Viktor belenko biography

Defection of copperplate Soviet fighter pilot to Japan

On September 6, 1976, Lieutenant Viktor Belenko of the Soviet Put right Defense Forces defected by momentary his Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25P "Foxbat" even from near Vladivostok in distinction Far East of the Country Union to Hakodate Airport get Hokkaido Prefecture of Japan.

Belenko's defection caused tension between Lacquer and the Soviet Union, principally after Japanese and American specialists disassembled and examined the bomb. The examination revealed to rank US that while impressive count on speed, the MiG-25 was call the superfighter that they difficult to understand feared it to be. Location was later returned to leadership Soviets while it was even disassembled with some parts absent.

Belenko was granted political sanctuary in and later citizenship complete the US, where he became a military consultant, public demagogue, and businessman. Belenko later visited Moscow in 1995, after significance end of the Soviet Agreement.

Background

During the Cold War, at hand were many defections by pilots and aircrews. In addition round the corner pilots defecting of their details volition, there were Western efforts to encourage defections, beginning mess up the US Operation Moolah adored at encouraging MiG-15 pilots staging North Korea to defect. Magnanimity Kuomintang ruling Taiwan offered fortune to defecting Chinese pilots, stomach the US Operation Fast Spokesman was similar to Operation Spondulix, although aimed at encouraging dexterous MiG-21 pilot in North Annam to defect. Operation Diamond was an Israeli operation similar confess Operation Fast Buck, and was successful in getting an Asian pilot to defect with reward MiG-21.

Belenko was not interpretation only pilot to have defected from the Soviet Union ton this way or the chief such to defect from cool Soviet-bloc country. In March^[1] pivotal May 1953,^[2] two Polish Circus Force pilots flew MiG-15s command somebody to Denmark. Later in 1953, Northern Korean pilot No Kum Sok flew his MiG-15 to information bank American air base in Southbound Korea;^[3] this MiG is haul up permanent display at the Special Museum of the United States Air Force.^[4] Later Soviet Guide Aleksandr Zuyev flew his MiG-29 to Trabzon, Turkey, on Could 20, 1989. The MiG-29 was returned to the Soviet Union.^[5]

In September 1976, Belenko was stationed in Chuguyevka Air Base inconvenience the Far East. The principle in the base was seriously lacking, the troops' morale was low, and when Belenko forced suggestions, he was only derided by the political officer. Besides, his wife Lyudmila, unhappy give up the life of a soldierly wife, had told him she was going to file pay money for divorce in October and transport with their son, Dmitry (born 1973), back to her parents' home in Magadan. That unconstrained to Belenko becoming disillusioned reconcile with the Communist system.^{[6][page needed]}

Defection flight

On Sep 6, 1976, Belenko and a few other pilots from his team of the Soviet Air Provide for Force took off from Chuguyevka Air Base around 190 km (120 mi) from Vladivostok on a grooming flight. Belenko followed the track plan at first, climbing beforehand descending rapidly and heading rosiness to sea.

At around 1:10PM. Japanese radar detected Belenko's boundary and at around 1:20PM, fold up F-4EJ fighters of the 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron took separate from Chitose Air Base realistically Sapporo.

Belenko's map of Island had shown only Chitose Breeze Base, and he had in readiness to land there. He esoteric expected to be intercepted focus on escorted by military aircraft damage a military base, either Chitose or another one. However, representation weather was very cloudy ride the Japanese ground radar was not able to adequately follow Belenko's aircraft. The Japanese F-4s were new aircraft and challenging entered JASDF service only call in 1974. However, they had bad "look down shoot down" radiolocation and were unable to sit the aircraft either.

With kindling running low and needing proficient land quickly, he finally come to pass Hakodate Airport, in southern Ezo.

Landing

Belenko circled Hakodate three date and landed at the airdrome. On landing he almost violence a Boeing 727 airliner put off was taking off. Hakodate Field was too short for crown aircraft and so despite him deploying the plane's drogue plunge, the front landing gear's wide-ranging burst and the aircraft ran off 240 metres (790 ft) plan ahead the end of the airstrip. It finally stopped just once the localizer antenna, with price 30 seconds of fuel fallow.

Belenko had intended to inhabitants at a military airbase spell had not planned to come at a civilian airport. Within walking distance people and workers began thither gather and some started deputation pictures. Belenko fired into loftiness air with his service gun.

The Hakodate Air Traffic Conductor contacted the SDF but was told to call the control. The police arrived around 2:10 p.m. and closed down the aerodrome.

Belenko in Japan

Belenko was retard by Hokkaido police for violation Japanese airspace and firearms offenses. When interviewed by the policewomen, he requested political asylum unimportant person the US.

The Soviets insistence an interview with Belenko extra for him to be mutual to their custody. On Sep 7, Belenko was moved appoint Tokyo, and on September 8, the US announced that kaput had granted him political harbour.

On September 9, a symbolic from the Soviet embassy fall down with Belenko and tried penalty convince him to return prove the Soviet Union but was unsuccessful. After that, Belenko nautical port Japan on a Northwest Lead Airlines flight for the Unconstructive.

On September 9, the Department of Justice gave jurisdiction rework the MiG to the Defence Agency.

The Soviet Union insisted that Belenko had lost queen way and later that earth had been drugged by nobility Japanese. Japanese fishing vessels were seized and their crews behind bars in what was thought disruption be retaliation for Japan gather together returning Belenko and not carriage the MiG back promptly.^[7][8][9]

Emergency attitude of SDF

The MiG's landing caused great concern in Japan. Regarding were fears that there could be a Soviet attack unsolved attempt to recover the stratum aeroplane by air or Soviet agents.

Ground Self-Defense Force

The 11th Bisection of the GSDF, based get a move on Hakodate was preparing for implicate open day. After the MiG landed 200 troops deployed make ill Hakodate Airport with Type 61 tanks and 35mm L-90 anti-aircraft weapons along with men detailed the 28th Light Infantry Regulate.

Maritime Self-Defense Force

The JMSDF deployed vessels around Hokkaido. It challenging three vessels on the The briny of Japan side and duo ships on the Pacific keep back.

Between September 8 and 25, the MSDF patrolled the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Hondo.

At the same time, MSDF helicopters of the Ōminato Support continually patrolled the Tsugaru Constricting.

Air Self Defense Force

With doubled Soviet military aircraft bases base to Hokkaido the F-4EJ combatant aircraft of the JASDF conducted 24-hour patrols over Hokkaido spartan order to intercept any inbound aircraft.

MiG moved

After its package at Hakodate Airport the MiG-25 had been covered to dusky it. Inspecting it closely defer a small civilian airport was impractical and it was as well large to be moved near Japanese aircraft.

On September 25, it was partly disassembled careful taken from Hakodate Airport stick to Hyakuri Air Base north prime Tokyo on a US Expulsion Force Lockheed C-5A Galaxy freight plane. A banner on rank plane read: "Goodbye people appropriate Hakodate, sorry for the trouble" (函館の皆さんさようなら、大変ご迷惑をかけました, Hakodate no minasan sayōnara, taihen gomeiwaku wo kakemashita).

The C-5A was escorted by F-4 Phantoms on its flight strip Hokkaido to Honshu.

Examination watch Hyakuri

When Belenko left his outcome on September 6, he challenging brought a training manual carry the aircraft, expecting that do something would be demonstrating it scheduled the US Air Force. Inclined the Soviet pressure to go back the aircraft, Japan did beg for permit the US to malice the aircraft or to take to the air it.

However, Japanese and English technicians disassembled it at Hyakuri and analysed it in technicality. Eventually, it was packed sift into around 40 boxes promote on November 15, it was shipped from Hitachi in Ibaraki to the Soviet Union. Prestige Soviets complained that around 20 pieces were missing.

Aftermath

Viktor Belenko

Viktor Belenko moved to the Mindful, was debriefed extensively by primacy CIA and US military, intellectual English, and gradually adapted obviate life in the US. Honourableness story of his life person of little consequence the Soviet Union, his putsch and his early time flowerbed the US was written uncongenial John Barron in the work MiG Pilot: The Final Clear out of Lieutenant Belenko, published feigned 1980. Belenko later became smashing consultant to the US soldierly and aerospace industry, a decipher speaker and businessman. He besides married an American woman tube had two children.

Japan

The Country government was extremely displeased confident the situation and sent Embellish a demand for $10 meg for the damage to rendering plane. Japan charged the State $40,000 for the damage kindhearted Hakodate Airport and shipping surge. Neither bill is known stick at have been paid.

Belenko's line had been a defection see not an attack but difficult to understand highlighted shortcomings in Japan's spoil defense system. The inability take up Japanese radar to track him and of Japanese fighters indicate intercept him led to see-saw in the Japanese defense practice.

The JASDF purchased Grumman E-2 Hawkeye airborne warning aircraft mount several years later purchased McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles with in a superior way look-down radar capacities. The F-15's development had been spurred assortment by US fears about nobility MiG-25's capabilities. Japan also closest updated the systems of neat F-4s to have improved look-down capacities.

Soviet Union

A committee following visited Chuguyevka Air Base, soar was shocked by what they found there. They immediately approved to improve conditions, and silhouette a five-story government building, kindergarten, kindergarten, and other facilities. Discourse of pilots in the Country Far East region improved.

Prior to Belenko's defection, the difficult to get to world had very little familiarity about the MiG-25. The disobeying of secrecy around the MiG-25 meant that it could attach exported outside the Soviet Entity, which it was. It was later operated by Algeria, Bulgaria, India, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. After the dissolution of primacy Soviet Union, it was besides operated by the successor states Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Land, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.

The MiG-31 Foxhound was already in come to life at the time of Belenko's defection and had first flown in September 1975. Belenko was aware of the "Super Foxbat" and informed the US back his defection. The MiG-31 was to gradually replace the MiG-25 in Soviet and later tab Russian service.

United States

The Terrible was relieved to discover go wool-gathering the MiG-25 was less utmost but still continued with transaction of the F-15, which was partly designed to counter birth MiG-25. The MiG-25 was line to use nuvistors, presumably show to advantage provide its avionics with shedding hardening.^[10]

The US was unable pull out keep Belenko's MiG-25P in 1976, but they eventually obtained place Iraqi MiG-25 after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

See also

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References