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Aircraft interception: Difference between revisions
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'''Aircraft interception''' is when one aircraft moves up to another aircraft. Most often | '''Aircraft interception''' is when one aircraft moves up to another aircraft. Most often this relates to when a military aircraft is intercepting a civilian aircraft that is entering restricted or prohibited airspace or are having communication failures. For those cases there is internationally standardised procedures. | ||
There is of course also the case of military aircraft intercepting other military aircraft. During the Cold War many interceptions of intelligence, surveillance and spying aircraft from both the the western and eastern block where made. Interceptions where also sometimes made to redirect aircraft that actually tried to probe the opponents airspace. And of course there is interception to shoot down enemy aircraft. | |||
While in real life practice interception of civilian aircraft is not supposed to be done it can be fun in FlightGear. | |||
== Some background on radars == | |||
On the [[MPMap|multiplayer maps]] FlightGear anyone will see some information about an aircraft. Callsign, type of aircraft, altitude and speed are all readily available. | |||
In real life this is only the case if the aircraft both have filed a flight plan and are equipped with a transponder and there is both a primary radar, which bounces radio waves at the aircraft, a secondary radar, which interrogate the aircrafts transponder. Note that the transponder only will supply an four digit identity that the pilot have gotten from air traffic control and sometimes the altitude, which will be given in 100 feet intervals. | |||
Basically an older primary radar would only report the position of an aircraft and nothing else. Sometimes there would be a height finding radar co-located with the primary radar, but the height finding radar could only be used to find the altitude of one aircraft at a time. Newer primary radars will often report both the position and and approximate altitude. | |||
When an aircraft is not equipped with a transponder and have not filed a flight plan, air traffic control or an air force will only see an unidentified blip moving. The only way to identify it is to get an another aircraft close enough to do a visual identification. | |||
== Reasons for interception == | |||
=== Reasons for interception of civilian aircraft === | |||
;Identification | |||
:Visual identification of aircraft that can not otherwise be identified. | |||
;Redirection | |||
:An aircraft may be intercepted and through visual signals or radio communication on emergency channels be requested to change route and possibly to land at an specific airport if an aircraft | |||
:*is straying away from a route, | |||
:*are entering a danger, restricted or prohibited area, | |||
:*are suspected to fly illegally or is smuggling goods or persons, | |||
:*enters a countries airspace without permit an fails to follow instructions to leave the airspace or land at a specific airport, | |||
:*enters a countries airspace at different positions or routes than permitted, or | |||
:*is a hazard to other aircraft | |||
=== Reasons for interception of military aircraft === | |||
;Identification | |||
:Visual identification of aircraft that can not otherwise be identified. Sometimes done well outside of sovereign airspace or air defence identification zones (ADIZ's) to identify aircraft appearing in regular patterns and and with regular timing. | |||
;Redirection | |||
:Redirection of opponent aircraft trying to probe sovereign airspace to test air defences. | |||
;Shooting down | |||
:Shooting down opponents aircraft trying to attack your territory. | |||
== Procedures for intercepting civilian aircraft == | |||
There is a set of standard procedures defined by ICAO that includes radio communication and visual signals both for night and day. There are procedures both for the intercepting aircraft and for the intercepted aircraft. These are defined in annex 2 to the convention on international civil aviation, ''Rules of the air''. | |||
=== Intercepting aircraft procedures === | |||
The intercepting aircraft should try to contact the intercepted aircraft using 121.5 MHz, using the call signs ''Interceptor <call sign>'', ''Intercepted aircraft'' and ''Intercept control''. If that fails the intercepting aircraft should try the ATC frequencies or try to contact the intercepted aircraft through the ATC. | |||
Interception manoeuvres for visual identification is split into three phases. | |||
*'''Phase I''': The intercepting aircraft moves up on the intercepted aircraft to about 300 metres distance from behind and slightly above. The flight leader or lone intercepting aircraft takes a position slightly ahead, above and normally to the left of the intercepted aircraft while maintaining a distance of about 300 metres. | |||
*'''Phase II''': The flight leader or lone intercepting aircraft gently moves in close enough to identify the intercepted aircraft type and identity and get other information required, while the rest of the intercepting aircraft continues to stay well clear of the intercepted aircraft. | |||
*'''Phase III''': The flight leader or lone intercepting aircraft gently brakes away from the intercepted aircraft in a shallow dive, while the rest of the intercepting aircraft continues to stay well clear of the intercepted aircraft till they can rejoin the flight leader. | |||
If the intercepted aircraft have to be redirected the flight leader takes up a position ahead, above and normally to the left of the intercepted aircraft making sure that its pilot can see the intercepting aircraft. | |||
=== Intercepted aircraft procedures === | |||
When intercepted the pilot of the intercepted aircraft should: | |||
* Follow instruction given by intercepting aircraft, | |||
* notify ATC if possible, | |||
* try establishing radio contact with intercepting aircraft or intercept control using 121.5 MHz or if that is not possible 243 MHz, stating the aircraft identity and the nature of the flight, and | |||
* set the transponder to 7700 (emergency) unless instructed otherwise. | |||
If instructions from ATC and intercepting aircraft differs, the pilot of the intercepting aircraft should ask for clarification while continuing to follow instructions from the intercepting aircraft. | |||
=== Visual signals === | |||
To be added later | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
* [http://www2.tech.purdue.edu/at/courses/at300/Documents/Annex2.pdf | * [http://www.wing.com.ua/images/stories/library/ovd/9433.pdf ICAO Doc 9433, Manual concerning Interception of Civil Aircraft] (Consolidation of Current ICAO Provisions and Special Recommendations), 1990 edition. | ||
* [http://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/24/293/Interception%20Procedures.pdf | * [http://www2.tech.purdue.edu/at/courses/at300/Documents/Annex2.pdf ICAO Annex 2], 9th edition, July 1990. | ||
* [http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20110217SSL11.pdf | * [http://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/24/293/Interception%20Procedures.pdf Summary of Interception Procedures], FAA. | ||
* [http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20110217SSL11.pdf SafetySense leaflet 11, interception procedures], CAA (UK). | |||