Over the course of the Cold War, both The Soviet Union and the United States made a habit out of testing each others' defense capabilities. For The Soviets, that meant repeatedly flying bombers near North American airspace, and for the United States and Canada, scrambling fighters to intercept those bombers. 

Thousands of intercepts took place over the course of the war, mostly against the noisy Tu-95 Bear, with some pilots flying them almost every single day. The intercepts became so routine and friendly that "enemy" pilots took photos of each other, communicated with hand signals, and performed tricks for one another. 

It's good to know that the two nations took the potential for nuclear annihilation seriously.

Here are 21 photos of fighters escorting Soviet Bombers like they're kids caught with their hands in the candy jar.