North Korea Tried to Force Plane to Land?

[PornoDoggy]

http://nytimes.com/2003/03/08/internationa...sia/08KORE.html

WASHINGTON, March 7 — The North Korean fighter jets that intercepted an unarmed American spy plane over the Sea of Japan last weekend were trying to force the aircraft to land in North Korea and take its crew hostage, a senior defense official said today.

One of the four North Korean MIG's came within 50 feet of the American plane, an Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft, and the pilot made internationally recognized hand signals to the American flight crew to follow him, presumably back to his home base, the official said.

The American crew members ignored the gesture commands, aborted the surveillance mission in international airspace about 150 miles off the North Korean coast, and returned safely to their home base at Kadena Air Base in Japan.
...
Pentagon officials have acknowledged they were caught off guard by the intercept on Saturday night — Sunday morning in Korea — and did not scramble American fighters during the 22 minutes the North Korean jets tailed the four-engine Air Force reconnaissance plane. North Korea's air force is so strapped for fuel and spare parts, its pilots fly only about 13 hours of training missions a year, and rarely stray from their home skies.

Hello? Helllll-o?? What kind of morons are running the show over there? How in the hell could they be caught off guard will all the bullshit that's been going on lately? It is the Air Force ... maybe it happened during Happy Hour at the club? :angry:

Yes, I know it's being reported in the horrible NY Times, but I spent a little time in the military, and I've been wondering why there had been no mention of a fighter scramble over this incident. Thank god the crew ignored them (which was somewhat dangerous to do) and came home safely. I sure as hell hope this woke some people up.



Last edited by PornoDoggy at Mar 7 2003, 11:23 PM

[Carrie]

It *did* say they were still in international waters, I suppose the MIG pilots were just hoping that an unarmed plane would be scared and comply. There's no way they would've actually shot it down over international waters with what's going on.

[PornoDoggy]

That Chinese pilot who smacked into the EP3 last year gets a degree of training comprable to what our pilots do, and that's a little more than 13 hours a year. And while you can think "There's no way they would've actually shot it down over international waters with what's going on", anybody in a uniform with more responsiblity than sweeping a barracks floor better not be making that assumption - or they sure as hell don't want anyone who thinks like this liberal on the Board of Inquiry.

Nobody would think those guys would sieze a U.S. Navy ship in international waters, either, and they did - and while the world has changed substantially in the 30+ years since that happened, time moves a little slower in North Korea.

[Carrie]

True, true.
Just because they're international waters and shooting our plane down would bring a hellstorm of fury doesn't mean they won't do it.
Especially if it's some gung-ho pilot looking to make a name for himself.
When I expect someone to follow the rules like that, I have to stop and remind myself that the reason we're *in* this mess is because of people not following "the rules". (Insert smiley here smacking himself on the head with a large hammer.)

[cj]

time moves a little slower in North Korea.
----

its still 30 years worth of grudges, that bit doesn't seem to have moved slowly

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by PornoDoggy@Mar 7 2003, 11:13 PM
One of the four North Korean MIG's came within 50 feet of the American plane, an Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft, and the pilot made internationally recognized hand signals to the American flight crew to follow him, presumably back to his home base, the official said.

I wonder which hand signal the American pilot used back?

[slavdogg]

Originally posted by Carrie@Mar 8 2003, 01:25 AM
Especially if it's some gung-ho pilot looking to make a name for himself.

gung-ho ??

i believe his name is sum-dum-dog

[slavdogg]

Originally posted by Carrie@Mar 8 2003, 12:20 AM
There's no way they would've actually shot it down over international waters with what's going on.

yeah they would, they're that stupid
you're giving them too much credit Carrie

[Sword]

Originally posted by Colin@Mar 8 2003, 06:41 AM
I wonder which hand signal the American pilot used back?

EXACTLY what I was thinking!

I'd bet my left nut, no make that your left nut, they flipped the koreans the bird every time they signalled them to land. Hopefully that signal is internationally recognized as well.

:P

[PornoDoggy]

When you are on an aircraft that has all of the defensive capabilities of a typical civilian Cesna or 767, you probably don't make hand gestures at armed aircraft regardless of the provocation - at least, not when they can see you. That is, unless you are very stupid.

You invoke the only defensive weapon you have ("Yo - God - me here; yeah, it's been a while, but I got a situation here..."), you fly straight and true and you get the hell out of there. You then make use of the head and try and get your hands to appear steady.

I cannot say what the Air Force practice is; I cannot say what contemporary practices are. That would have been how the Navy handled it in the Med off the coast of Libya. It is also how it was handled in the Black Sea, which certain nations got a little testy about people flying over.



Last edited by PornoDoggy at Mar 8 2003, 09:50 AM