US Navy Cold War airborne electronic reconnaissance (243)

Cold War Conversations

KC flew the US Navy’s airborne Electronic Reconnaissance during the 1980s in the Lockheed EP-3 which is an electronic signals reconnaissance version of the P-3 Orion.

He flew as a Navigator, Senior Electronic Warfare Evaluator and Mission Commander.

We hear about several missions he was involved in including his first detachment to Athens the then main USN operating base for missions in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic.

We also hear about flying in the Baltic from bases in the UK (Mildenhall/Wyton) or FRG (Schleswig-Jagel). Flying from Keflavik in Iceland KC monitored a huge Soviet Navy exercise in the Norwegian Sea involving the Kiev, Kirov, and numerous cruisers, destroyers, and frigates.

In the 1980s Libya was claiming the Gulf of Sidra as its territorial waters and KC flew in support of “freedom of navigation” operations involving USN ships.

It’s a great insight into a relatively unknown part of Cold War air operations.

0:00 Introduction and KC's experience on the EP3

9:21 Focus on the Adriatic and Yugoslavia and Albania

15:24 The aftermath of the La Belle disco bomb attack and increased security measures

26:10 Busy month flying from Athens

32:27 Continuation of Cold War era aircraft in service today

36:15 The Achilles Lauro cruise ship hijacking, October 1985

54:25 Iowa class battleships and their role in the Cold War

1:02:12 KC's last flight in the Baltic

1:06:15 Instructions for landing in enemy territory

1:13:33 Cold War conversations on Facebook

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I am delighted to welcome KC to our Cold War conversation…

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