Operation Skyshield
Encyclopedia
Operation Skyshield was a series of three large-scale military exercise
s conducted in the United States
in 1960, 1961 and 1962 to test the North American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD) defenses against Soviet
air attack. The tests were intended to ensure that any attacks over the Canadian border or coastlines would be detected and subsequently stopped. The results of the tests were classified until 1997, due to fears that they could be used by the Soviet Union
in order to more effectively engage the US in the event of World War III
.
In these exercises, all US civil air traffic was grounded (sometimes up to 12 hours). They involved 6,000 sortie
s flown by air forces from the US
, UK
and Canada, simulating Soviet
fighter / bomber attacks against New York
, Chicago
, and Washington. This made it the largest military aviation exercise ever held.
In reporting on the September 11 attacks in 2001, these exercises were often overlooked, with news agencies reporting that the similar, but unplanned, evacuation of US airspace during that incident was the first ever clearing of US airspace of all civilian aircraft.
Sky Shield I included an "attack" by eight Royal Air Force
(RAF) Vulcan B.2
bombers. Four aircraft attacked from Scotland and four from Bermuda. The first "casualty" of the exercise was an RAF Vulcan which was intercepted by a McDonnell F-101 Voodoo 56,000 ft above Goose Bay
, Labrador
. Despite this, the Vulcans achieved unprecedented survivability with seven of the eight British bombers managing to reach their targets and return to Stephenville, Newfoundland
unscathed. Their effectiveness in the exercise was largely due to the advanced Electronic Counter Measures systems on these aircraft (three of the southern route bombers putting up a wall of interference while the fourth made an attack) and the Vulcan's famed and unique maneuverability amongst strategic bombers,
Sky Shield II (1961)
During Skyshield II, the RAF Vulcans participated again, four from 27 Sqn
(serials
XJ824, XH555, XJ823, and one other), again flying from Kindley Air Force Base
, Bermuda, and four aircraft from 83 Sqn
flying from RAF Lossiemouth
, in Scotland. They simulated Russian heavy bombers
operating at the highest altitude - 56000 ft (17,068.8 m); above the United States Air Force
(USAF) B-52s at 35-42,000 ft and the lower level B-47s. One 27 Sqn Vulcan, flying from Bermuda, successfully evading the defending Convair F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors, covered by the other three jamming operations, tracked round to the north, landing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base
, New York. The northern force attacking in a stream reported a single instance of radar contact by an interceptor and all four landed in Newfoundland.
During this exercise, there were eight casualties, all from the same B-52 crew. On 15 October 1961, a search triangle 600 miles from New York was set-up looking for the missing crew. A US Coast Guard
(USCG) cutter reported seeing an orange flare
at 12:15am on 17 October, but the eight crew members were eventually presumed lost at sea.
Sky Shield III (1962)
Sky Shield III, held in September 1962, was North America's first test of procedures for clearing national civilian air traffic at short notice, such as would be done in the event of a Soviet attack. Hundreds of USAF trainers were used to simulate normal civil traffic levels and routes.
, in January 1963. It was initially strenuously denied by the US Defense Department, who stated "that British aircraft last took part in a Strategic Air Command exercise over the United States in the Autumn of 1960". In a later statement, Eugene Zuckert, Secretary of the USAF, said the report was; "completely without foundation". The Chicago Tribune
newspaper reported; "We do not know whether the Royal Air Force leaked the story in order to show up the Kennedy administration because of its decision to scrap the Skybolt air-to-ground missile".
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
s conducted in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1960, 1961 and 1962 to test the North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command
North American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
(NORAD) defenses against Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
air attack. The tests were intended to ensure that any attacks over the Canadian border or coastlines would be detected and subsequently stopped. The results of the tests were classified until 1997, due to fears that they could be used by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in order to more effectively engage the US in the event of World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
.
In these exercises, all US civil air traffic was grounded (sometimes up to 12 hours). They involved 6,000 sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
s flown by air forces from the US
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, UK
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and Canada, simulating Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
fighter / bomber attacks against New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and Washington. This made it the largest military aviation exercise ever held.
In reporting on the September 11 attacks in 2001, these exercises were often overlooked, with news agencies reporting that the similar, but unplanned, evacuation of US airspace during that incident was the first ever clearing of US airspace of all civilian aircraft.
Operations
Sky Shield I (1960)Sky Shield I included an "attack" by eight Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Vulcan B.2
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
bombers. Four aircraft attacked from Scotland and four from Bermuda. The first "casualty" of the exercise was an RAF Vulcan which was intercepted by a McDonnell F-101 Voodoo 56,000 ft above Goose Bay
CFB Goose Bay
Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay , is a Canadian Forces Base located in the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador....
, Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
. Despite this, the Vulcans achieved unprecedented survivability with seven of the eight British bombers managing to reach their targets and return to Stephenville, Newfoundland
Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador
Stephenville is a Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland....
unscathed. Their effectiveness in the exercise was largely due to the advanced Electronic Counter Measures systems on these aircraft (three of the southern route bombers putting up a wall of interference while the fourth made an attack) and the Vulcan's famed and unique maneuverability amongst strategic bombers,
Sky Shield II (1961)
During Skyshield II, the RAF Vulcans participated again, four from 27 Sqn
No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC2 from RAF Odiham.-The Great War:27 Squadron formed at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on 5 November 1915, soon being equipped with Martinsyde Elephant fighter aircraft, hence the use of an elephant for the squadron badge...
(serials
United Kingdom military aircraft serials
In the United Kingdom to identify individual aircraft, all military aircraft are allocated and display a unique serial number. A unified serial number system, maintained by the Air Ministry , and its successor the Ministry of Defence , is used for aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force , Fleet...
XJ824, XH555, XJ823, and one other), again flying from Kindley Air Force Base
Kindley Air Force Base
Kindley Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base in Bermuda from 1948–1970, having been operated from 1943 to 1948 by the United States Army Air Force as Kindley Field.-World War II:...
, Bermuda, and four aircraft from 83 Sqn
No. 83 Squadron RAF
No. 83 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.-Establishment and early service:...
flying from RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Lossiemouth is a Royal Air Force station to the west of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland. It is one of the RAF's biggest bases and is currently Britain's main base for Tornado GR4s. From 2013 the Northern QRA force of Typhoon F2 will relocate to Lossiemouth following the closure of...
, in Scotland. They simulated Russian heavy bombers
Long Range Aviation
Long Range Aviation was the branch of the Soviet Air Forces tasked with long-range bombardment of strategic targets with nuclear weapons. During the Cold War, it was the counterpart to the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force....
operating at the highest altitude - 56000 ft (17,068.8 m); above the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF) B-52s at 35-42,000 ft and the lower level B-47s. One 27 Sqn Vulcan, flying from Bermuda, successfully evading the defending Convair F-102 Delta Dagger interceptors, covered by the other three jamming operations, tracked round to the north, landing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base covering 3,447 acres in the extreme northeast corner of New York, 20 miles south of the Canadian border...
, New York. The northern force attacking in a stream reported a single instance of radar contact by an interceptor and all four landed in Newfoundland.
During this exercise, there were eight casualties, all from the same B-52 crew. On 15 October 1961, a search triangle 600 miles from New York was set-up looking for the missing crew. A US Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
(USCG) cutter reported seeing an orange flare
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
at 12:15am on 17 October, but the eight crew members were eventually presumed lost at sea.
Sky Shield III (1962)
Sky Shield III, held in September 1962, was North America's first test of procedures for clearing national civilian air traffic at short notice, such as would be done in the event of a Soviet attack. Hundreds of USAF trainers were used to simulate normal civil traffic levels and routes.
News coverage
The penetrations by RAF Vulcans was first reported in a British newspaper, the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, in January 1963. It was initially strenuously denied by the US Defense Department, who stated "that British aircraft last took part in a Strategic Air Command exercise over the United States in the Autumn of 1960". In a later statement, Eugene Zuckert, Secretary of the USAF, said the report was; "completely without foundation". The Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
newspaper reported; "We do not know whether the Royal Air Force leaked the story in order to show up the Kennedy administration because of its decision to scrap the Skybolt air-to-ground missile".