Russians stray into US Airspace 280nm off the east coast

[dk1213]

SAC radar picked up 7-9 unidentified targets in formation 280nm off the coast of Massachusetts over the Atlantic Ocean @ 7:54 Eastern/Pacific time on October 7, 2013. The targets were straying in and out of US airspace. The 104th Fighter Wing was notified. Three F-15's armed with sidewinder and sparrow missles stationed at Barnes Regional Airport on QRA were immediately scrambled to identify and intercept the threat.


8:04pm 3 F-15's take off in full afterburner screaming from Barnes Regional Airport, and within minutes were on target.


8:16pm Identifying the target, (1) Tu-95 Russian long range strategic bomber, (6) Su-27 Russian Air Force strike fighter jets in loose formation, (2)Tu-22m tactical bombers and (1) Su-24 Fencer tactical bomber. Radio contact was made, the target formation is enroute to an undisclosed training area in the South Atlantic Ocean. No hostile action intended.

The Su-27's break formation, go into afterburner and turn on a vector out of US airspace given by the F-15's, the Tu-95 climbs and maintains course, and the tactical bombers all roll out accepting immediate vectors out of US airspace.





F-15's continue to escort the Tu-95 and 2 Su-27 fighters on their vector out of US airspace, once the Russian planes were outside US airspace the F-15's broke off and headed for a waiting tanker for refuel and returned back to Barnes Regional Airport. No further radar contact was made.

[BadPvtDan]

Very nice.

[gsnde]

I especially like the light in pics 3, 4 and 6, Dan.

[aerogator]

You never cease to amaze us Danny...

[Joecoastie]

PvtDan;

I'm sitting here really LOL. Of course you know I tried that. Old fingers just can't do it.
And you other 63 viewers . . . . . admit it . . . . you tried, too.

And Dan K . . . . . Your intercept pics are neat!

[BadPvtDan]

I can't do it either.

[dk1213]

Thanks guys, I have SO many pics that I never did anything with and now that my flight sticks are on their way back from California i soon will be in the air again. I hope to get some more up soon. Thanks for the compliments guys, those weren't even the nicest of the ones to come, I thought the night made them look like crap a little.

[eli]

Bravo. Very nice.

The 104th was going to be operating out of Westover and Otis starting this past summer and were expected to be back at Barnes by the end of the year. Are they back yet?

http://www.104fw.ang.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123350618

Again, nice work!

[dk1213]

Not sure but I have the unit split between both bases. Mike (MIKE JG) and Chris (Victory 103) usually know where everything is in real life for the Air Force and Navy, maybe they will chime in. I think Mike did a post earlier in the year showing all of the changes for real world units. I know there were a number of changes he did address, which made Lemoore NAS jammed! I try to stay on top of it, I think somebody here knows of a website that you can see where the units are all stationed at, hopefully they will get in on this thread for us, start another one, or add to the previous one he started. I will PM him, but the link below is good through Sep 3, 2013 for alot of units.

Here is one link to the post: Subject: Real World Changes to MAIW packages

Did some research and the 104th is operating out of primarily out of Barnes ANG base, but they do use Otis ANGB for different exercises depending on what is going on at Barnes. There are C-17, C-5, and KC-135's operating out of Otis, but it looks like the fighter wing is at Barnes primarily.

[eli]

Move to Westfield and Otis just temporary while Barnes airfield is being worked on. I just didn't know if they had moved back to Barnes yet.

[eli]

Excuse me, Westover and Otis.

[delbydoo]

Excuse me, Westover and Otis.

You're excused