Desert Storm Wild Weasel tales?
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Brick, when did the F100 start weaselling?
I recall a 'must read' int rep about 1966 I guess about an unidentified FJ over 'nam.
It was must read as it was a first account, at least to us, on effective SA2 evasion.
The article started off in the usual way - telegraph pole on end of smoke trail at 10 o'clock. Turned towards, rolled, pulled and out manouevred the SA2. This impressed the hell out of us (not - as in a Vulcan there was no way we would have wanted to give that a go*). The report continued a bit like your Balaclava quote.
After 3 or 4 we started over and started counting. After 10 it was boots off and continuing. Then socks. In all this jock evade 21 SA2 in short order. It was also significant that there was no mention of evasion after about 12-15 missiles.
I have no clue whether the guy was a weasel but he would certainly have had problems getting into a flight suit with balls that big.
The article would have been in the Defense Intelligence Digest which you might be able to track down.
(*I guess if we had been in the right place, wrong time, with enough height, and my skipper remembered the article, we might just have tried this - nothing to lose)
I recall a 'must read' int rep about 1966 I guess about an unidentified FJ over 'nam.
It was must read as it was a first account, at least to us, on effective SA2 evasion.
The article started off in the usual way - telegraph pole on end of smoke trail at 10 o'clock. Turned towards, rolled, pulled and out manouevred the SA2. This impressed the hell out of us (not - as in a Vulcan there was no way we would have wanted to give that a go*). The report continued a bit like your Balaclava quote.
After 3 or 4 we started over and started counting. After 10 it was boots off and continuing. Then socks. In all this jock evade 21 SA2 in short order. It was also significant that there was no mention of evasion after about 12-15 missiles.
I have no clue whether the guy was a weasel but he would certainly have had problems getting into a flight suit with balls that big.
The article would have been in the Defense Intelligence Digest which you might be able to track down.
(*I guess if we had been in the right place, wrong time, with enough height, and my skipper remembered the article, we might just have tried this - nothing to lose)
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As for third party targeting, I don't know, I wasn't there. (Nor would I want to be!) 1g and my coffee, please, in my nice comfy E-3........
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PN,
In 1965, several F-100Fs were modified for the role of identifying, marking, and attacking North Vietnamese SAM sites, particularly their radar installations. Applied Technology Inc. did much of the early work. This company began by adapting electronic equipment that had originally been developed for the U-2. In the system which eventually emerged, the F-100F was provided with an AN/APR-25 radar homing and warning receiver which was capable of detecting the S-band signal emitted by the North Vietnamese SA-2 fire control radar as well as the C-band signal emitted by upgraded SA-2 systems and the X-band signals emitted by enemy airborne interception radars and radar-guided antiaircraft artillery. A cockpit display included a "threat panel" plus a cathode-ray tube which showed the bearing of the threat signal. An AN/APR-26 receiver was fitted which detected missile guidance launch signals by sensing a power change in the enemy's command guidance radar signal and flashed a red launch warning signal light in the cockpit. An IR-133 receiver was fitted, this receiver having a greater sensitivity than the APR-25 homing and warning receiver and having the additional capability of indicating the nature of the threat by signal analysis.
The modified F-100Fs carried the usual load of 20-mm cannon ammunition plus a pair of LAU-3 canisters loaded with 24 rockets which served as markers as well as weapons which could demolish a radar site. Fighter-bombers accompanying the F-100F would then attack the target with iron bombs. The project was given the name *Wild Weasel*, after the fierce little mammal which has a reputation of being so fearless that it pursues its prey into its very den.
The first F-100F Wild Weasel I aircraft arrived in Southeast Asia in November of 1965. The first Wild Weasel F-100F combat mission was flown on December 3. The missions were flown under the codename *Iron Hand*, and the antiradar missions were usually flown by one F-100F accompanied by four F-105s. The F-100F would identify and mark the radar site for attack by the accompanying F-105Ds. (compiled from a variety of sources)
In 1965, several F-100Fs were modified for the role of identifying, marking, and attacking North Vietnamese SAM sites, particularly their radar installations. Applied Technology Inc. did much of the early work. This company began by adapting electronic equipment that had originally been developed for the U-2. In the system which eventually emerged, the F-100F was provided with an AN/APR-25 radar homing and warning receiver which was capable of detecting the S-band signal emitted by the North Vietnamese SA-2 fire control radar as well as the C-band signal emitted by upgraded SA-2 systems and the X-band signals emitted by enemy airborne interception radars and radar-guided antiaircraft artillery. A cockpit display included a "threat panel" plus a cathode-ray tube which showed the bearing of the threat signal. An AN/APR-26 receiver was fitted which detected missile guidance launch signals by sensing a power change in the enemy's command guidance radar signal and flashed a red launch warning signal light in the cockpit. An IR-133 receiver was fitted, this receiver having a greater sensitivity than the APR-25 homing and warning receiver and having the additional capability of indicating the nature of the threat by signal analysis.
The modified F-100Fs carried the usual load of 20-mm cannon ammunition plus a pair of LAU-3 canisters loaded with 24 rockets which served as markers as well as weapons which could demolish a radar site. Fighter-bombers accompanying the F-100F would then attack the target with iron bombs. The project was given the name *Wild Weasel*, after the fierce little mammal which has a reputation of being so fearless that it pursues its prey into its very den.
The first F-100F Wild Weasel I aircraft arrived in Southeast Asia in November of 1965. The first Wild Weasel F-100F combat mission was flown on December 3. The missions were flown under the codename *Iron Hand*, and the antiradar missions were usually flown by one F-100F accompanied by four F-105s. The F-100F would identify and mark the radar site for attack by the accompanying F-105Ds. (compiled from a variety of sources)
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Would greatly enjoy any of said stories if any ppruners care to tell. Going toe-to-toe with SAMs intentionally is a very ballsy mission, regardless of whose insignia is on the side of the jet.
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Plugged in behind a VC10, Nav shouts look left 10, saw an F4G cross above the VC10 by about 500ft, closely followed by 3 trailers. Unfortuantely the #4 was about 10 feet (yes, 10 feet) above the VC10! My heart was so far in my mouth (and there was a little turbulence 
so I was concentrating), that I didn't say anything and I'm not sure what I could have said to the VC10 as he was past so quickly. I assumed that they knew what they were doing, were visual throughout and were trying to be punchy, but then #4 rolls back left and I guess he must have seen the VC10, realised how close he must have come (had he seen it in the first place?) and the whole aircraft rocked left/right/left.
If he knew what he was doing, he was an arse, if he didn't then I don't think much of his lookout.
so I was concentrating), that I didn't say anything and I'm not sure what I could have said to the VC10 as he was past so quickly. I assumed that they knew what they were doing, were visual throughout and were trying to be punchy, but then #4 rolls back left and I guess he must have seen the VC10, realised how close he must have come (had he seen it in the first place?) and the whole aircraft rocked left/right/left.If he knew what he was doing, he was an arse, if he didn't then I don't think much of his lookout.
Last edited by Vifferpilot; 5th Sep 2006 at 12:15. Reason: no speeka da Eeenglish so gud
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Man, what is about VC-10s that Weasels apparently didn't like? Kinda like the bully picking on the Poindexter with the pen pocket protector! 
Gainesy, well done! "Gerbil" has a connotation over here that I wasn't sure translated on your side. I found it fitting, but didn't want to say so in public.
Gainesy, well done! "Gerbil" has a connotation over here that I wasn't sure translated on your side. I found it fitting, but didn't want to say so in public.
Now you have to tell us about the US gerbil thing though.
It involves a cardboard tube......
And a shout of 'Armageddon'!!
Do some Googling for the rest......it'll make your eyes water though.
And a shout of 'Armageddon'!!
Do some Googling for the rest......it'll make your eyes water though.
Have to say that my OPC experience of the ANG WW guys ties up with BEags. My major problem with them was that if they did cock up, and don't we all, they would deny it was them until the AWACS tapes were pulled. Either:
a) They had no idea of the ATO and little idea of where they were
or
b)They knew exactly what they'd done and tried to bull theier way out of it.
Either way I'd rather not have those kinds of attitudes floating around thanks.
On a lighter note, it used to tickle me in a schoolboy fashion to see them bringing loads of time expired bacon back from the BX. This was loaded into the airbrakes and next day at 100ft over some Republican Guard barracks - well, you can guess the rest!
a) They had no idea of the ATO and little idea of where they were
or
b)They knew exactly what they'd done and tried to bull theier way out of it.
Either way I'd rather not have those kinds of attitudes floating around thanks.
On a lighter note, it used to tickle me in a schoolboy fashion to see them bringing loads of time expired bacon back from the BX. This was loaded into the airbrakes and next day at 100ft over some Republican Guard barracks - well, you can guess the rest!
Back to the original thread.........
The scariest moment of GW1, for me, was one that was actually was quite surreal, looking back.
A night sortie on GR1s, we were on our way to the target and in the pitch black there was this sudden flash of white light streak past our cockpit. Far too close for comfort, it seemed at the time. I, clearly, got the navigator's twitch and started punching out chaff like it was in a sale, whilst my pilot rolled the jet onto its back (Easy to do with 8 x 1000lbs on board!). It was only having lost a good deal of height that we realised that it was a WW shooting a HARM. We heard no call from them and I'm not making any criticism but it scared the 2 of us f@rtless! Odd that it did, as we did other bits of that war that should have been scarier. I think it was because it was so unexpected and appeared to be right outside the cockpit.
The scariest moment of GW1, for me, was one that was actually was quite surreal, looking back.
A night sortie on GR1s, we were on our way to the target and in the pitch black there was this sudden flash of white light streak past our cockpit. Far too close for comfort, it seemed at the time. I, clearly, got the navigator's twitch and started punching out chaff like it was in a sale, whilst my pilot rolled the jet onto its back (Easy to do with 8 x 1000lbs on board!). It was only having lost a good deal of height that we realised that it was a WW shooting a HARM. We heard no call from them and I'm not making any criticism but it scared the 2 of us f@rtless! Odd that it did, as we did other bits of that war that should have been scarier. I think it was because it was so unexpected and appeared to be right outside the cockpit.
Brick, I don't recall whether we had any indications. It's far too many pints ago but I seem to remember that it was so much of a surprise because there were no RHWR indications.
I could tell you a story of wasting 70% of our chaff later on in the war due to an EF-111 and RHWR indications, but I'll go and swing a lantern instead!
I could tell you a story of wasting 70% of our chaff later on in the war due to an EF-111 and RHWR indications, but I'll go and swing a lantern instead!
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British aircrew, always thinking!!!
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The Serbians were victims of their own initiative in that they listened in to many of our freqs and often reacted to the 'Magnum Magnum' calls very quickly indeed.
Having worked this out, I am aware of a few trips where the WW mates caled 'Magnum' without pulling the trigger & watched a radar nearby react accordingly.
Cheap as chips!
Having worked this out, I am aware of a few trips where the WW mates caled 'Magnum' without pulling the trigger & watched a radar nearby react accordingly.
Cheap as chips!
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I met a WW back-seater from GW1 who had to punch out late at night close to KKMC during a sandstorm. The airfield was zero-zero and no tankers were available. They bingo'd and performed a controlled bailout. I can't remember the time frame of the war when this took place. It was a good story though.
I met a WW back-seater from GW1 who had to punch out late at night close to KKMC during a sandstorm. The airfield was zero-zero and no tankers were available. They bingo'd and performed a controlled bailout. I can't remember the time frame of the war when this took place. It was a good story though.
My info ("Gulf Air War Debrief", Aerospace Publishing) says it was: 19 Jan; 81st TFS, 52nd TFW; pilot Capt. Tim Burke. Punched-out on fifth landing attempt when one engine siezed due fuel starvation (at odds with Luftig's story). It was later found that one of the bags had been punctured by an AK round, and the loss was classified as a 'hostile loss'.