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100312-N-7280V-173 CHINHAE, Republic of Korea (March 12, 2010) Vice Adm. John M. Bird, commander of U.S. 7th Fleet, waves at a Republic of Korea submarine as U.S. 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) pulls into Chinhae Naval Base. Blue Ridge and 7th Fleet staff members are underway supporting combined forces Exercise Key Resolve/Foal Eagle 2010. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel Viramontes/Released)
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100312-N-7280V-173
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Flight_007
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
Korean Air Lines Flight 007 (KAL 007, KE 007) was a Korean Air Lines civilian airliner that was shot down by Soviet jet interceptors on September 1, 1983, over the Sea of Japan,[Notes 3] just west of Sakhalin island over prohibited Soviet airspace. All 269 passengers and crew aboard were killed, including Lawrence McDonald, a sitting member of the United States Congress. The aircraft was en route from New York City via Anchorage to Seoul when it strayed into prohibited Soviet airspace because of a navigational error.
The Soviet Union initially denied knowledge of the incident, but later admitted shooting the aircraft down, claiming that it was on a spy mission. The Politburo said it was a deliberate provocation by the United States, to test the Soviet Union's military preparedness, or even to provoke a war. The United States accused the Soviet Union of obstructing search and rescue operations. Furthermore, the Soviet military suppressed evidence sought by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) investigation, notably the flight data recorders, which were eventually released nine years later after a change of government.
The incident was one of the most tense moments of the Cold War, and resulted in an escalation of anti-Soviet sentiment, particularly in the United States. The opposing points of view on the incident were never fully resolved; consequently, several groups continue to dispute official reports and offer alternate theories of the event. The subsequent release of transcripts and flight recorders by the Russian Federation has addressed some details.
