We’ve seen plenty of examples lately of how an emboldened Russian Air Force has been testing NATO by flying very close to the sovereign airspace of northern European countries, as well our own Air Defense Identification Zones here in the United States. It is eerily reminiscent of the Cold War of yesteryear, when Boeing F-15C Eagles in Alaska, England, and Iceland would routinely encounter Tu-22 Backfire, Tu-16 Badger, Tu-95 Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers.

These days, Eagles are still encountering Bears, but it’s been off the coasts of Oregon and California of late. The Air National Guard units charged with the Aerospace Control Alert mission train constantly to maintain their readiness when called upon to respond when the wolf growls at the door.

So for this week’s Burner Friday, we decided to delight your eyes with a dual launch of F-15Cs at Nellis Air Force Base, where “Fade” and “Stinger” launch to intercept two F-16s from the 64th Aggressor Squadron launching a simulated attack on the installation. A dual launch of this type is a pretty rare sight, so enjoy!

Below, we have a practice “scramble” conducted a few years ago at Mountain Home Air Force Base, courtesy of the 390 FS.