Vigilant Eagle continues closer U.S.-Russian cooperation

WASHINGTON (AFPS) -- Beginning Aug. 27, fighter jets from the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Russian air force will scramble to track and intercept "hijacked" aircraft during an air defense exercise viewed as a steppingstone toward closer military-to-military cooperation in additional areas.

 

Vigilant Eagle 13 kicked off Aug. 26, with scenarios that present the United States, Canada and Russia with a common enemy: terrorist hijackers, Joseph Bonnet, director of joint training and exercises for NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, said during a telephone interview with American Forces Press Service.

 

The exercise is the fifth in a series, based on a 2003 agreement between the sitting U.S. and Russian presidents to strengthen the two militaries' relationship and their ability to work together. The threat of international hijackers served as a foundation to help advance that effort, resulting in an exercise program that addresses a recognized threat, Bonnet explained.

 

Vigilant Eagle began in 2008 as a command post exercise. At Russia's request, it now alternates between CPXs that test out principles and procedures in a computer-based setting and "live-fly" exercises that apply those principles and procedures the following year.

 

This year's exercise is the third in the series to incorporate actual aircraft, Bonnet reported. A Russian Tupolev and a commercial aircraft contracted by the United States will simulate commercial airliners seized by terrorists. The U.S. Air Force's Airborne Warning and Control System and Russia's A-50 Beriev will serve as command-and-control platforms.

 

Live fighter jets -- Canadian CF-18 Hornets and Russian Sukhois -- will track, identify, intercept and follow the hijacked aircraft, and both Canada and Russia will conduct air-to-air refueling operations. The Canadian air force has been integral to past Vigilant Eagle exercises, but is contributing aircraft for the first time this year, Bonnet said.

 

In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration and its Russian equivalent are participating.

 

The scenario involves two "hijacked" commercial aircraft that challenge participants on the ground and in the sky to provide a coordinated response, Bonnet explained. The first flight, to originate tomorrow from Anchorage, Alaska, will travel into Russian airspace. The following day, a Russian aircraft will take off from Anadyr, Russia, toward U.S. airspace.

 

When the aircraft fail to respond to communications, NORAD, the U.S.-Canada command that safeguards U.S. skies under Operation Noble Eagle, and the Russian air force will move into action. Both will launch or divert fighter jets to investigate and follow the suspect aircraft headed toward each other's airspace. At that point, they will hand off the missions to each other to complete.

 

Working together in Anchorage and Anadyr and at the NORAD headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., participants will cooperate in escort and handoff procedures using two distinct communications, command-and-control and air traffic control systems, Bonnet said.

 

Vigilant Eagle has become more ambitious and valuable with each iteration, Bonnet said, noting that this year's exercise will be no different.

 

"This is the culmination of everything that has gone on in previous exercises, and we expect it to continue to mature," he said. "Like us, the Russian Federation air force is eager to expand the scope and complexity of the exercise, and to look into other areas," such as related search-and-rescue and airfield operations.

 

Bonnet called continuation of Vigilant Eagle, particularly at a time when budget costs have caused the cancellation of many other exercises, a success in itself. With fewer than 100 people directly involved from the United States, Vigilant Eagle offers tremendous "bang for the buck," he said.

 

"This is a small, relatively inexpensive exercise with a huge payoff," he said. "It doesn't cost any of the countries a lot of money, but it is building things that have immediate value for all of them. When you have procedures and a means of communicating information between both sides, that has a lot of value."

 

Another big success, Bonnet said, is that the exercise has transcended leadership changes both in the United States and in Russia, as well as recent political tensions between them.

 

Both countries recognize the importance of continued cooperation to keep their international borders safe, he said.

 

"It is one of the biggest single areas where the Russian Federation, U.S. and Canada can truly cooperate," he said. "All three countries share a common objective in thwarting, combating and cooperating against terrorism."

 

As their militaries work together to confront terrorist hijackers, Bonnet said, they are laying the foundation for future cooperation in other areas.

 

"What we are trying to do is continually build and expand the exercise and use this as a basis for moving the relationship forward," he said. "That, to me, is the biggest value of Vigilant Eagle."

 

'Vigilant Eagle' Tests NORAD, Russian Response

By Army Maj. Mike Humphreys, North American Aerospace Defense Command

An automated female voice commands over onboard speakers, "Traffic! Traffic! Descend! Descend!" as a North American Aerospace Defense Command F-22 fighter approaches the right wing of the track of interest.

Five minutes after take-off from Anchorage en route to the Far East, Fencing 1220 -- a Gulfstream 4 simulating a Boeing 757 commercial jetliner -- squawked an emergency to ground controllers, spurring action from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Department and kicking off exercise Vigilant Eagle, the first joint counter air-terrorism exercise between NORAD and the Russian air force.

"What we are practicing today is communication procedures between NORAD, plus U.S. civilian air traffic control agencies and our Russian counterparts so that we can pass on information to them about air terrorism events to allow them to posture their forces to respond in kind," said Canadian Forces Col. Todd Balfe, Alaska NORAD Region deputy commander.

Once the FAA was notified of the trouble on Fencing 1220, they requested assistance from NORAD, which assigned an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control platform to the track of interest and diverted two F-22 fighters to intercept, Balfe said. Because of the aircraft's planned route, which would take it over Russian airspace, it was necessary to notify Russian air traffic controllers and the Russian military.

At a predetermined location halfway across the Pacific Ocean, the NORAD E-3, in direct communication with its Russian equivalent, an A-50 Mainstay, handed over control. Moments later, a deep Russian baritone bellowed, "Fencing One-Two-Two-Zero," over the aircraft's radio, and two SU-27 Russian fighters joined the pursuit close enough to see the sun reflecting off the pilot's visor.

The feeling on board Fencing 1220 was one of collective awe as former Cold War opponents witnessed the fruit of years of planning and joint effort, but the scenario has all too real implications.

"This exercise is very beneficial to North America and to Russia," said Col. Alexander Vasilyev, deputy director of security and safety for the Russian air force. "There has never been an exercise like this before.

"Terrorism is something that affects all our countries," he continued, "so it is very important that we work together to develop procedures and bring the relationship between our countries closer together to unite our countries in the fight against terrorism."

Back in Alaska, members of the 176th Air Control Squadron worked with Russian officers as exercise controllers, making sure all the appropriate processes and procedures were carried out.

Air Force Master Sgt. Doug Patchin, 176th ACS, said he believes Vigilant Eagle is a ground-breaking event that could be emulated by other commands. "This exercise is phenomenal," he said. "The hope is that everyone walks away from the exercise with a common understanding of what communication procedures would be used in a real-world crisis."

Balfe described Vigilant Eagle as a momentous exercise and a watershed event.

"We are trying to transition our relationships militarily from a period of confrontation in the Cold War to a period of cooperation, and there is no better mission for NORAD to partner with our Russian counterparts than on the air terrorism mission," he said. "Regardless of other geopolitical events, we all agree that air terrorism is something we want to prevent, deter and, if necessary, defeat."

After six hours of tracking by ground controllers in the United States and Russia and aerial surveillance by U.S. and Russian airborne warning and control platforms and fighter aircraft, Fencing 1220 safely landed in the Far East to be handed over to authorities.

NORAD Plans Exercise With Russian Air Force

Editor Note: HF Monitors on the West Coast (MWARA freqs) and VHF/UHF monitors in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest might want to keep a sharp ear out for this unique exercise next week. Since AWACS aircraft are involved also watch the USAF HF-GCS and Canadian MACS freqs for AWACS traffic. Check this blog for the HF-GCS freqs and Peter Ivakitsch's Canadian Aeronautical Communications Website at http://www.canairradio.com/canforce.html for MACS frequencies .

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - The Russian air force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct their first cooperative air defense exercise, NORAD officials announced.

Russia's Federal Air Navigational Service and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also will be involved in the exercise, officials said, along with the military air operations centers at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Khabarovsk, Russia.

The exercise, named Vigilant Eagle, will take place next week, and it involves Russian, Canadian and U.S. personnel operating from command centers in Russia and the United States. It's authorized under a cooperative military agreement that tasks NORAD -- a binational U.S. and Canadian command -- and the Russian air force to conduct a "live-fly" exercise for up to five days, officials said.

It will consist of two international flights: one originating in Alaska and traveling to the Far East, followed by one originating in the Far East and traveling to Alaska. Both flights will follow the same route, officials said.

In the exercise scenario, a U.S.-flagged commercial air carrier on an international flight has been taken over by terrorists, and the crew will not respond to communications. The scenario creates a situation that requires both the Russian air force and NORAD to launch or divert fighter aircraft to investigate and follow the airliner.

The exercise will focus on shadowing and the cooperative hand-off of the monitored aircraft between fighters of the participating nations, officials explained.

Airborne warning and control aircraft from Russia and the United States will be involved, along with fighter-interceptor aircraft and refueling aircraft from both countries.

And from the Russian News Agency RIA/Novosti:

NORAD, Russia to conduct first-ever joint air defense drills

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the Russian Air Force will hold their first-ever joint air defense exercise on August 8-11, NORAD said.

The exercise, dubbed VIGILANT EAGLE, involves Russian, Canadian and U.S. Air Force personnel operating from command centers at the Elmendorf airbase in Alaska, and in Khabarovsk, Russia.

"Airborne warning and control aircraft [AWACS E-3B and A-50] from Russia and the United States will be involved along with fighter-interceptor aircraft and refueling aircraft from both countries," NORAD said in a statement on Tuesday.

The exercise scenario, put together by NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, will create a situation that requires both the Russian Air Force and NORAD to launch or divert fighter aircraft to investigate and follow a U.S. flagged commercial air carrier on an international flight that has been taken over by terrorists.

The exercise will be carried out under a cooperative military agreement between Russia and the United States, which tasks NORAD, the bi-national U.S. and Canadian command, and the Russian Air Force to conduct a live-fly exercise for up to five days.