Secrets of the Cold War: how the Blackbird went away from the “Russian hunt”

The other day, four soldiers of the Swedish Air Force received American awards for their mission during the Cold War, which was recognized only last year. In 1987, they helped the SR-71 Blackbird (“Blackbird”) reconnaissance aircraft escape from the possible pursuit of Soviet aircraft, passing through Swedish airspace. Reports the American edition about it Warzone.

Swedish Air Force Colonel Lars-Eric Blad, Major Roger Moller, Major Christer Sjöberg and Lieutenant Bo Ignoll received the Air Medal during the ceremony at the US Embassy in Stockholm 28 on November 2018 of the year. They are awarded pilots for special heroism or other special merits. Also present were Lieutenant Colonels US Air Force Duane Noll and Tom Veltri - pilots of the SR-71 Blackbird.

The US Air Force did not lose the irreplaceable aircraft, and the lives of two crew members were saved.

- said Knoll during the ceremony.

29 June 1987, Noll and Veltri flew from the British Mildenhall airbase towards the Barents and Baltic Seas. Their task was, while staying in international airspace, to obtain from high altitude photographs of objects in the territory of the USSR (located, in particular, on the Kola Peninsula and on the Baltic coast). During the performance of the Baltic Express mission, one of the SR-71 engines unexpectedly failed. The aircraft fell by more than 24 000 feet in minutes and was in Swedish airspace.

The USSR has long made it clear that it intends to shoot down American intelligence officers in case of violation of the country's borders, which confirmed the destruction of U-2 in the 1960 year, which also tried to escape from prosecution. Soviet fighters did not particularly stand on ceremony in the international space either, which, as the publication supposes, continues to be done by modern Russia. At the same time, within the narrow borders of the Baltic region, there was a risk of the SR-71 being briefly staying on the territory of the USSR during its fall, in connection with which Soviet fighters could destroy the aircraft.

We did not know who will find us first.

- said Veltri, adding that he and Noll were concerned about the possibility of the start of "Russian hunting."

Therefore, they were delighted when they saw the Swedish Saab Viggen and were confident that from that moment on the Soviet aircraft would keep their distance. Sweden was not (and still is not) a member of NATO, but historically it turned out to be closer to the alliance. During the Cold War, the Swedish military actively patrolled the borders of their country to prevent the invasion from both sides.

We performed a routine operation in peacetime. Our operator asked: "Can you intercept and identify the target?". I immediately thought it was the SR-71.

- Moller explained.

The American intelligence officer at that time issued the code "7700", which indicated an emergency situation on the plane. Accompanied by fighters, the SR-71 emerged from the Swedish airspace on a single engine. After that, he proceeded through Denmark to West Germany, where he made an emergency landing at the base of Nordholz.

After the incident, Stockholm agreed not to make it public, like other missions. Blackbird, in connection with which information about him was classified. This became known only in the 2017 year, after the 30 years, which made it possible to express public appreciation to the Swedish pilots.

This day in the 1987 year showed us that we can always count on our Swedish partners during times of great danger.

,
- said US Air Force Major General John Williams.

Comments

[NEXUS]

Blackbird sent our MIG-31 to the landfill of history. Then, during the Cold War, there was a race for speed, which the MIG eventually won.

[irazum]

Blackbird has been sent to the dustbin of history by the enormous cost of its operation. And the modification of the MiG-25 has absolutely nothing to do with it. The MiG could only fly for a short time at a speed of m = 3, while for the SR-71 this speed was cruising.

[rocket757]

Satellites have become more efficient scouts, that's all business.
This thrush did not contact us, specifically, ours shooed him once, twice, that's his whole "heroic" epic.
As an expression of design talent and technological power, it is as it is.

[NEXUS]

Quote: rocket757

This thrush did not contact us, specifically, ours shooed him once, twice, that's his whole "heroic" epic.

Shugali him quite often .... here is the story of one pilot of the MIG-31 .. the case was in Kamchatka ..

Everything has always been according to a once and for all established scheme. And they, "adversaries", got used to it. But somewhere among us, at the "top", they decided to check the adversary for "lice" and a new departure scheme was invented. Usually, a MiG-31 was waiting for him at the PPS over Kamchatka, and according to the new scheme, two planes took off - one according to the usual scheme, and the second went far into the Pacific Ocean (since SR-71 always went to the coast of Kamchatka at an altitude of 22-24 km at right angles, and then left turn left to Okinawa, almost striking along the "ribbon"). Navigators on the ground calculated everything up to seconds, when and what should be done, so that the SR-71 would pass over the MiG-31 flying along its route at high speed and altitude "and came (SR-71) to the starting point of its turn at the most advantageous launch range missiles from the MiG-31 in the ZPS, if the SR-71 suddenly smears on the "ribbon." Here it will be ...... from both sides. We raised a couple - one went into the depths of Kamchatka as usual, and I, on a new route , to the point of the beginning of the U-turn in the Pacific Ocean. Everything turned out as it should - I accelerated, scored 20m, M = 000, I listen to commands from the command post. I hear - catch up. roll, because the cover of the lantern and the "pot" on the head (GSh-2.83A) interferes with the upward view, but I did not see it right away, or rather I was looking not where it was. At first I noticed some glare and a very short inversion, and then I saw the SR-6 itself. It was not very visible - only a silhouette was visible against the dark background of the sky. He overtook me quite quickly (his speed during such flights was and somewhere around 71 km / h) and somewhere at a distance from the checkpoint to it 3300 km, I say to the navigator: - "Let's radiation!" Seconds two or three after that, not reaching the "nth" number of km to its usual calculated point, this "Drozd" abruptly began a turn to the left of Kamchatka and drove off somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, instead of going the usual route to Okinawa. Probably the equipment for detecting the radiation of the radar and warning about setting it on an ATTACK he had in order, and the power of our radar at such a range so "lupanu" on his supersensitive reconnaissance equipment of radio equipment, which can be seen to continue to play "cat and mouse" and take risks he didn't want something. And the situation for him did not develop according to the established and therefore unusual scenario for him.
It was all seconds, we didn't need more - after all, the SR-71 was in neutral waters, it was impossible to do anything with it (let alone shoot at it). He did nothing reprehensible, he did not violate the borders - he just flew here, to this TM (point in the sea) just like that, out of curiosity and nothing more. Yes, and I, too, did nothing reprehensible - just by turning on the sight I looked at him - where is he relative to me and what he is doing this very second. And the fact that the "Attack" command lit up in the display on the windshield is not my fault, this is how the sight on the MiG-31 works - I saw the capture and "Attack". Well, and the fact that he so abruptly changed his flight mission, well, well, maybe he wanted that too, maybe he decided to just cut the corner in order to quickly fly to his base, in Japan.



What happened to him next, I do not know. I had to build an approach, as I didn't have much fuel left.



That's how I once had a chance to scare away the vaunted Thrush.

[irazum]

Do you seriously think that the thrush was supposed to engage in aerial combat with the MiG?

[NEXUS]

Quote: irazum

Do you seriously think that the thrush was supposed to engage in aerial combat with the MiG?

What does the battle have to do with it? You will then read it carefully. We are talking about the interception of a high-speed high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, our MIG-31.

[irazum]

Guilty, really. But why did M. Rust escort them to Red Square? The orchestra and choir were just not enough.

[NEXUS]

Quote: irazum

But why did M. Rust escort them to Red Square? The orchestra and choir were just not enough.

It was a coincidence ...

Rust was in the Pskov region when at 15:00, in accordance with the schedule, the code number of the “friend or foe” system changed. There were training flights of one of the aviation regiments, and the inexperienced young lieutenant of the duty shift of the CP air defense assigned the sign "his" to all objects in the air. About an hour later, Rust flew over Seliger and fell into the zone of responsibility of another compound, but now he was mistaken for a participant in a search and rescue operation at the scene of the accident on the Air Force plane 40 km west of Torzhok the day before. When the military realized that they were observing the intruder, he was already entering the zone of the Moscow Air Defense District. There and to the Central Air Defense Command Center, they reported on a Soviet light-engine aircraft that flied without an application — similar air objects were observed quite often. The operational duty center of the Central Control Commission, Major General S. I. Melnikov, and the acting chief of the Main Air Defense Headquarters, Lieutenant General E. L. Timokhin, hoped that they would deal with him in the Moscow District themselves and, having no characteristics of the offender, did not report to the Air Defense Commander Marshal A I. Koldunov. The KP of the Moscow District did not attach importance to the “simple violator of the flight regime”.

The commander of the Soviet missile and anti-space defense forces (in 1986-1991) V. M. Kraskovsky expressed the opinion many years later that Marshal Koldunov “would not have stopped before taking the most extreme measures” if he had learned about the incident in a timely manner.

At 18:30, Rust flew up to Moscow. Here the weather was calm and slightly cloudy. He intended to land directly in the Kremlin or on Red Square, but this was not possible. After doing a few laps, he noticed a cycle of traffic lights on the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky bridge. Having descended above Bolshaya Ordynka Street, the plane, almost touching the roofs of the cars, sat on the bridge and rolled down to St. Basil's Cathedral. At 19:10, Rust left the plane and began to sign autographs. About an hour later he was arrested.

[gurzuf]

He had a labeled roof

[faridg7]

Quote: irazum

Do you seriously think that the thrush was supposed to engage in aerial combat with the MiG?

Join the battle? How to snap cameras until they lose control? And the panic on SR-71 is quite understandable - on that part of the route where the sighting system irradiated, the wreckage of the aircraft would surely fall into the territory of the USSR - to prove in this case that it did not violate the borders is difficult - all the data of objective control would be available only to ours side. Now, if such a situation had occurred near the borders of the United States, then they would not have failed to take advantage of it, therefore, panic, and therefore flight from the place.

[rocket757]

In Kamchatka, they caught him specifically, I remember ... but all the same, the stripes didn’t risk even touching the line, which was reasonable, it turned out to be training - playing a game ... our violators weren’t touched, it wasn’t !
About the battle ??? Sales talk about ......., a real fighting vehicle, against a fast flying camera ??? Himself how, such .... ask?

[irazum]

What is Kamchatka? Have you used?

[rocket757]

Quote: irazum

What is Kamchatka? Have you used?

The flying camera was scolded in the Far East, about Rust it is an organizational tramp, a hundred times have already been judged, dressed, it’s not interesting.

[faridg7]

Quote: irazum

The MiG could only briefly fly at a speed of m = 3, while for the SR-71 such a speed was cruising.

The MiG is then limited only by the fuel supply and the SR-71 with a full refueling and could not take off. It would be something to admire. And the masses of the aircraft are "slightly" different, but there is no comparison about the weight of the load and in general.

[Topgun]

what is the fuel supply?
Do you understand that he flew up to the USA, scouted at the borders of the USSR and then returned back to the USA, what is the fuel supply? (for such missions, he would still need to refuel in the air and not one, even if he took off with full tanks)
yes, he took off with empty tanks, but such a feature of the plane - he worked on 3 wings and could not afford to have huge wings to rise with full tanks of fuel - I hope you understand this simple thing? people solved the problem of how to achieve it as economically as possible! fly in 3 swoops, once again if you don’t understand, he cannot take off with full tanks but he can fly economically at supersonic sound (all planes have their own compromises, it is impossible to have everything at the same time) ...

[faridg7]

Quote: Topgun

people solved the problem of how to achieve it as economically as possible! fly in 3 swoops

Well, it depends on what is considered economical. This plane in "economical" mode at 3m consumed about 800 liters per minute. Its fuel weight in tanks is comparable to the maximum takeoff weight of the MiG-31. That being said, the payload weight was so ridiculous. And the engine resource in such modes is not great. Just for the sake of long flight on 3M, many characteristics and rules were sacrificed. The result is now in museums because they can fly, but prohibitively expensive.

[Topgun]

what engine resource?
there a dual-mode engine when the plane was picking up speed, the direct-flow engine was switched on, thereby the turbine did not suffer from speeds
do not confuse, it’s just that the MIG had problems with the engines, after dialing 3 swings they went over to the screw and the resource there is small

[faridg7]

Engines are sent for repairs to develop a resource, and at the same time they are really taken apart to a screw. By the way, the engine of the blackbirds did not have such a great resource, and according to the standard hours for maintaining this resource, the blackbird has no equal. To lift it into the air, it took 4 days and 114 specialists (this is not counting those aircraft and specialists with them, who are needed to support the flight), post-flight service - another 7 days to 15 (depends on the total flight time of the machine). By the way, the post-flight service also included partial disassembly of the engines to replace some parts and assemblies. In general, there is such a heap of restrictions and nuances that it is difficult to consider it an "airplane" - it is more likely an underplane, although we must pay tribute - fast as diarrhea

[faridg7]

Quote: Topgun

you understand that he took off in the USA, scouted at the borders of the USSR and then returned back to the USA,

Well, then it would be a superplane. For reconnaissance flights along the borders of the USSR, the SR71 rarely started from the United States (unless it was from an air base in Alaska, but there it cost too much to service — the climate was slightly disappointing).

[KryoWarrior1978]

MiG seems to be able to drive on supersonic for a long time.

[rocket757]

Quote: KryoWarrior1978

MiG seems to be able to drive on supersonic for a long time.

He just flew to the super sound, 3 max is very fast, none of the combat, serial can do this in principle. MIG 31 records no one has broken so far.
There is, of course, BUT, as always, 3 max the engine resource "burns" too quickly and the fuel supply by itself.

[Flying]

Quote: rocket757

MIG 31 records no one has broken so far.

What other records?

[Yodzakura]

But what about the 3,400 km / h version of the BM, like the Mig-25 engines could burn out?

[NEXUS]

Quote: Yodzakura

But what about the 3,400 km / h version of the bm

This speed record was set recently after a redesigned cabin light.

[Yodzakura]

yes I read it, the cockpit lantern changed

[rocket757]

Quote: Flying

Quote: rocket757

MIG 31 records no one has broken so far.

What other records?

Joke! Flying, it seems in a dream or on the couch!
Guys, winged, who can remind the couch, what are the records of MIG 31, none of the combat aircraft can anyone closely repeat?

[Yodzakura]

https://newinform.com/101686-polnaya-pereborka-mig-31bm-ustranen-faktor-ogranichivavshii-vozmozhnosti-vysotnogo-perekhvatchika-rf

[Flying]

Apart from the reporter's words "stars", there is no confirmation. And the media showered amicably.

[faridg7]

Quote: Flying

Apart from the reporter's words "stars", there is no confirmation. And the media showered amicably.

About stealth, too, there is no evidence other than words, but the fu-35 nevertheless hawks in batches

[Scalpel]

This is the air velocity when testing a new flashlight. The real plane was not accelerated to this speed.

[irazum]

Key phrase: "seems to be a long time."

[Machito]

Sweden admitted to participating in the Cold War on the US side. Sweden always supports the enemies of Russia, but it itself does not fight with it. Peter the First weaned.
We, too, must not forget that Sweden supported Kaiser and fascist Germany in the war against Russia by supplying strategic raw materials and equipment.

[irazum]

To me, too, "open secret", the Swedes have never hidden their focus. It is simply beneficial for them to be "nominal neutrals", as well as the Austrians, Finns and Swiss.

[Infinity]

Yes. But not at once. At first they caused serious problems, and the MIG-31 was adopted in the second half of the 1980s. And then it made no sense to operate such an expensive aircraft.

And since the SR-71 is a unique machine, it must be given to its designers. Yes, with its own characteristics and problems. And beautiful No, really))

[Yodzakura]

By the way, I read somewhere from Soviet titanium skull companies were exporting skulls

[Major Yurik]

Quote: NEXUS

Blackbird sent our MIG-31 to the landfill of history. Then, during the Cold War, there was a race for speed, which the MIG eventually won.

-Quietly in the forest, but the blackbirds do not sleep,
know "blackbirds" that they will get .......,
here the "blackbirds" do not sleep!

Shortly about MIG-31

[dgonni]

He did not win the race for speed! It’s just that his performance characteristics along with missiles pushed the border of thrush flights to an unacceptable one in terms of intelligence operations! Which does not beg the merits of one and the other!

[Yodzakura]

What difference does it win or not, then they stopped flying

[Piramidon]

Quote: NEXUS

Blackbird sent our MIG-31 to the landfill of history

Before him - the MiG-25.

[Scalpel]

Usually Mig-31 managed to notice how the SR-71 flew above their working ceiling and faster. They wrote it off after the end of the Cold War.

[AlexVas44]

We were in international airspace, and we suffered for the rest of our lives. And as always - "possible", i.e. not at all specific, but the fear is real. In short - the award has found its heroes

[rocket757]

This bird did not fly into our space, and even at the borders it did not rummage for a long time.
Design, espionage freak, without any prospects.

[Petrix]

Quote: rocket757

This bird did not fly into our space, and even at the borders it did not rummage for a long time.

What's the point in such an airplane? In the international space, on an ordinary transporter with a camera, fly yourself and do not be scared. If the USSR did not respond adequately, then it would fly over the border. They will build a plane, but they are afraid of losing it (new technologies) and are not allowed to battle.

[rocket757]

The USSR closed its sky from such "travel rug", the striped ones dried out on their own skin.
Then, satellite espionage was actively developing.
Safe and unlimited.
All the same, this is an indicator of the development of technology and design ideas, it is simply not suitable for military purposes.

[KVU-NSVD]

Straight a tear came ... Some kind of Christmas story ... The question is - did someone hunt for a "thrush" and from whom did his "heroic heroes" cover themselves without sparing themselves?

[sabakina]

Victor, . As usual, the title is more interesting than the text.

[Petrix]

Quote: KVU-NSVD

"heroic heroes" covered themselves without sparing themselves

Panic fear of catching Soviet airspace with a wing. Because they knew about imminent retaliation. We kept them in hedgehogs.

[Strashila]

The courage is purely American, to fly into the airspace of a neighboring country from international under the protection of its fighters.

[looker-on]

It is worth recognizing that this is one of the most beautiful aircraft (IMHO), despite the fact that vrazhina

[URAL72]

No one can be trusted. Today, neutrality is a very arbitrary concept, although Sweden and Switzerland have been very actively cooperating with Hitler, which would not hurt to remember us and remind them. We have no friends in the Baltic, especially neighboring Finland, which, due to our temporary weakness, abandoned the former practice of balancing arms purchases from the East and the West. I do not recognize the neutrality of the Scandinavians. The Leningrad Military District needs to be further strengthened, it must be able to promptly and guaranteedly eliminate the Baltic bridgehead. Judging by everything, sooner or later we will have to do this, but now we are not ready, primarily for political and economic reasons.

[K-50]

In 1987, they helped the SR-71 Blackbird (Blackbird) reconnaissance aircraft escape from the possible pursuit of Soviet aircraft by proceeding through Swedish airspace.

And where is Sweden’s notorious neutrality?
The campaign will have to send them again "near Poltava." Sventus have a short memory, short! But remember, we are not proud in this respect, we can repeat it !!

[Petrix]

Quote: K-50

And where is Sweden’s notorious neutrality?

Our plane will also be escorted through its territory. But what about? Do not be enemies. It is necessary to check their neutrality.

[irazum]

Let’s not "bend our heart", "DROZD" and now looks great, we just pay tribute to the designers and engineers who in those years created this amazing machine. And, besides, they brought it to a small, but, nevertheless, mass production.

[sir_obs]

Ashina is extremely expensive to operate. The problem with fuel leakage was not solved, it was whipping out of all the cracks, because the Americans were to break up with titanium. Ak did not learn.
They made a fighter, but it turned out what happened. Even the notation sr. although all the scouts in the states of rs

[Topgun]

why do you write complete nonsense? banned on wikipedia? or do you intentionally raise patriotism with such stupid comments?
studied at school? have you heard about thermal expansion?
at high speeds, this plane was very hot (due to friction against the air) when heated, the skin expanded and so that it does not "wrinkle", they left INTENTIONALLY gaps (a place where it could expand)
when the fuselage warmed up the gaps disappeared and the fuel stopped flowing
as for me a very elegant engineering solution, not everyone can think of such a simple (I would even say purely Russian) solution, and in this device there are many such solutions - a brilliant machine many years ahead of time ...

[Mikhail Matyugin]

Quote: irazum

Let’s not "bend our heart", "DROZD" and now looks great, we just pay tribute to the designers and engineers who in those years created this amazing machine.

I fully support this plane and now it looks fantastic, not to mention the performance.

[NordUral]

For such money, it’s possible, and even a country that has lured intelligent techies from around the world. And a country on which not a single bomb has ever fallen.
And we (our grandfathers and fathers), only having recovered from the Great Patriotic War, starting with copying, managed to reach the forefront in the world.
It’s only a pity that they pissed off (in other words, it’s only obscene) we are all already.

[irazum]

Nobody and nobody lured away. Do you think that Igor Sikorsky was "lured away"? And Clarence (Kelly) Johnson had no other choice? Simply talented designers and engineers found a place on Our "ball" where they could realize their ideas.

[Mitya2424]

The Americans were lucky if this incident happened 3-4 years earlier, and the blackbird would be scared of black sprats in the Baltic, and in 1987, perestroika had already begun to decompose the system ......
And no Swedish Saabs saved !!!!

[Andrey Chistyakov]

For Poltava forgot to reward ...

[dinis]

What is the heroism of the Swedish pilots?

[Observer2014]

dinis (Denis)

What is the heroism of the Swedish pilots?

Really. What? The fact that flew in time. So ours was not there. Nor the chase. There was nothing.

[Nikolay Fedorov]

Quote: from article

At the same time, within the narrow borders of the Baltic region, there was a risk of a short stay of the SR-71 in the USSR during its fall, in connection with which Soviet fighters could destroy the aircraft.

Soviet fighters could destroy the plane because of the short stay of the aircraft in the USSR ?! In 1987, when Gorbachev had already managed to sell half the country? !! What kind of American crap! We shot down planes shot down over the territory of the USSR only after very long persuasions, appeals, and touching requests to inattentive foreign pilots. The plane, shot down in 1960 on May 1, was shot down over the city of Sverdlovsk at an altitude of 15 or 20 km (I do not remember exactly). For future schoolchildren, I explain: Sverdlovsk is Yekaterinburg, a city located far, far from the borders of the USSR, and in those parts there can be no occasional temporary short stay of an enemy reconnaissance aircraft.
The Americans specifically raised all this crap and turbidity from oblivion right now, so that one thought would sound and sink into people's minds:

Quote: from article

The Soviet Union has long made it clear that it intends to shoot down American intelligence in case of violation of the country's borders, which confirmed the destruction of U-2 in 1960, which also tried to escape from the persecution. Soviet fighters didn’t particularly stand on ceremony in the international space, which, according to the publication, continues to be done by modern Russia.

[iaroslav.mudryi]

Quote: Nikolai Fedorov

We shot down planes that were shot down over the territory of the USSR only after very long persuasions, calls, touching appeals to inattentive foreign pilots.

Foreign pilots were not "inattentive", they were inaccessible to our air defense systems at that time, therefore they behaved arrogantly and flew over our territory where they wanted:

Throughout the 50-ies of the last century, the USSR did not have not only an effective air defense system of the country, but also air defense of its individual areas. Despite the expenditure of enormous material resources by the Soviet Union, the technical superiority of NATO countries (and especially the USA) allowed the latter to conduct high-level aerial reconnaissance of areas of interest. The intensity of aerial reconnaissance of NATO countries, the frequency of violations of air borders and the depth of intrusions into the airspace of the USSR increased throughout the whole decade.

In total, for the period 1950-1970. American aviation more than 20 thousand times violated the inviolability of the airspace of the USSR by aerial photography of more than 3 million sq. km.

Of the 20 thousand violations of the USSR airspace in this period of time, only 30-40 is known - cases of the destruction of Western intruder aircraft by our air defense systems (ground and interceptor aircraft).

http://newru.org/nekotorye-fragmenty-istorii-tajnoj-vojny-stran-nato-protiv-sssr-v-50-x-godax-proshlogo-stoletiya/

[sir_obs]

The article comes with assumptions. The medal for the fact that maybe he was persecuted and maybe could be shot down, and he probably could fall into the territory of the USSR: a solid high-like like, nothing new.

[Nikolay Fedorov]

Quote: sir_obs

The article is entirely speculation. The medal for the fact that maybe he was persecuted and maybe could be shot down, and he probably could fall into the territory of the USSR: a solid high-like like, nothing new.

It’s a solid high-profile, but then, 29 years ago, the pilots of the SR-71 Blackbird, US Air Force officers Dwayne Knoll and Tom Veltri, managed really and completely. Until now, as they recall that the Russians could notice them and begin to pursue them, they again and again experience everything anew and are dressed up, dressed up ... Just like young!

[23424636]

Three-crowned creatures are rare creatures, they continue to quietly spoil Russia. They need to show films about the village of Zmievka near Kakhovka - what will happen to the Swedes if they puff.

[Nikolay Fedorov]

Quote: from article

... four members of the Swedish Air Force ... in 1987 ... helped the SR-71 Blackbird (Blackbird) reconnaissance aircraft escape from a possible pursuit of Soviet aircraft by exploring through Swedish airspace.

The Russians might have appeared on the horizon from minute to minute (or maybe there weren’t any Russians at all), but the brave Swedes, drenched in cold sweat and something else, bravely flew over their own such unsafe Swedish territory.
For their long-term feat, the brave pilots received Air Medals at the US Embassy in Stockholm on November 28, 2018.

Quote: from article

... They are awarded to pilots for special heroism or other special merits

These special heroes did not even see the Russians on the horizon ... I imagine how (!!!!) especially heroic superheroes-super-pilots will be awarded who will see Russian planes in reality! Now I understand why Western media are so screaming after our pilots fly 100 meters from some ship or plane ... How terrible they are, poor fellow!

[Metallurg_2]

This is all you need to know about the neutrality of Sweden and possibly Switzerland.

[Al_lexx]

Worked (our regiment, including) regularly on SR-71, in 79-81gg. Leningrad separate air defense army. I served in intelligence. They have two scheduled flights per week. We, accordingly, have two planned alarms. My old P-12 SRC tube saw him perfectly. P-18 and even more so. They crossed the border. They only struck a kilometer or two around the edge, and even then rarely. In time it is literally a minute or two. Usually they flew along, but high, and therefore, as if peeping from around the corner.
The "Baltic Express" took off from the British Isles, made an arc and landed on Schleswig-Holstein. After three days in reverse order. They spotted its AWACS systems (and satellites) even as soon as it rose from the airfield. Our interceptors immediately picked up. We helped them to be guided. On account of the fact that the thrush has a cruising 3M - garbage. In fact, less, but he could fly at 3M speed (and even a little faster) for a relatively long time, although he does not have it cruising.
But the fact that their operation has become unprofitable, yes. They were mainly used in Cuba and in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, China, Korea), where their opponents did not have a MiG-31. As I already said, they flew into our territory, they struck along the edge to stimulate our air defense.)) And they didn’t just because we had and still have a MiG-31, which quite got it. Catching up may not have caught up, if stupidly in catching up, but two pairs could well drive him into a "corner" and rasshrenach. The maximum of the blinker is slightly less, the control is much better at the maximum, the dynamic ceiling is about the same, the missiles hit far away. So, where the blinks were patched, the blackbirds had nothing to do.
In general, it was initially developed as a super-bomb for one bomb, for Moscow, but they never came up with how to aim at such a height and drop at such a speed (and not only that). And they quickly realized that even a thrush would not reach Moscow. We stopped at the modification of the scout.
So, I fully understand the reasons for rewarding pilots of escort fighters in such an emergency.

[irazum]

All world records related to altitude and flight speed belong to only two machines: MiG-25 and SR-71. Our GREAT A.V. Fedotov (land rest in peace), proved.

[Lyton]

The SR-71 remained secret as it was, even now when it had long been removed from service in the states.