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Lakenheath fighters intercept Russian aircraft  

Released: May 2, 2003

By JO Jeanette Bowles

Keflavik Naval Air Station Public Affairs

NAVAL AIR STATION KEFLAVIK, Iceland (USAFENS) - Planning, training, and teamwork are three essential components in completing any successful mission.  Friday morning, these elements were put to the test as a calm day suddenly became an active air defense mission. 

Two Russian TU-142 Bear F and Bear J aircraft entered Iceland's airspace, prompting the immediate launch of three F-15 fighter planes from the 493rd Fighter Squadron deployed and a Tanker deployed to the Air Force's 85th Group.

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

"Norway did a VID (visual identification) on that track and saw that it was two Bears," said Air Force Maj. David Brien, Chief of Plans and Programs for the 85th Group.  "That track was continuing on toward us." 

Brien said the command post's air defense commander, known as "the Hammer," placed the group from a 12-hour on-call status to a one-hour alert status.

"We then issued an order for airborne times for our fighters," Brien said.  "Two fighters, a KC-135 and an alert fighter were prepared for launch.  We also put our rescue squadron helicopters on alert as well to support."

From that point, they estimated the time the aircraft would enter Iceland's airspace and proceeded to launch the fighters.

"We launched our fighters and they proceeded off to the northeast corner of Iceland," Brien said.  "The fighters picked up the radar through the air control squadron and the unknown track.  When the Bears came into our military air defense identification zone (MADIZ), they were intercepted by our fighters and escorted through the MADIZ for about 15 minutes or so. Then they exited the MADIZ and went back to Russia."

As the fighters escorted the Bears the pilots took some pictures and confirmed the identification of the aircraft.Brien said that the Bears left on their own.

Once the Bears left, the fighters returned to NAS Keflavík, ending a successful, but far from routine mission. Brien said an occurrence like this has not happened for the last four years.

"This is the first time since 1999 that we've actually done an active air defense scramble and intercepted Bears inside our MADIZ," Brien said. "It's something that we as a group train for all the time.  It's why  the 85th Group is here." There are seven squadrons that comprise the 85th Group and it's the teamwork between them that allows missions like this one to end successfully.

"Those seven squadrons boil down to a core air defense alert force," Brien said.  "That force is the core of what we do and it functions just superbly."

Brien also added that the 932nd Air Control Squadron is the Group's first eyes through the data link and surveillance of the airspace. Once they get the word, that allows the other components of the Group to do their part from factoring in Intel to launching the aircraft.

Brien did note that while this mission ended on an up note, the entrance of the Bears in Iceland's airspace was in no way meant to be hostile or threatening.

"We've had dialog and discussion with first the Soviet Union and now Russia for a long time now," Brien said. "This is just something that happens periodically where for whatever reason they bring aircraft from their area down into ours just to see our response times.  And in this case our response times were outstanding.  We went from a 12-hour to a one-hour alert status immediately, we launched airplanes on time, we made the intercept happen exactly where we wanted it to happen.  It was just wonderful."

The fighters are the "Grim Reapers" deployed from RAF Lakenheath, England and the Tanker is deployed from Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. 

"That tanker and its crew arrived the night before," Brien said.  "So this was their first sortie here in Iceland which was an active air defense scramble.

"Our helicopters are permanent party here.  They were all on alert.  We placed them on higher state of alert in case they were needed.  That's their primary role here is to support our air defense operations and they were poised and ready to do that.  Just a superb effort all the way around."