That’s why the jets need to pull up close, to see into the cockpit, right?
“That’s why the jets need to pull up close, to see into the cockpit, right?”
Yeah, this was my thought as well. Why scramble the fighters to escort, unless the plane has been hijacked. If a bomb is on board, and detonates, the F-15s would be at risk as well.
Yes. To see who is at the controls, any duress signals, are they conscious, as well as ‘communicate’.
There is also another maneuver (not done to civilian aircraft) wherein the intercepting fighter(s) upon receiving the fickle finger from the crew of the Russian Bear, fly their F-1X directly in front of said Bear, and then dump raw fuel into the burner (ie turn on the after-burner) and douse the Bear in a plume of fire. Not that it’s ever been done ya know ...