"After the runway-cratering bomblets have been fully dispensed from the JP233 pod under the Tornado during an attack run, the pod is automatically ejected from the aircraft. When this occurs at very high speed and low level as in a live attack, the aircraft is subjected to an involuntary and substantial upward force of at least 4g. Having no previous experience, the Tornado pilots who delivered JP233 against Iraqi airfields during the Kuwait crisis were not prepared for this. They also attacked at night.
When the pod released, the nose of their aircraft was thrown sharply upwards and they were rapidly disoriented; subsequently losing control of their aircraft. Three Tornado crews ejected as a result of this – some presuming that they had been hit by enemy fire. Had the crews been able to experience the release characteristics of the JP233 in practice and by day, they should have survived and returned to base with their expensive aircraft.
These incidents and others reflect a lack of Air Warfare expertise and good management within the RAF system. It is understood from a privileged source that of the eight Tornado GR1/4s lost over Iraq, only one was lost to enemy fire. One of the other losses was the result of a stick of VT fused bombs[18] exploding under the delivery aircraft following release. This is known as the ’laddering effect’ and occurs when too short a ‘safe-arm timer setting’ is set on the bomb arming system. When the first bomb arms too early and the VT Fuse detects the following bomb, it thinks it is close to its target and it explodes. This explosion sets the other bombs off one by one all the way back up to the delivery aircraft. It is a phenomenon well known to Naval Air Warfare Instructors – the benefit of long term Fleet Air Arm air warfare knowledge and combat experience.
Following Kuwait, it was surprising that these unnecessary losses were not brought to the attention of Ministers. Instead, the Royal Air Force
PR organisation misrepresented what actually happened and made heroes of the aircrew who went down."
Hey, slag off all RAF aircrew shot down in GW1. And tell lies about JP 233 missions, that have been consistently proven to be, ahem, b*llocks.......
I re-iterate, I respect his record, but he's getting on my nips the last few months......