The Air Force Faked a Cargo Flight Over Europe. Austria Investigated—and Found Two Smuggled Stealth Jets.

When you read this story you will learn:

• In 2002, the US Air Force requested permission to fly a KC-10 tanker in Austrian airspace.

• The Austrians agreed to this, but soon became suspicious of the request.

• A fighter patrol sent by the Austrian Air Force to investigate revealed two F-117 stealth fighter jets following with the tanker, hoping to remain undetected.

Remember when the US Air Force faked a routine cargo flight to disguise classified equipment? If the Pentagon had its way, you wouldn’t. But unfortunately, there is an extraordinary story that reveals how a pair of top-secret F-117 Nighthawks were intercepted during an international traffic stop.

On October 18, 2002, the Austrian air force, suspecting trouble with a U.S. government flight over its territory, sent a pair of fighter jets to investigate the activity. The Drakens discovered that the only approved aircraft was actually flying alongside two other unapproved aircraft: F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighters. According to Airpower.atPromoting itself as “Austria’s virtual military aviation magazine”.

Foreign airlines and air forces operate up to 800,000 flights a year through Austria, located in the center of Europe. Those who want to fly over the mountainous region must prepare a flight plan, but overall overflights are usually approved.

On that particular day in 2002, the U.S. Air Force requested permission for a DC-10 commercial transport flight originating from Spangdahlem Air Force in Germany to fly over Austria. While the Austrians gave their approval, they became suspicious when the aircraft number for “DC-10” was actually assigned to an aerial refueling aircraft.

More fish? Only one aircraft was registered for the flight, but there were multiple aircraft registrations. It was reported that the flight record was changed twice in a short time.

The Austrian Air Force sent two Swedish-made Draken fighter jets to investigate. Noticing the incoming Draken fighters, the American aircraft immediately left the flight path. No, it’s definitely not suspicious.

The Drakens caught up with the slower American aircraft and discovered that it was the KC-10 Extender, a military tanker version of the DC-10 transport.

This in itself wasn’t a big deal. But the two F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighters following from each flank certainly were.

As Airpower.at wrote, the flight of the Nighthawks was “neither requested nor would be approved.” The Drakens took photographs of the secret American flight formation; you may see one of them. Here.

So why did the Air Force try to quickly attack Austria?

At the time, the service was flying combat missions over Afghanistan, but the F-117A’s short range kept the jet out of air operations. However, in the fall of 2002, the US military began to build up military forces in the Persian Gulf region, which eventually led to the invasion of Iraq. The two stealth fighters were likely part of this buildup, and the desire to get them there quickly by the most direct route likely led the Air Force to prepare the deliberately misleading flight plan.

Although F-117As took part in the invasion of Iraq five months later, there is no way of knowing whether those trying to infiltrate Austria were part of the air armada that brought down Saddam Hussein’s regime.

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