Page 47 - Aviation News (February 2020)

weather operations. The Soviets flew
Aircraft 61-2663, at Shemya. Severe, changeable weather conditions were a feature
of operations at the Aleutian Islands base. Aaron Bowen via Robert S Hopkins III different routines to us; we just had to
operate to their schedules. During the
day from 40 miles away at 35,000ft we
had a really good view of Kamchatka.
You could see the volcanoes and the very
rugged coastline. When re-entry vehicles
arrived it was certainly very beautiful, if
not a little sinister. We could follow their
tracks across the sky down to their impact
points on the Kura range.” In 1993 Cobra
Eye was put into storage and its main
mission equipment removed. In 1995
it was selected for further modification
aircraft commander could be in the left KC-135 tankers, more than three hours and returned to service in June 1999 as a
seat looking out of the right side window flight time away. Hopkins recalls, “One aerial Cobra Ball aircraft.
just to see down the runway. Flaring for refuelling was not unusual, two were not
landing required a boot full of rudder, that uncommon but three were known as SOVIET INTERCEPTIONS
slamming the aircraft down and dumping ‘megadeath’ with airborne times of 15 to 20 Hopkins explains: “Our orbit was too
lift as quickly as possible. Landings were hours.” The RC-135s had to carry sufficient far south for the Su-15s at Anadyr, they
very heavy at times.” fuel to permit return to Shemya, remain would have run out of fuel trying to reach
in the hold for a period and still be able to us. Similarly we were a bit too far north
LATE COLD WAR divert to Eielson if necessary. for the MiG-25s from Petropavlovsk, so
LAUNCHES nobody really came to look at Cobra
When the National Security Agency’s COBRA EYE Ball.” The situation changed, however.
Defence Special Missile and Astronautics Work started in 1984 on a unique aircraft, “We were intercepted for the first time
Centre (DEFSMAC), was aware of an which was a joint US Army and Strategic in years on March 10, 1988. We were in
imminent Soviet missile launch it alerted Defense Initiative Organization project.
Shemya. “The blaring alert klaxon meant The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI – “I looked out the
the Cobra Ball duty crew had 15 minutes which was also referred to as ‘Star Wars’)
to get their aircraft airborne,” remembers needed the aircraft to aid identification of right-hand window
Hopkins. Working in radio silence, it key intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
was pushed back out of the hangar, characteristics, during their mid-phase of and saw a Tu-16
engines started and the crew prepared flight, contributing to the development
for departure. The tactical coordinator of planned anti-missile and beam based Badger in a fingertip
communicated with DEFSMAC via the defensive systems. Following numerous formation with us.”
aircraft’s satellite communication system to technical delays RC-135X, 62-4128,
establish details of the impending launch. named Cobra Eye, a modified EC-135B
The 25-30-minute transit flight saw the airframe, was delivered to the 6th Strategic ’663 and intercepted by a MiG-31 out of
Cobra Ball climb to 34,000ft orbiting Reconnaissance Wing at Eielson AFB in Petropavlovsk. It had better range than the
no closer than 40 miles (64km) to the 1989. Hopkins flew the Cobra Eye, including MiG-25 and a crew of two. This was a big
Kamchatka Peninsula. To ensure accurate for its first operational mission from Shemya event for us. It was really exciting to see and
positioning the aircraft had a LN-20 Stellar- on August 15, 1989. At its heart was a large, we had a few more interceptions after that.
Inertial-Doppler navigation system fitted complex infrared sensor hidden behind a “Our most interesting was on October
and carried two navigators. sliding door on the right-hand side of the 3, 1988 in ’662,” continues Hopkins. “We
Cobra Ball flights still needed to be aircraft. “It was supercooled, intended to knew there was a MiG-31 orbiting to the
heading southwards as the missile re- detect incoming objects. Its infrared sensors south of us in a defensive pattern. We
entered the atmosphere to capture imagery. were capable of discriminating between were a bit disappointed because he didn’t
When launch was confirmed calculations different re-entry vehicles, distinguishing seem interested in coming to intercept us.
were made to place Cobra Ball it in the between decoys, warheads or just missile Flying north, way out to the east we saw
optimum position for the test warhead wreckage,” he says. an aircraft. I thought was an Il-76. Ten to
re-entry. As in the past, launches did not Reflecting on flying missile tracking 15 minutes later I looked out the right-
always occur when expected. Sometimes flights Hopkins said: “Flying these hand window and saw a Tu-16 Badger in
the Cobra Ball had to wait on station for missions was lots of fun, a great personal a fingertip formation with us. He stayed
long periods, refuelling from Eielson-based experience. We flew day, night and bad- in position for about the next hour and a
half. We waved to each other but could
not figure out what he was doing. When
we headed off to the tanker to get gas he
followed, ‘parked’ on our wingtip.”
POST-COLD WAR
OPERATIONS
Following the end of the Cold War
operations changed as Russian missile
tests sharply declined. Forward-based
missions from Shemya ceased and control
of Cobra Ball passed to the 55th Wing at
The starboard wings of Cobra Ball aircraft were painted black to prevent glare blinding the Offutt AFB, Nebraska in 1994, crews drawn
tracking cameras. The complete engine nacelles on RC-135S, 61-2663, were also black. Robert S from its 45th Reconnaissance Squadron
Hopkins III and 97th Intelligence Squadron.

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