Alarm start

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An alarm start is the start of an aircraft in the shortest possible time after an alarm has been raised, generally after an emergency or in the military sector when territorial borders are violated. An alarm starts within five to ten minutes after a corresponding alarm is triggered.

For this purpose, the aircraft is supplied with energy on the ground and all systems, with the exception of the engines, are switched on and ready for operation. In the case of rescue planes or helicopters , the flight personnel are in the immediate vicinity in a ready room and wait for the operation. In the case of military aircraft, depending on the pre-defined QRA level , the crew is in a lounge (QRA15), already on board the aircraft (QRA5), or in the aircraft with the engine running (QRA2).

Alarm starts were a relatively common occurrence during the Cold War, and several aircraft in a squadron were always on standby. In the USA and the USSR , entire bomber groups were on standby in order to be able to mount a retaliatory strike within a very short time in the event of a nuclear first strike . Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the willingness to start the alarm has increased again. There are again more cases in which such QRAs are triggered, e.g. B. to intercept passenger planes that do not report to the radio. The tensions between NATO and Russia or in the Asian region are also reasons that QRA readiness has regained importance.

The English term used in international aviation is scramble , after the English word for “scramble, scramble; Hunt, Fight ”or QRA (Quick Reaction Alert).

A distinction is made between an Alpha Scramble (real alarm start) and a Tango Scramble (exercise).

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Keyword “scramble” on: de.pons.com . Retrieved April 27, 2018.