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Shortly before the outbreak of the Caribbean crisis, mutual trolling of military pilots almost led to an international incident that could have serious consequences in the tense geopolitical situation of that time.
The Soviet Tu-95 missile carrier, also known as the "Bear", was conducting a patrol flight near the coast of Cuba when it discovered the American aircraft carrier. An interceptor fighter was immediately lifted from the deck of the ship.
The American pilot approached the Soviet bomber and asked to open the bomb bay to make sure there were no weapons. Deciding to make fun of the Soviet crew, the fighter pilot demonstrated his air-to-air missiles, which, unlike the alleged Tu-95 bombs, were in place and ready for use.
The crew of the Tu-95, not wanting to remain in debt, decided to play their own joke. They pretended to mistake the American plane for an escort and began to simulate the standard procedure for boarding an American aircraft carrier.
However, the wingspan of the Tu-95 is more than 50 meters, which significantly exceeds the size of the deck of an aircraft carrier. When the huge Soviet bomber began to perform maneuvers simulating an approach, a real panic began on the aircraft carrier - emergency signals were activated, and the landing was immediately canceled.
The Tu-95, of course, turned around and flew away, completing its reconnaissance mission and adding a little adrenaline to the blood of the American sailors. Since then, this story has been overgrown with many details and interpretations, being transmitted with various variations in both Soviet/Russian and American military circles.
This episode vividly demonstrates how, during the period of the highest tension of the cold war, even the playful actions of the military could lead to unpredictable consequences. Fortunately, common sense prevailed that time, and the potentially dangerous situation was resolved without an escalation of the conflict.
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