to-air_combat_losses_between_the_USSR_and_US&ei=Zqo1VYSgDfeKsQSz_4HQAQ&usg=AFQjCNGprBqwH3zctaoe_SDjqmSDlAC3sQ&sig2=QmAClB8-hCj-ZqdT4Q1nLg

I'm sure someone like Toad that has flown those missions in real life knew the dangers.

[Toad]

I played the game in an RC-135.

What was the date of the last shoot down of an RC-135? Do you know?

What was the date of the last mid-air collision with a non-US aircraft experienced by an RC-135?

[earl1937]

I played the game in an RC-135.

What was the date of the last shoot down of an RC-135? Do you know?

What was the date of the last mid-air collision with a non-US aircraft experienced by an RC-135?

Toad, here is a personal  to you sir for your service! You certainly bring up a good point with your questions!
I just wonder, personally, if the "airborne" intelligence program is worth the trouble anymore, considering that we have satellites in space which can read the serial number on a dollar bill!
My personal fears these days is that 150 lb refugee wading across the Rio Grande river with the knowledge of how to put together a "dirty" bomb from the internet and the person who wants to be remembered as the "hero" who took on the U.S. and won! Kind of like the kid who took on the giant with a sling shot and won type of mentality!
Hope I am wrong!

 

[Swoop]

Will your fighter pilot get a little bit fatigued flying so tight to the RC as to make one radar return for a steady 8 hours?

Nah, CTRL-W and you're on wingman autopilot.