The Pentagon has once again said that US Air Force planes "intercepted" Russian Tu-95 long-range bombers.
On September 1 and 11, 2018, F-22A stealth fighters flew to "intercept" two Tu-95M turboprops that were in neutral waters in the Alaska region. At the same time, Russian aircraft did not enter the airspace of either Canada or the United States. On September 11, the bombers were escorted by Su-35S fighters.
It would be more correct to call such meetings not interception, but escort, because. The Raptors flew on the same course as the Bears at a distance, without approaching or showing any aggressive actions. Both Russian pilots and American pilots performed their tasks - ours practiced long flights with in-flight refueling and indicated their presence near the areas of responsibility of a potential enemy. The Americans worked out the response time to the appearance of Russian aircraft - takeoff, rendezvous, escort and return to the airfield, and also watched the flight of bombers and practiced weapon guidance.
Interception is a slightly different action on both sides. The interceptor pilot is given the task to find the object, get close, make it either leave Russian airspace or land at an airfield in Russia. In extreme cases, if the violator fails to comply with the requirements, he can be shot down.
A classic example of interceptions is the actions of Su-27 fighter pilots over the Black, Barents or Baltic Seas, when planes take off to drive away all sorts of "Poseidons" and "Orions" of NATO countries from our borders. At the same time, the Pentagon calls such cases "dangerous" and "unprofessional." But in our opinion, the appearance of Russian "dryers" near insolent US reconnaissance aircraft can be dangerous only for the American (Norwegian, Canadian, etc.) pilots themselves, because flying on a mission, they perfectly understand where and for what purpose they fly.
Vivid proof of this is the actions of Senior Lieutenant Vasily Tsimbal, who flew out on September 13, 1987 on his Su-27 to intercept the P-3 Orion reconnaissance aircraft.
The Norwegian plane was not just engaged in reconnaissance, it dropped sonar buoys into the fairway, along which Soviet submarines went to sea. Having found an armed Su-27 nearby, the Norwegians did not react to it in any way and continued their work.
In order to prevent the release of reconnaissance equipment, Vasily Tsymbal decided to adjust to the belly of Orion, and, releasing the brake flap, began maneuvering, but did not calculate the approach speed and touched the propellers of the Norwegian aircraft with the left keel. The fragments of the propeller scattered in different directions and pierced the fuselage of Orion. Only after that, the Norwegian plane changed course and went towards Norway.
Su-27 drove off the Norwegian reconnaissance aircraft P-3 Orion
But the senior lieutenant decided to consolidate the knowledge of the reconnaissance aircraft crew about what Russian pilots are capable of if their "sworn friends" do not show sufficient respect for their "partners". Having taken a position above the "Norwegian", Vasily Tsimbal poured part of the fuel onto the Orion's cockpit and only after that he left for his airfield.
Did Cymbal work professionally? Of course! Aggressively? Naturally! But without pressure, determination and non-standard actions, it is impossible to convey to the "partners" that it is impossible to fly with impunity near our borders.
All this is reminiscent of Korean history, when the USSR and the USA entered into direct conflicts.
Pentagon officials said their planes intercepted Russian Su-25s. It happened in the sky over the territory controlled by the Kurdish allies of the United States. According to the Americans, the F-22 fighters were forced to perform several dangerous maneuvers in order to deploy the intruder aircraft. Moreover, infrared traps and chaff were allegedly even used. From this it follows that the Americans seriously believed that the Russian attack aircraft that arrived were going to bomb in the areas of control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, because such means are used mainly to disable homing systems. These measures were enough for the Su-25s to return to the airspace controlled by Damascus and Russia.
Some time later, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a refutation. The incident was explained in a completely different way. Su-25s of the Russian Aerospace Forces escorted a humanitarian convoy moving near the Syrian city of Meyadin, which is under the control of Damascus and is located on the western coast of the Euphrates. At some point, an F-22 approached one of the planes; for some reason, it really began to use infrared traps, which made it difficult for Russian pilots to work. To prevent interference from a height of ten kilometers, a Su-35 descended to the American plane, which in a couple of minutes made the F-22 fly back.
Since the shift of hostilities to the province of Deir ez-Zor, such incidents are frequent. Russian planes and helicopters are invading the space beyond the eastern bank of the Euphrates and even Iraq. This is a violation of the agreement on the division of zones of operations. Russia agreed on this with the Coalition in order to exclude such situations, but it often violates the agreement. Most often this is due to the actions of the regime's army - aircraft and even ground troops invade areas forbidden to them. This is not like fighting the Islamic State, which means it is a provocation. This harms security in Syria, Iraq.
According to the Australian, Russia did this in order to demonstrate the superiority of its old-generation aircraft over modern American systems. But the task was not completed. It is also possible a situation that, as the United States believes, has already taken place before. Allegedly, Russian aircraft were caught several times bombing Kurdish-controlled cities and villages. For this reason, interception of the target was required.
* The Islamic State Movement (ISIS), by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014, was recognized as a terrorist organization, its activities in Russia are prohibited.
Over the past week, Russian fighter jets have already intercepted three foreign reconnaissance aircraft, in particular, over the Baltic, where NATO exercises are taking place. Military experts told 360 what interception is and why other countries send air spies to Russian borders.
On June 10, a Su-27 fighter intercepted two US and Swedish Air Force aircraft near the Russian border, over the neutral waters of the Baltic. This was reported to RIA Novosti in the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense. Following the international rules for the use of airspace, the pilot escorted the aircraft, preventing them from violating the Russian border.
"The crew of the Russian fighter aircraft approached a safe distance from air targets and identified them as reconnaissance aircraft of the US Air Force RC-135 and the Swedish Air Force Gulf Stream," the ministry said.
From 9 to 21 June, NATO exercises Baltops-2019 are being held in the Baltic Sea. 8.6 thousand military personnel, as well as 40 ships and submarines from 18 countries of the alliance and partner states, are participating in sea and air maneuvers. For the first time in a long time, the ships of the US Second Fleet, which was recreated in 2018, joined the exercises.
And on June 4, the agency cites a message from the press service of the US Sixth Fleet, a Su-35 fighter intercepted a P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft three times in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea. The US military department called the second rapprochement "dangerous." The Russian aircraft flew directly in front of the P-8A at high speed, causing a wave of turbulence.
“We expect that they (the Russian side - ed.) will behave within the international standards established to ensure security and prevent incidents.<…>Unsafe interceptions increase the risk of miscalculation and the possibility of a mid-air collision,” the statement said.
In 2018, Aerospace Forces escorted more than 980,000 aircraft, including 3,000 combat aircraft, of which 1,000 were reconnaissance aircraft.
What is interception
Military expert Alexei Leonkov explained to 360 that a layered air defense system operates in Russia. If the radar stations fix the approach to the borders of aircraft with transponders turned off, then fighters are lifted into the air. They approach the "guests" and determine which ship it is - civilian or military.
“At this time, radio intelligence stations determine whether the equipment of their aircraft is working at this time. They see aircraft with transponders not turned on, which are trying to carry out radar reconnaissance of our territory,” Leonkov added.
Then the Russian fighter jet accompanies the “guest” with special signs and maneuvers, showing that the alien plane is violating the borders, approaching them too close. He gets into general communication, and if the pilot does not respond to calls to leave the airspace, the Su pilots demonstrate weapons - air-to-air missiles.
“If the crew is reasonable, then the plane leaves with nothing, without intelligence data. If there is a further violation, foreign pilots do not respond to commands, go the same course deep into the territory of the country, then maneuvering begins, warning fire along the course of the aircraft. If the plane still does not respond, then either it is forced to land, or, if this is not possible, a decision is made to shoot down the violator of air borders, ”the expert said.
international space
In international airspace or over neutral waters, ships are intercepted by reconnaissance aircraft capable of looking 300-400 kilometers deep into Russia with the help of side-scan stations and learning as much as possible about anti-defense weapons and the operation of radio equipment. To interfere with the collection of data, fighter jets are raised into the air, which play on the nerves of foreign pilots and force them to stop reconnaissance.
“If our planes did this, the Americans would act the same way. For example, they escort our strategic aircraft in the Far East. Or when our ships fly to Kaliningrad,” Leonkov added.
During the Cold War, the interlocutor added, the Americans often “disturbed our peace” by sending not only reconnaissance aircraft to the borders, but also strategic bombers with nuclear warheads. Nowadays, the expert noted, the event has become not only ordinary, but regular. Especially where hostilities or exercises are taking place.
Political plane
Military expert Sergey Khatylev explained that the rules for flying in international airspace explain what waters and at what altitude you can fly over, what distance you can approach, what signs you need to use, and so on. All these rules are spelled out in international, state documents, as well as documents of the Ministry of Defense and military departments. Russian pilots always strictly comply with these requirements.
“And all these complaints from the United States and European countries that our pilots fly too close, interfere with their tasks, are elementary disrespect, rudeness and discontent. Previously, they flew and no one controlled them so tightly, but now they control them - and they go to deliberate provocations, ”Khatylev said.
In particular, on June 10, the US military turned on a jammer on a plane flying over the Baltic for two hours in an attempt to interfere with communications in Kaliningrad. Including those that provide aviation flights. All cases of interceptions are always investigated both by the military departments of the countries whose ships participated in the event, and by international organizations. And loud statements about "dangerous" interceptions are made to escalate the situation.
“This is mainly done in the political plane. As a rule, statements are not related to either the military or the use of airspace. But just ambitions: “You fly fast, you fly close,” Khatylev concluded.
The speculations about the "Soviet threat" repeated in every way are necessary for the militarist circles of the Western countries to reinforce and cover up their plans for an arms race and material preparations for war. One of the activities of the Pentagon and its partners in this direction was the creation of a widely branched, which includes combat aircraft as active means.
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 formed as a result of the destruction by the enemy of some positions of missiles;
- protection from the air of certain directions or areas of its territory.
air defense combat aircraft
Air defense combat aircraft in the foreign press, as a rule, are called fighter-interceptors or simply interceptors. In a number of air forces of European NATO countries, conventional fighters equipped with appropriate weapons, or some modernized multi-role tactical fighters, are involved in performing air defense tasks. They are sometimes referred to as air defense fighters. They operate, as a rule, in simple meteorological conditions.F-106 Delta Dart aircraft (Fig. 1), F-101 Voodoo, F-102 Delta Dagger (), F.3 and F.6 () aircraft are considered interceptor fighters abroad. The fighters that are involved in intercepting air targets and for this are armed with appropriate weapons include: F-5A ( , ), F-101G ( , ). Examples of multi-role tactical fighters that have been upgraded for air defense purposes are -C (), F-4E 2 (USA) aircraft. They are equipped with either engines of greater power, or starting accelerators, or special systems that allow you to automatically reach the target and fire weapons.
Rice. 1. Link fighter-interceptor F-106 in flight
The difference between a fighter-interceptor and a fighter, as previously believed by foreign military experts, was as follows. The first did not necessarily have to have high maneuverability. Basically, he was assigned the role of a carrier of air-to-air missiles. He was required to act in any meteorological conditions, day and night, reach the target without complicated maneuvers and hit it mainly on the catch-up at the greatest possible distance from the covered object or territory.
The fighter, on the other hand, usually destroys the 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 not, showed that air battles that began with missile launches from long distances often developed into close maneuverable ones. Many guided missiles did not reach the target due to overload restrictions and the widespread use of all kinds of RAPs. Therefore, in the future, the aircraft used as interceptor fighters improved their maneuverability, on-board equipment and weapons.
In the joint NATO air defense system in Europe, the control and warning centers are in charge of aiming aircraft at targets.
According to foreign press reports, in order to expand the capabilities of aviation control, including guidance, the United States is developing. Aircraft equipped with this system are able to detect air targets long before they are registered. The crew of the aircraft, having identified the target, can call fighter-interceptors and direct them to it.
Performing an interception
Departure for interception is carried out from the position "on duty at the airfield (aircraft carrier)" or "on duty in the air". An independent search for the enemy in the air can also be used.Interception from the position "on duty at the airfield" is considered the most optimal in terms of expenditure of forces and means. It is recommended to use it when fighters have time to take off, get close to the target and destroy it on the outskirts of the 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 were on round-the-clock duty at airfields. They can be in 5- or 15-minute readiness to take off (5- and 10-minute readiness is set for British fighter-interceptor crews on duty).
Interception from the “air watch” position consists in the fact that when an air enemy appears, fighters from the watch zones go towards him and attack him.
Air watch is organized if the fighters do not have time to intercept the enemy at a given line from the “airfield watch” position, or for some reason it is impossible to obtain timely information about him.
The crews conduct an independent search for the enemy with the help of on-board radar equipment and visually. The search is usually organized in those areas and at those heights of the airspace 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 the interception, the control centers direct the fighter to the target until it is detected or captured by the airborne radar. After that, the fighter crew attacks the target independently, taking up the appropriate position and observing the launch range of the missile defense system or firing from cannons.
The start of the attack depends on the detection and target 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 missiles, the maximum range is 15 km, and for - 25 km) .
According to foreign experts, an enemy aircraft can be attacked: from the tail, in front, from a traverse or on a collision course. The choice of the direction of attack depends on many factors, and above all 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 following example was given in the foreign press of the execution of a training task by the crew of an F-106 aircraft to intercept an air target flying at high altitude at subsonic speed (Fig. 2)
Rice. 2. Scheme of interception (on the opposite course) of an air target flying at high altitude (1 and 2 - beams of the airborne radar during the review and capture of the target, an explanation of other designations is given in the text)
Having found and identified the air "enemy" (Fig. 2, a), the control center transmitted commands to take off the fighters (Fig. 2, b). The takeoff of the aircraft, armed with two AIM-4F Falcon missiles, took place in afterburner mode. At a speed of 350 km / h, the interceptor broke away from the runway. The afterburner was turned off at a speed of 460 km / h. Then, having reached a speed of 750 km/h, the aircraft began to quickly climb (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). Further, commands to the aircraft were received via a telemetry line. The on-board indicator constantly displayed data (heading, airspeed, altitude), which the pilot was guided to bring the aircraft to the “enemy” (target). At the same time, the pilot received information about him (course, speed, altitude, as well as the distance to him and azimuth).
On the map display, the pilot saw the position of his aircraft relative to the target and determined the method of interception. When the target mark was at the appropriate height and range, the pilot removed the fuse of the weapon control system, selected the appropriate radar field of view and directed the antenna at the air "enemy" (Fig. 2.e), which was flying on a head-on course at an altitude of 12000 m it was 50 km). The attack was carried out using the "Snap-up" method, which provides for a quick approach to the "enemy" with its subsequent attack 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 center line of the aircraft, the airborne radar captured it (Fig. 2, f). After that, 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 about 22 km from the "enemy" (its excess over the attacking aircraft was not reported in the foreign press), the interceptor began to enter the missile launch line. The direction to the target was maintained by combining the command index with the central mark of the indicator. The aircraft was transferred to 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 rocket automatically left the rails (Fig. 2g). A signal appeared on the indicator, announcing that the rocket had launched. Then the aircraft performed a maneuver to disengage from the attack (Fig. 2, h). The return of the fighter-interceptor to the air base also took place on commands from the control center.
If the air "enemy" interfered during the attack, then the pilot turned on the onboard radar in the jamming tracking mode and the station re-captured 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 for them is takeoff in afterburner mode, rapid approach to the target and fast 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 zones of duty in the air (behind the rear border of the zones of destruction by fire from missiles of the first lane); the second - from airfields from five-minute readiness (100-120 km from the front line); the third - from 15 minute readiness. In this case, the guidance of the group to the air target will be carried out according to the leader.
combat training
NATO command pays great attention to improving the combat readiness of fighter-interceptor crews. To this end, regular inspections of aviation units and air defense units are carried out, competitions and exercises are organized.For everyday training, F-106 interceptor fighters, for example, use the training ground at Tyndall Air Force Base (Florida). Each squadron of these aircraft annually conducts aerial firing there for a week. In addition, daily aircraft crews conduct training interceptions of targets flying at high and low altitudes using RPD equipment.
The NATO command, in addition to individual pilot training, organizes annual exercises during which the tasks of air defense of troops and facilities are solved by fighter aircraft. For example, in 1974 such exercises were Crack Force and.
The pilots of the duty fighter aviation of the Russian air defense in recent months have literally been living in the sky. NATO planes 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 due to the professionalism and composure of Russian fighter pilots. About what constitutes an air interception according to all the rules of aviation tactics - in the material of RIA Novosti.
Information confrontation between large states can often put a routine, in general, 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 "shaken" by jets of powerful Su-30 engines, after which the purely "peaceful" board preferred not to mess with the "bully" and got away.
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 aircraft of the air defense forces of the Southern Military District flew to intercept it.
The Su-30 approached the Poseidon, circled the aircraft, determined its type and nationality. After that, both aircraft went about their business - the R-8A headed for a distance from Russian borders, and the Su-30 returned to the airbase. In principle, it is difficult to call this event even an interception - they “greeted” and fled.
"Gentleman's" signals
As military experts and civilian analysts have repeatedly stated, the main goal of NATO reconnaissance flights near the Russian borders is to test the strength of air defense forces. How quickly they react, where they are located, what complexes are represented.
HQS respond to each such "visit" as quickly as possible.
First, other countries do not need to have such important information.
Secondly, to rebuff a military aircraft defiantly heading towards the border of a sovereign state is a matter of prestige and principle.
Thirdly, it is not known what order the pilot of the potential intruder received. So, his 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 taken for escort,” Major General, Honored Military Pilot of Russia Vladimir Popov told RIA Novosti. - The duty fighter approaches the target and goes with it in a parallel course. The main task at this stage is to identify the intruder aircraft.
Next, the interceptor transmits the primary information to the "ground": type of aircraft, nationality, tail number. Immediately after this, the fighter pilot begins to actively attract the attention of a suspicious aircraft - it is necessary to show that he is under surveillance.
The pilot, continuing to move in 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 unequivocally demonstrates air-to-air missiles mounted on hangers under the wings.
If the intruder does not react in any way, the fighter, maintaining the previous course, increases its speed and moves slightly forward in order to be guaranteed to be in the visibility zone of the crew of its “counterpart”.
When the pilot is convinced that he is being observed, then by turning the control knob he makes a delicate “nod” away from the state border, hinting that it is time for the stray guest to know the honor.
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, "gentleman's" signals.
“In most cases, our pilots have no connection with NATO aircraft,” Popov stressed. - We can't talk to the intruder pilot because we don't usually know his radio frequency.
But if we know, then, of course, we continuously “bombard” the ether with messages about the inadmissibility of his behavior and strongly recommend that he change course. In Syria, by the way, Russian and American aviation, at the very least, coordinate their actions and have a common communication channel.
This avoids potential air accidents. But such cooperation today is a rarity.”
Violence or breakage
Over the past three or four years, the situation in the sky has become more tense. At the initiative of NATO, many programs for the interaction of 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 adjacent to Russia (for example, in the Baltic states), now they prefer to remain silent about them. Moreover, NATO has significantly increased the number of border air operations.
“We do not know in advance who, what and why is sniffing out at our borders,” the major general believes. - Maybe the board is flying by, maybe it has a breakdown. Or perhaps he is specifically 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 the Saturday events on faith, then it was their Poseidon who “rude” them. If our Su-30 really "cut" the R-8A and patted it with its jets, it means that the "anti-submarine" brazenly ignored all the previous "gentleman's" signals.
And the fighter pilot had to get the attention of the Poseidon in a more aggressive way. I can admit that the American side was moving at a slight angle towards our border, so the Russian pilot could have decided on such a maneuver.”
If the intruder is not a timid one and does not frighten him with turbulence, the interceptor “cuts” him again. In parallel, he can request the help of another machine.
Next, two fighters take the reconnaissance aircraft into pincers and escort it from two sides. If the intruder still crosses the border even under such an escort, the interceptors begin to force him to land on a Russian airfield with accurate but unambiguous maneuvers.
The second variant of the development of events - the fighter pilot can show a "yellow card" and open fire along the intruder's flight path from a cannon, as well as a live or flare.
This is both a clear threat and the last attempt to attract attention to yourself: “Where are you going ?! Turn around immediately!" According to Vladimir Popov, similar situations in the 50s of the last century on the borders of the USSR arose regularly.
“I want to emphasize that today such a development of events is a rarity,” the lieutenant general said. - Pilots of most countries fly politely and still do not cross the border. Provoke, yes. But they know when to stop.
Another point: it is very important to understand that even a military aircraft may experience a failure of radio equipment and navigation systems. And he's in distress, but unable to signal. In this case, we politely "plant" him with us, and subsequently let him go home.
Viktor Popov recalled how a Russian plane ended up 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 a loss of orientation. Having exhausted the supply of fuel, the pilot ejected. It turned out that he mistakenly ended up on the territory of Lithuania. The fighter plane 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 specialists that the plane crossed the border unintentionally. However, this incident provoked a scandal in Lithuania when it turned out that the "invasion" of the Russian "drying" went unnoticed by the national air defense.
Last Argument
Nevertheless, we must not forget that border incidents in the air can end much more tragically.
“A fighter pilot has to open fire to kill only if a foreign aircraft violated the airspace, did not react in any way to previous signals and refuses to follow the convoy,” explains Vladimir Popov.
The pilot requests "land" and, if he receives the appropriate order, shoots down the target. The most striking example: on November 28, 1973, an RF-4C Iranian Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, piloted by Iranian and American pilots, invaded Soviet airspace from Turkey through Armenia and Georgia.
In the region of Georgia, our MiG-21SM fighter flew to intercept under the control of Captain Gennady Eliseev. He had two missiles. He launched one along the flight path of the enemy aircraft as a warning.
He didn't turn away. Eliseev hit the second missile to kill, but she lost her target in the clouds. And the gun jammed.
An order came from the ground to stop the enemy at any cost. It was not known what equipment and armament the intruder was carrying and what its purpose was. And Eliseev decided on the last argument. He took the enemy to the ram, hitting his plane from below. The Soviet captain was killed, and the crew of the RF-4C ejected and was captured on the ground. Later they were exchanged for our scouts.
This case is the first air ramming on a supersonic aircraft in the history of aviation. Western pilots prowling along the Russian borders today should remember him more often.
