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The John Batchelor Show

Preview: General Blaine Holt (United States Air Force retired) explains the rigorous training required for US pilots intercepting Russian probes near locations like Alaska, Estonia, and Romania. Pilots, known as air interceptors, must be prepared to shoot

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

News, Arts, Books, Society & Culture

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2025

⏱️ 2 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Preview: General Blaine Holt (United States Air Force retired) explains the rigorous training required for US pilots intercepting Russian probes near locations like Alaska, Estonia, and Romania. Pilots, known as air interceptors, must be prepared to shoot or be shot at, following "Cold War rules." This training takes a long time and involves extensive briefings on the rules of engagement and when lethal force is necessary before every single mission.

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:25.0

This is John Batchel, speaking to colleague General Blaine Holt, the United States Air Force,

0:31.5

retired, about the interception of probes by the Russian forces in Alaska, for example,

0:36.7

Estonia, for example, Romania, for example. What is the training necessary?

0:44.2

What is the training given to the pilots whose job it is to go up and intercept the probers by the Russian Federation?

0:45.9

Blaine is blunt.

0:49.8

He must be prepared, both to be shot at and to shoot.

0:52.2

Here's Blaine Holt to explain.

0:55.8

Going on right now, Cold War Rules.

0:57.2

More of this tonight.

1:00.3

So that training takes a really long time.

1:04.5

And yes, it's reiterated before every single mission.

1:09.7

If you're going to go out and sit in your jet and be what we call an air interceptor, you're going to have hours and hours and

1:11.7

hours of Borden and we'll let you read all the books about cryptography and your jet and all of that.

1:17.8

But if you get the call, then it is in your mission brief. Here's the rules of engagement.

1:22.8

And this is what you need if you think that lethal force is necessary. But that's on every single

1:28.9

mission.

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