European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 28, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Building on us Bear Hunting takes on a new slant by Dean Fosdick associated press Ruise missiles Are changing the Way the air Force goes Bear Hunting in the skies bordering Alaska. Soviet Bear bombers arc the Quarter Century old la Borop counterparts of the . B 52 like Tho versatile american pianos some of the Tu-95 bears have been overhauled a carry ground skimming cruise missiles instead of bombs. Thai makes them capable of destroying . Cities and military bases while Hying Al least 1,500 Miles from  territory and Hal moans alaskan air command f-15 eagles must make their identifying intercepts Larther irom the Forward bases in King Salmon and Catena. Cruise missiles have altered the philosophy of warfare for the soviets said col. Stuart Alton commander of Trie 21 is tactical fighter Wing at Elmendorf fab outside Anchorage. Until they got the air launched missiles the airborne threat against the . Was not very High now they have it their launch Point has changed irom being fight Over a base to hundreds of Miles away said Alton who holds the keys to 33 of the $21-million f-15s. The Sears Are being seen More frequently near he Aleutian islands and Arctic coast analysts believe the soviets Are trying to familiarize themselves with the routes they d Lake to launch their new missiles. As of oct. 2, air Force f-15s had made 24 intercepts of 44 soviet aircraft in International airspace near Alaska in 1987, All but three involved the Long Range bears. In 1984, the alaskan air come intercepted just 11 soviet planes. While six were bombers Only two were scars. Theraul were obsolete Iwin Jei tu16 badgers flying surveillance missions or civilian planes on ice patrol the air Force says while All the soviet activity in t the military equivalent of breaking and entering it does Border on trespass the . Defense Early warning identification zone ranges irom 50 to 150 Miles of the Alaska coast. Although the soviet planes do not enter american airspace those entering the defense zone Are required to identify themselves to . Controllers. If they fail Lodo so and if controllers have no filed flight plan that generally triggers a scramble by the f-15s. Because of recent stepped up soviet activity the United states and Canada Are panning new cafe lenses together. Canada is building More airfields North of the Arctic Circle and both countries Are beefing up their equipment. The canadians have snarled flying their new. American Buill Cf-18 interceptors and senior personnel Are being assigned in greater numbers to air defense roles with their . Counterparts. We re All in this together said Canadian Brig Gen. Ranald Bell Deputy commander. Alaska Norad North american aerospace defense come Region. Even though we Don t have sizable forces to offer we do have a tremendous territorial Buffer within the next six months we expect to have a much closer  the alaskan air come meanwhile is getting f-15c fighters with state of the Art cockpits upgraded radar systems and a lying Range of up to 3,200 Miles. They replace the 13-year-old a sonics f-15 thai has Speed 1,650 Mph plus but Only a 1.600-Milo Range. Tho lighters can be refuelled in flight by Aeria tankers. Despite the recent surge in intercepts there has been no fist shaking or name calling by the superpowers. They no longer Point their guns at you Alton said recalling a few years Back when Bear Tail gunners would track . Interceptors As they closed to make i heir identity checks. It would be my opinion they re under very tight control also particularly since Downing the korean  korean air flight 007, with 269 aboard was shot Down sept. 1,1963, by soviet Jet fighters Over the sea of Japan after spraying into soviet airspace. The soviets asserted it was on a spy Mission a claim denied by South korean and . Officials. Although the Alaska area intercepts have gone without incident the korean air incident showed things could gel out of hand say in a confrontation Over the Arctic icepack in the 24-hour darkness of Polar Winter. The f-15s by their missions  and said Alton. Our pilots Are authorized to do whatever they need to protect  but up to now the Only thing the interceptor pilots have shot is pictures Cape. Rob Huguley a flight Leader irom Fairfax va., has logged four soviet intercepts in 18 months. The most recent was july 9 about 150 Miles North of cold Bay. First i. Dan Booker was flying As his Wingman. The air Force sends at least two fighters on every intercept he Booker carries color. I carry Black and while said Huguley 26. We pretty much go All around the plane lop sides Back. We look to see what kinds of weapons they re carrying we see if they re using new or different combinations of plane or  the bears also team up when they Fly their patterns off Alaska with one bomber generally following several Miles behind the other but in the july 9 intercept he two bears were flying Side by Side Huguley and Booker escorted the bombers for More than an hour As they flew Al 27,000 feel along the aleutians then turned toward the Pribilof before heading Back to their bases deep in soviet territory. To can t do anything to impede their flight unless hey physically enter our airspace Alton said. If hey do hat we can direct them to  rules of engagement in that part of the world leave cockpit to cockpit chatter with lha soviets pretty much Uploeachf-15pilot. Some of the interceptor pilots have reported seeing soviet Crew members holding up coca cola cans or waving or taking photographs or displaying signs. The one i was on in March the Guy was holding up a while Sheet of paper Huguley said. But to see that you really have to gel in close there s no tactical reason to do that. We be seen them taking pictures and waving Al us but we try to maintain some professionalism Huguley said. I just sit there and do my Job. Pretty much of what we do to communicate is ust be  soviet launch by William j. Broad new York times two major american companies Are battling he us. Government Lor the right to launch communications satellites on soviet rocket the companies. General motors and general electric recently urged Iarj government to drop its ban on tote launching of american made satellites by soviet rockets. Both concerns have subsidiaries that make and Market space satellites. In response to the companies increasingly vigorous campaigns involving both Public and private lobbying the Reagan administration has stiffened Ila opposition to the private hiring of soviet space services. The clash comas at a time when the american space program is without rockets to Send commercial satellites into space and the soviet Union has stepped up efforts to make commercial use of their own space program which until recently was shrouded in secrecy. American companies say they Are seeking the lowest prices and Best services and Are worried that foreign rivals May Lake advantage of the new soviet offers. "w9 could be at a grave  said John �. Koehler. President of Hughes communications a pm subsidiary that markets communications satellites. James m. Beggi former Nasa administrator said current government policy should be reversed. Satellite producers if they Are comfortable with the risk of doing business with the russians should be allowed to get launchers wherever the want he said. The soviets Are offering a service that other people already offer. There s lots o International  government officials insist however that commercial factors should take a Back scat to issues of foreign Page 14 the stars and stripes wednesday c