Monday, November 14, 2011

Su-27 Flanker

A Russian SU-27 fighter flies alongside Fencing 1220, the target of interest for Exercise VIGILANT EAGLE, Aug. 8. VIGILANT EAGLE is a cooperative exercise involving the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Russian Air Force. The exercise scenario creates a situation that requires both the Russian Air Force and NORAD to launch or divert fighter aircraft to investigate and follow a "hijacked" airliner. The exercise focuses on shadowing and the cooperative hand-off of the monitored aircraft between fighters of the participating nations. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Mike Humphreys)

Su-27 Flanker

A Russian SU-27 fighter escorts Fencing 1220, a Gulfstream 4 simulating a hijacked airliner, over the Kamchatka Peninsula as part of Exercise VIGILANT EAGLE Aug. 8. VIGILANT EAGLE is a cooperative exercise involving the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Russian Air Force. The exercise scenario creates a situation that requires both the Russian Air Force and NORAD to launch or divert fighter aircraft to investigate and follow a "hijacked" airliner. The exercise focuses on shadowing and the cooperative hand-off of the monitored aircraft between fighters of the participating nations. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Mike Humphreys)

Su-27 Flanker

An SU-27 fighter moves into position to escort a simulated hijacked airliner during the second day of flying for Exercise Vigilant Eagle Aug. 9, 2011. Russian fighters followed and monitored the aircraft while it was in Russian airspace, handing it over to U.S. F-15 fighters from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, when it entered U.S. airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher)

Su-27 Flanker

A Russian Federation Air Force SU-27 pilot observes the movements of a simulated hijacked airliner during the second day of flying for Exercise Vigilant Eagle Aug. 9, 2011. Russian fighters followed and monitored the aircraft while it was in Russian airspace, handing it over to U.S. F-15 fighters from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, when it entered U.S. airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher)

Su-27 Flanker

A pair of SU-27 fighters escorts a simulated hijacked airliner during the second day of flying for Exercise Vigilant Eagle Aug. 9, 2011. The Russian fighters followed and monitored the aircraft while it was in Russian airspace, handing it over to U.S. F-15 fighters from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, when it entered U.S. airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher)

Su-27 Flanker

A pair of SU-27 fighters escorts a simulated hijacked airliner during the second day of flying for Exercise Vigilant Eagle Aug. 9, 2011. The Russian fighters followed and monitored the aircraft while it was in Russian airspace, handing it over to U.S. F-15 fighters from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, when it entered U.S. airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher)

Su-27 Flanker

A pair of Russian Federation Air Force SU-27 Flanker fighters takes off during Exercise Vigilant Shield Aug. 8. Fighters from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, and Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, participated in the second-ever joint anti-terrorism exercise centered around a simulated hijacked airliner. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher)

A-50

A Russian Federation Air Force A-50 airborne warning and control aircraft takes off to participate in Exercise Vigilant Eagle Aug. 8. Fighters and warning and control aircraft from the U.S. and Russia participated in the second Vigilant Eagle joint anti-terrorism exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher)