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(S//SI) Flying Linguists Pose as Russian Defectors
FROM: Capt
USAF
Chief, Current Operations, AMOC
Run Date: 06/14/2006
(U//FOUO) Unusual happenings in Alaska: SIGINT linguists do the speaking, rather than the
listening...
(S//SI) On 14 March of this year, US Air Force units in Alaska received a transmission that
appeared to be coming from a foreign aircraft. The speaker announced, in Russian, his intention
to defect to the United States. Surprised military commanders quickly contacted the Alaska
Mission Operations Center (AMOC), and arranged for one of the Center's Russian linguists to
serve as a real-time interpreter. Meanwhile, F-15 Eagles were scrambled to intercept the alien
aircraft. What the commanders didn't know at the time was that the entire event was part of a
no-notice, live-fly* exercise, and that the "defector" was, in fact, a second Russian linguist from
the AMOC!
(S//SI) The exercise played out like this: Once the battle staff determined that the foreign
aircraft's intentions were peaceful, a message was immediately relayed to the F-15 Eagles that
were already airborne and in the vicinity of the defecting aircraft. The "defector" was
subsequently escorted to a safe landing in Anchorage, Alaska and potential hostilities were
successfully averted.
(S//SI) The live-fly exercise provided realistic homeland defense training for Air Force and
Aerospace Defense commands* in the region. A week later, on 21 March 2006, two additional
AMOC linguists participated in the same scenario conducted in similar fashion. All were praised
by Alaskan Command senior leadership for their professionalism and for their special skills,
which brought a sense of realism to the exercises.
(S//SI) With these recent successes, there is no doubt that Alaskan Air Force and Air Defense
units will continue to call on SIGINTers at the AMOC for outstanding exercise support.
(U) Notes:
*A "live-fly" exercise involves aircraft actually flying - as opposed to a "paper" exercise, in which
all activity is simulated.
**These commands consisted of the Eleventh Air Force (11 AF), the Alaskan Command
(ALCOM), and the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense (ANR) Command.
(U//FOUO) View of Anchorage, home to Elmendorf Air Force Base (and the AMOC).
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108