N. Korean Jets Intercept U.S. Spy Plane

[AZTOY]

N. Korean Jets Intercept U.S. Spy Plane
1 hour, 28 minutes ago

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON - North Korean fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane over the Sea of Japan and one used its radar in a manner that indicated it might attack, U.S. officials said Monday.


Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said it was the first such incident since August 1969 when a North Korean plane shot down a U.S. EC-121 surveillance plane, killing 31 Americans.


The latest incident happened Sunday morning, Korean time, and there was no hostile fire, Davis said.


Four North Korean planes "shadowed" the American plane over international waters for about 20 minutes before breaking off, he said.


Two North Korean MiG29 fighters and two other aircraft that Davis said appeared to be MiG23 fighters intercepted the Air Force RC-135S reconnaissance plane, which Davis said was conducting a routine intelligence mission over the Sea of Japan about 150 miles off North Korea (news - web sites)'s coast.


The closest the fighters came was about 50 feet, Davis said.


He did not know whether there was any communication between the North Korean and American crews.


At one point one of the fighters "locked on" to the U.S. plane with its fire-support radar, Davis said. This is an action that would indicate a possible intent to fire, although in this case there was no hostile fire.


The U.S. plane broke off its mission and returned to its home station at Kadena Air Base in Japan, Davis said.


The incident happened amid heightened tensions between the United States and North Korea. The two countries have no formal diplomatic relations, and North Korea frequently complains that joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises are a prelude to a U.S.-led invasion.


The U.S. Air Force regularly flies U-2 spy plane missions to monitor North Korea's military, including its nuclear facilities.




http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030303/ap_on_re_as/us_north_korea_6 :banghead: :banghead:

 

[Russ]

Depite the concerns China expresses, they could easily put a stop to the little munchin Kim Jong Il and his big talk. I think China would like nothing better than to control the entire Far East. That means North and South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. That's why they don't put a stop to that little rodent dictator in North Korea.

 

[AZTOY]

MiG locks weapons radar onto Air Force jet, which lands safely

From Barbara Starr and Mike Mount
CNN
Monday, March 3, 2003 Posted: 5:05 PM EST (2205 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted over the Sea of Japan on Sunday by four armed North Korean MiG fighter jets, one of which locked its weapons-targeting radar onto the U.S. plane, U.S. military sources said.

At least two of the planes were MiG-29s. The two other fighters were thought to be MiG-23s.

U.S. military sources said Monday that the Air Force plane was in international airspace about 150 miles [240 kilometers] off the Korean peninsula when the MiGs approached and flew alongside for 20 minutes, at some points coming within less than 400 feet of the U.S. plane.

The RC-135 is a modified version of the military C-135 cargo plane, which is based on the Boeing 707 commercial airliner.

The Air Force plane returned to its base in Okinawa, Japan, without incident. U.S. officials say it was the first incident of a U.S. plane being intercepted by North Korean aircraft in more than 30 years.

The previous incident occurred in 1969, when a North Korean fighter shot down a U.S. EC-121 reconnaissance aircraft over the Sea of Japan, killing more than 30 U.S. airmen, according to a Pentagon official.

Tension has been rising on the Korean Peninsula since North Korea disclosed in October that it had renewed efforts to develop nuclear weapons it swore off in a 1994 agreement.

Last week, North Korea fired a short-range missile at sea during naval exercises, and on Friday, Japanese newspapers reported that Pyongyang had tested a rocket booster for its Taepo Dong ballistic missile at a launch site on the country's east coast in January.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/03/nkorea.intercept/index.html

 

[rock jock]

I have to say that I fail to see any logic in NK's progressively antagonistic position with the US. It simply doesn't make any sense. They are like a little toy poodle trying to pick a fight with a 200 lb great dane. Yeah, they might get in a lick or two, but the outcome is all but guaranteed - they will be utterly decimated.

 

[Phyphor]

Too bad they didn't have a few Hornets bird dogging those sons-of-... Let's see how THEY like live weapons locked onto their sorry

Does anyone know what they did about that 'spy plane' the NK's shot down in the 60s?

(I saw this referred to on www.msn.com, earlier.. )

 

[Waitone]

Thump Sadaam's ear and Maximum Leader Kim jumps.

Ain't it curious?

Conventional wisdom says Al Qaeda will strike the west as soon as the US strikes Iraq.

I'm beginning to believe Maximum Leader Kim will do something really stupid when the US hits Iraq. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[Frohickey]

Kim Jong Il and his puppet-masters in China are betting that the United States can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

I believe what Rumsfeld said back in Dec 2002... "We're capable of winning decisively in one and swiftly defeating in the case of the other," he said. "Let there be no doubt about it."

Under the most recent QDR approved by Mr. Rumsfeld, the military is required to be able to defeat and occupy a foreign power while nearly simultaneously winning a war against a second foe.

 

[Blackhawk]

Since the EC135 AC/MC/GC aborted the mission due to the provocation, NK is going to be more likely to do future intercepts way beyond its territorial limits.

Wanna bet that the EC135s have rotating escorts, hot and ready...?

 

[Bahadur]

rock jock:

I have to say that I fail to see any logic in NK's progressively antagonistic position with the US. It simply doesn't make any sense. They are like a little toy poodle trying to pick a fight with a 200 lb great dane. Yeah, they might get in a lick or two, but the outcome is all but guaranteed - they will be utterly decimated.

The North Korean "policy" makes a perfect sense. It is trying its best to cut a better deal with the US while the latter is occupied with Iraq.

Frohickey:

Kim Jong Il and his puppet-masters in China are betting that the United States can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

While China does exert considerable influence on North Korea, it is hardly the "puppet-master" behind North Korea.

The North Koreans have been very adept at playing the Russians and Chinese against each other to gain maximum benefit for themselves. They also have a policy called Juche, which means "self-reliance." This isn't to be taken literally (i.e. in material terms, which they clearly are not), but politically.

I believe what Rumsfeld said back in Dec 2002... "We're capable of winning decisively in one and swiftly defeating in the case of the other," he said. "Let there be no doubt about it."

Rhetoric is one thing, reality is another. Our current ability to handle two near-simultaneous major regional contingencies (MRCs) is untested.

Blackhawk:

Since the EC135 AC/MC/GC aborted the mission due to the provocation, NK is going to be more likely to due future intercepts way beyond its territorial limits.

Wanna bet that the EC135s have rotating escorts, hot and ready...?

Supposedly, the North Korean jets closed to 50 feet (!) of our aircraft. The next time they try something similar, I say we shoot it down and see what the North Korean reaction is. We can see very quickly, then, whether they are bluffing or mean business.

 

[Blackhawk]

Supposedly, the North Korean jets closed to 50 feet (!) of our aircraft. The next time they try something similar, I say we shoot it down and see what the North Korean reaction is. We can see very quickly, then, whether they are bluffing or mean business.

I'll bet that "next time" any of the NKs turn on their weapons radar during an intercept, all of them will turn into fireballs.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I'm beginning to believe Maximum Leader Kim will do something really stupid when the US hits Iraq. Hope I'm wrong.

So am I.

Big talk from the North now but someone is gonna get provoked into a an incident and all hells gonna break loose.

Hottest its been on this peninsula since the end of the war in the 50's.

 

[WilderBill]

Keep in mind that it didn't end.

It was only put on hold by a cease fire that came about when Ike was elected and came out and stated that he was willing to use any means nesessary to win.

I was wondering earlier today what would have happened if MacAurther had still been in command when Ike was inaugerated.
There might have been a crater where Korea is, but we wouldn't be facing them now.

I wonder if Dubya is gonna dust off Ike's speach and remind them that we have changed president several times since then, but haven't changed policies with regard to NK?

 

[mrt]

The US is tucking tail and running...our military *needs to exercise force with NK. i.e. once those migs broke off from our reconnaissance place we should of shot them down...this was too close...our service men could of got shot down.

this whole thing with NK is not good...I believe China is still with NK just like in the Korean War.
Fly sorties into NK and blow up their nuclear facilities before every terrorist group has the bomb...from suitcase nukes to the big one.

We can't "wait around"...look the world does not care about US security....this is perhaps more crucial then Iraq. lets end it.

 

[Sergeant Bob]

The US is tucking tail and running...our military *needs to exercise force with NK. i.e. once those migs broke off from our reconnaissance place we should of shot them down...this was too close...our service men could of got shot down.

The EC-135 had no fighter escort and their was probably nothing close enough to scramble in time to intercept. I expect the situation will be different next time.

 

[Thumper]

Lennyjoe...How many days "and a wake up" do you have left before you head back?

Bet it's getting kinda hairy over there.

 

[M1911]

Remember that line in the movie "Red October" when the character played by Fred Thompson said "This situation will get out of control..."

That's my concern. NK is playing a very dangerous game of brinksmanship. They made Clinton blink without having to rattle their sabers very much at all. Bush is not blinking. This could get altogether much too interesting.

 

[dance varmint]

I'm curious if this will involve the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its battle group, which just sailed from San Diego on Monday, ostensibly for the Persian Gulf (where we have five carriers already). The way NK is jacking around, it could have a different priority when it gets across the Pacific.

 

[Jack T.]

Tom Clancy had a good quote in one of his books for this situation ( with appologies to the mods )

"Their d**** aren't big enough to get in a pissing contest with us"

 

[Gewehr98]

It wasn't an EC-135...

It was an RC-135S:

http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/cobra_ball.htm

 

[Lennyjoe]

Lennyjoe...How many days "and a wake up" do you have left before you head back?

89 days and a wake up. Dont know if its gonna happen though. Alot of talk about keeping us in place due to the crap going on over here.

With the Nimitz and the Kitty Hawk gone they're aint much left to help us over here. Hopefully it dont come to that but the fuze is about to be lit. Someone is gonna make a bad move and all hell is gonna break loose.

Bet it's getting kinda hairy over there

You could say that. Even the South Koreans are talking about the tension.

 

[Thumper]

Yeah...the powers that be initiated "Stop Movement" orders the last time we played in the Arabian desert. No one overseas in a critical role went anywhere, unless it was to Saudi.

Good luck on your 89 and a wake up, though...where are your orders to?

Keep your head down.