I recently read that both Swedish Viggens and Soviet MiG-25s out of East Germany actually sorta-intercepted SR-71s over the Baltic Sea somewhat regularly. While neither aircraft could reach the speed and service ceiling of the Blackbird, the flights apparently were on very precise tracks, and if you went on an equally precise ballistic interception track and rolled out just right, you had a few seconds in range to lock on.
In this particular case however the SR-71 suffered an engine failure and had to drop into a more conventional flight regime. It seems the Soviets were scrambling with the possible intention to force it down, and the Swedes provided escort within their airspace to head them off.
It has of course long been known that Swedish neutrality during the Cold War actually entailed close cooperation with Western intelligence-gathering efforts, including provision of contingency airfields, and in case of war any pretense would have gone out the window. But it is not surprising that stories like this one were kept quiet at the time, and only are celebrated now - not least in view of the current political situation between the West and Russia.
quote:
Swedish pilots presented with U.S. Air Medal
By Capt. Korey Fratini, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa / Published November 29, 2018
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Four Swedish air force pilots received U.S. Air Medals here during a ceremony on Nov. 28, 2018, recognizing their actions that took place over 31 years ago. Until last year the details of their mission remained classified.
During the 1980s, the height of the Cold War was still being felt. The U.S. was flying regular SR-71 aircraft reconnaissance missions in international waters over the Baltic Sea known as “Baltic Express” missions. But on June 29, 1987, during one of those missions, an SR-71 piloted by retired Lt. Cols. Duane Noll and Tom Veltri, experienced an inflight emergency.
Experiencing an engine failure in one of their engines, they piloted the aircraft down to approximately twenty-five thousand feet over Swedish airspace where they were intercepted by two different pairs of Swedish air force Viggens.
“We were performing an ordinary peace time operation exercise,” recalled retired Maj. Roger Moller, Swedish air force Viggen pilot. “Our fighter controller then asked me are you able to make an interception and identification of a certain interest. I thought immediately it must be an SR-71, otherwise he would have mentioned it. But at that time I didn’t know it was the Blackbird.”
According to the Air Medal citation, once the Swedish pilots intercepted the SR-71, they assessed the emergency situation and decided to render support to the aircraft by defending it from any potential third-party aircraft that might have tried to threaten it. The pilots then accompanied the aircraft beyond the territorial boundaries and ensured that it was safely recovered.
“I can’t say enough about these gentlemen,” said Veltri, who was at the ceremony. “I am so amazingly grateful for what they did, but also for the opportunity to recognize them in the fashion we are doing. What these guys did is truly monumental.”
Noll, who was not able to be at the ceremony, recorded a message which was played to those in attendance.
“Your obvious skills and judgement were definitely demonstrated on that faithful day many years ago. I want to thank you for your actions on that day,” said Noll. “We will never know what would or could have happened, but because of you, there was no international incident. The U.S. Air Force did not lose an irreplaceable aircraft, and two crew members’ lives were saved. Lt. Col. Veltri and I can’t thank you sufficiently for what you prevented. Thank you for being highly skilled and dedicated patriotic fellow aviators.”
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Williams, Mobilization Assistant to the commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, presented the Air Medals to Swedish air force Col. Lars-Eric Blad, Majs. Roger Moller and Krister Sjoberg and Lt. Bo Ignell.
“That day in 1987 showed us that we can always count on our Swedish partners in times of great peril,” said Williams. “Even when there was both political risk and great physical risk in the form of actual danger, there was no hesitation on your part to preserve the pilots on that day.”
The presentation of Air Medals to the Swedish pilots represented the gratitude from the U.S. and the continued longstanding partnership with Sweden.
I don't understand why they would receive medals for just flying alongside. The section I put in bold below makes me think there's a story that can't be told.
quote:
According to the Air Medal citation, once the Swedish pilots intercepted the SR-71, they assessed the emergency situation and decided to render support to the aircraft by defending it from any potential third-party aircraft that might have tried to threaten it. The pilots then accompanied the aircraft beyond the territorial boundaries and ensured that it was safely recovered.
Posts: 2320 | Location: East TN | Registered: July 28, 2010
Here's a detail from another source that makes it a little clearer.
quote:
Cold War declassified: Swedish pilots honored for protecting crippled US spy plane from Soviets
By JENNIFER H. SVAN | STARS AND STRIPES Published: November 30, 2018
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — For nearly 30 years, retired U.S. Air Force flyers Tom Veltri and Duane Noll wondered about the four pilots from neutral Sweden they credit with saving their lives during the Cold War.
On June 29, 1987, Veltri and Noll, who have both retired as lieutenant colonels, felt like sitting ducks in their crippled Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird aircraft over the Baltic Sea, after one of the plane’s engines blew up.
After rapidly descending, they were forced to fly low and slow in the top-of-the-line strategic reconnaissance plane that was capable of flying at more than three times the speed of sound. At its best, the iconic plane flew too high and too fast to be intercepted by fighter jets or shot down by anti-aircraft missiles.
But now the hobbled Blackbird was easy prey for any Soviet fighters who could find them.
Fortunately for Veltri and Noll, Swedish fighters arrived on scene before the Soviets and escorted them all the way to Denmark. The two never found out the names of the pilots involved until this past year, when the mission was finally declassified.
[...]
When the Swedes first appeared, Veltri said he and Noll at first couldn’t see their markings.
“When we realized they were Swedish Viggens, to say it was a relief would be an understatement,” Veltri said.
The Viggens had arrived in a nick of time. “Once they got on our left wing, it was only a matter of minutes that a (Soviet) MiG-25 pulled up a few miles to the left of the Viggens and hung on there for a few minutes” before departing, Veltri said.
Veltri said he and Noll found out later that the Soviets had launched 20 aircraft “hoping that the Swedes would have left our escort.” The Swedes never left the Americans’ side until they were safe.
A second pair of Viggens scrambled to relieve the first pair, which was running low on fuel. When Col. Lars-Erik Blad and Lt. Bo Ignell showed up, Moeller and Sjoberg returned to Sweden. Blad and Ignell then escorted the Blackbird to Denmark, a NATO member state.
“We had eyes on them all the time, until we left them close to Danish territory,” Blad said.
There, American F-15s from Germany took over and flew with the crippled SR-71 until it landed at Nordholz, in West Germany.
It was still everybody simply doing his regular job, but as noted I guess in the context of the current political situation with Russia it was politically expedient to add a little flourish with medals etc., putting attention on past links with the North European neutrals. Sweden and Finland are as concerned about recent more aggressive Russian policy as the East Europeans; there has actually been debate of joining NATO, though while both have participated in alliance missions like Afghanistan within the Partnership for Peace initiative framework, popular mood is not quite up for it so far.
Nordholz is a German naval air station BTW; the Blackbird had to be a change from the usual Breguet Atlantic MPAs for the locals. I now find earlier reference to the emergency landing on the net; seems the same aircraft had to divert into Stavanger, Norway earlier that year in February, also due to engine trouble.
For a prize of that magnitude, shooting down the SR-71 and the 2 Swedish Viggens was a definite (and high) possibility. Also, escorting a NATO aircraft outside their airspace is not part of the job description for a neutral, I believe...
Those dudes deserve every honor afforded them, IMHO.
Originally posted by Gear.Up: I don't understand why they would receive medals for just flying alongside. The section I put in bold below makes me think there's a story that can't be told.
quote:
According to the Air Medal citation, once the Swedish pilots intercepted the SR-71, they assessed the emergency situation and decided to render support to the aircraft by defending it from any potential third-party aircraft that might have tried to threaten it. The pilots then accompanied the aircraft beyond the territorial boundaries and ensured that it was safely recovered.
The SR-71 was not invisible. And at 25,000 on one engine would have been easy prey. The Soviets would undoubtedly have forced or shot it down. At a minimum, the Swedes deterred the Soviets from engaging what would have otherwise been an unarmed prize. In doing so, they were potentially putting themselves between our Blackbird and a missile. The Eagle pilots were "just doing their jobs,"* the Swedes went above and beyond for a foreign crew.
[*Which often involves heroism as well.]
"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here." -- Ronald Reagan, Farewell Address, Jan. 11, 1989
Si vis pacem para bellum There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Feeding Trolls Since 1995
The Soviets would not have shot or forced down a USAF aircraft over Sweden, or even international waters. It would have been a blatant act of war. Now, inside the boudaries of the USSR or Warsaw Pact is a different matter. But, I have always read that the 71s did not overfly 'enemy' territory like the U-2s did. Of course, THAT may be factually incorrect as well.
I, too, believe there is more to this story nobody is telling us.
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Posts: 21953 | Location: Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth | Registered: September 27, 2004
I can't recall the specifics, but one of the books I have back in Arizona talked about the Swedish intercepts. According to the story, it was a regular game with the Swedes to try and intercept. According to the book a Swedish Viggen was also the only aircraft to ever get a radar lock on an S-71.
After the successful lock on the Swedish squadron received a gift of a bottle of scotch and squadron patches from the SR-71 crew. Again my memory s hazy on the specifics, but it was a cool story.
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Posts: 11920 | Location: Eagle River, AK | Registered: September 12, 2006
Originally posted by Hound Dog: The Soviets would not have shot or forced down a USAF aircraft over Sweden, or even international waters. It would have been a blatant act of war. Now, inside the boudaries of the USSR or Warsaw Pact is a different matter. But, I have always read that the 71s did not overfly 'enemy' territory like the U-2s did. Of course, THAT may be factually incorrect as well.
Read "By Any Means Necessary" by Burroes. Many USAF aircraft were shot down over the USSR during the cold war on recon missions and it never went hot.
A disabled SR71 with engine problems 'crashes', it's going to be pretty hard to prove that a MIG shot it down it a missile vs it just crashed.
People like to think we'd push the big red button over an airplane being shot down, or a couple of ground guys getting shot up - but the truth is it doesn't happen.
I mean if an SU24 in Syria bombed a squad of US troops in Syria today and killed a bunch of guys, do you really think we are going to war over that? You'd get political maneuvering, oh it was a mistake / rogue pilot / error, so sorry, here is some SGLI Insurance money, Purple Heart, and a folded flag for your family.
Gotta agree with you striker1, the Viggen is one of my favorites too - love seeing the purpose built planes for smaller nations with their specific needs like low altitude performance, operating from runways, etc.
Originally posted by nhtagmember: I've never seen a US fighter back up and do what the Viggen did
yeah, none of the conventional US fighter jets have thrust reversers, so they can't do that.
When you consider short field / high operations that the Viggen was built to do, you don't want o need a tow bar / tractor to move in and out of places where you might need to turn around to takeoff.
Read "By Any Means Necessary" by Burroes. Many USAF aircraft were shot down over the USSR during the cold war on recon missions and it never went hot.
A disabled SR71 with engine problems 'crashes', it's going to be pretty hard to prove that a MIG shot it down it a missile vs it just crashed.
Well, we didn't complain about the Sovs shooting down our planes OVER their territory, because WE were in violation in international law (even when it's a near certainty that they took some surviving aircrew captive never to be returned).
I guess it's possible the Sovs might have tried to press their luck and pick off a cripple. The cold war was a different era. Although, I'm not too sure how Reagan would have reacted.
Fear God and Dread Nought Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
Posts: 21953 | Location: Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth | Registered: September 27, 2004
Originally posted by Dallas239: The SR-71 was not invisible. And at 25,000 on one engine would have been easy prey. The Soviets would undoubtedly have forced or shot it down. At a minimum, the Swedes deterred the Soviets from engaging what would have otherwise been an unarmed prize. In doing so, they were potentially putting themselves between our Blackbird and a missile. The Eagle pilots were "just doing their jobs,"* the Swedes went above and beyond for a foreign crew.
[*Which often involves heroism as well.]
Looking at a map, I realize that depending upon the definite flight path they might actually have flown quite a while in international airspace. I was initially under the impression they just handed them from Swedish to Danish airspace, which would be quite possible over the Baltic Approaches. However, according to an excerpt from Osprey's "LOCKHEED SR-71 OPERATIONS IN EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST" by Paul F. Crickmore somebody posted on another board, the SR-71 was not at latitude to chose the safest track, and the situation was in fact well beyond "regular".
quote:
DET 4's NEAR LOSS Some 18 months earlier, on 29 June 1987, Det 4 had almost suffered an aerial disaster of its own. Majs Duane Noll and RSO Tom Veltri, in 6417964, were conducting a seemingly routine Barents/Baltic Seas mission when there was an explosion in the aircraft's right engine. Having just completed their anti-clockwise run off the coasts of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and with 'denied territory' off to their right, the crew had no alternative but to turn left, decelerate and descend. North of Gotland, and with the aircraft descending, Veltri turned on the IFF and declared an emergency on Guard frequency, as he recalls; 'That got the Swedish air force's attention, and a pair of Viggens were on our wing before we reached 18,000 ft. Given that the Soviets were monitoring our activity, I was glad to see a friendly escort. We later found out that the Soviets had launched numerous fighters with orders to force us to land in Soviet territory or shoot us down. The descent from 80,000 ft to 25,000 ft, where the aeroplane began to stabilise, took just a few minutes. The Viggens continued to escort us through the Baltic and along the Polish and East German borders until USAFE F-15s from West Germany intercepted and took over escort duties, but the worst was not yet over. Since fuel constraints made it impossible for us to make it back to Mildenhall, we were forced to land at Nordholz Air Base, in West Germany. The engine explosion also caused the complete loss of our auxiliary hydraulic fluids, which meant no brakes or steering on landing. The base closed off all surrounding roads prior to our arrival in anticipation of our going off the runway. Fortunately for everyone, there was just enough residual hydraulic fluid left in the lines for one application of the brakes.'
Sure, this was 1987, with the Cold War thawing rapidly, and it seems unlikely the Soviets would have shot them down. Then again, just the month before Mathias Rust had landed a Cessna in Red Square, and PVO Strany might have felt they needed to prove something.
Well, we didn't complain about the Sovs shooting down our planes OVER their territory, because WE were in violation in international law (even when it's a near certainty that they took some surviving aircrew captive never to be returned).
I guess it's possible the Sovs might have tried to press their luck and pick off a cripple. The cold war was a different era. Although, I'm not too sure how Reagan would have reacted.
And see, the thing is it doesn't matter to the 2 guys in the SR71. They would be just as shot down / probably dead in the cold waters up there.
It's easy to sit back and say "oh, nothing would have happened" but when you are strapped into a jet, in odd places doing odd things, you know that it wouldn't take much for you to not come home again.
And the brass tacks tell you 2 people isn't worth an all out war. Even when you are one of those 2 people.
