Czech Gripen almost shoots down target tug

[M609]

I got the report from the Swedish AAIB on my email today. Apparently the Czech Gripen fired at a back-up target streaming 25ft behind the Learjet target tug, and not on the active target 600 meters behind the Learjet (Learjet SE-RCA from SAAB Special Flight Ops)

The pilots of the 2 ship Gripen flight discussed the rather risky placement of what they thought was the target on the freq, but used Czech, not English.
The target crew did not speak Czech off course.
9 hits was counted in the backup target upon landing. :ouch:

Incident happened 11 oct last year over the Baltic sea with the Gripens flying from base at Vidsel/ESPE and the tug from Luleå/ESPA.
[Report in Swedish for any Scandinavian readers: http://www.havkom.se/virtupload/news/rm2007_04.pdf ]

Now, my knowledge about air to air gunnery is slim/none, but I imagine that there is a certain amount of "spread" in a salvo from the cannon, even in ideal conditions? Sitting 25ft from where the bullets impact must have been interesting! :E

Are there similar cases from the past?

[Gainesy]

Don't know, but I'd love to see a video of the debrief.:uhoh:

[airborne_artist]

Did the Gripen drivers buy the Lear's crew a drink? ;)

[A and C]

Could a Czech pilot afford to buy a Lear Jet crew a drink in Sweden?

[The Adjutant]

Years ago when providing surveillance at Buchan to a Hunter live fire sortie (very boring job for the controller) the RT went something like this

35 in hot
35 clear hot
35 out
27 in hot
27 clear hot
27 STOP STOP STOP... Dont you dare fire at me you C*?t!!!

Now that is a debrief I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for

[JackHowe]

The Czech Republic air force (http://www.army.cz/scripts/detail.php?id=6821) pilot of a Saab Gripen (http://www.gripen.com/en/index.htm) came within an estimated 10m (33ft) of hitting a target-towing Bombardier Learjet 35 with nine cannon rounds after operating procedures broke down during a live-fire exercise,

"During the first attack the crew of Target 03 heard a clattering sound that they had never heard before." As the hit indicator on the aircraft's spare target was switched off for the sortie, it was only after landing that the Learjet crew discovered that this had been hit nine times in its rear half, "with a good close grouping".

the pilot of single-seat aircraft 9235 mistakenly fired on the spare target using his 27mm Mauser BK27 internal cannon, after first checking with his wing man. "The Czech pilots discussed the target configuration in Czech on their squadron frequency. They considered that the target was close to the towing aircraft, but as they had been cleared to attack, they assumed that they had permission to fire," the report says.

The Czech pilots - who had little or no previous experience of live gun firing against an airborne target - also received confusing briefing instructions and were not told that the spare target would be visible during their attack runs, it adds.

Saab was meanwhile criticised for not having an established standard operating procedure for towing targets during live gun firing. "The Saab SFO Learjet 35 is not equipped in such a way that live gun firing from other aircraft at a towed target could be carried out in a manner that is consistent with flight safety," the report says. "The crew have no possibility to see the target or attacking aircraft in their rear sector, so they cannot order [an] attacking aircraft to hold its fire if the attack profile is abnormal."

The board recommends that the Swedish military review its regulations for the operation of "foreign governmental aviation on Swedish territory", and has also called on Saab to improve its ability to monitor an attacking aircraft under future such conditions.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/10/30/219003/czech-gripen-pilot-in-live-fire-exercise-scare.html

[AvroLincoln]

http://www.havkom.se/nyhetsarkivet-eng.asp?newsID=319

Link to the full report (translated by yours truly)

[filbey1944]

Reminded me of an incident back around 1966 ago whilst stationed at Chivenor. If I recall correctly an Indian Airforce pilot managed to hit A target towing meatbox. Needless to say when the announcement went out over the station tannoy that a damaged aircraft was returning most of the station turned out to see the results. Fortunately it made it down in one piece.

[glad rag]

Good old 27mm Mauser BK27, goes EXACTLY where it's pointed..