Fighter jet ordered to frighten protestors?

[edwest4]

A bit of nonsense from the front page of today's Los Angeles Times.

California Guard members feared fighter jet would be ordered to frighten protesters

"An F-15C air-to-air combat jet was placed on alert in case of unrest over the pandemic or election, sources and records say. The Guard denies it."

 

[Avimimus]

Well, it isn't entirely unheard of (e.g. mock attacks by the two F-16's during the abortive Coup in Turkey continued after they ran out of ammunition). More reasonably, helicopters have been flown over protests as a way of demonstrating a police (or military) presence. So, it isn't completely out-there as an idea.

 

[Archibald]

I do know that the Armée de l'Air did that with Jaguars and Mirages in Françafrique when some military coup went too far for Total, Foccart and others...