Desert Storm Wild Weasel tales?
 

Doing some research on F-4G Weasel ops in the first round of the Gulf.

Any one care to either post here or PM me? Good or bad, just interested to hear any related stories.

Whilst waiting to conduct post-strike refuelling ina VC10K, we were holding on an AARA. Our levels were as assigned in the ATO....as were the levels assigned to the KC-135 above us. He was refuelling a couple of F4Gs as we got to the turn point underneath him.

Without warning, the ill-disciplined Weasel f*ckwits he had just finished refuelling left his formation in a descending turn. One went over the top of us, the other just underneath... The ar$eholes hadn't obeyed SOPs, just followed some sort of "Hey, Saddam, here we come - you betta watch out!" macho stupidity....

Roll the clock forward a few years to OPC. One day we're refuelling some FAF Miarge F1s, when an F-16 and an F-4 cross co-alt a mile ahead. Bloody weasels again, not sticking to the ACO. Their KC-135 had already complained about their antics during AAR; I got back to Incirlik to find the Base Commander furious and in a "I want some butt!" mood. We gave him a "STFU and listen" debrief; by the time we got to the O-Club for a few beers the Weasel team had their "Back Stateside, next available transport" orders.

I'm sure that the Weasels do some stressful stuff; however, all I ever saw personally was rank cowboyism. A shame that the idiot minority spoiled the reputation of the majority.

Thanks, BEagle! As I said, I'm looking for both good and bad tales/anecdotes.

OH MY! Weasels being agressive....how ever could that be?

Good on yer Beags....about time someone sorted out the Weasels.....layabouts and all that they are. Why you would think they were the guys down there duking it out with the SAM's and AAA guns protecting every other Mothers's Son. Can't let them get away cowboying....heavens just ain't cricket is it?:ugh:

Doubt anyone could have seen that coming, someone crticises the US and SAS gets the hump..........."kell surpreese":ugh:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

or rather ABIW a thread starts up and within 10 secs a brit starts giving the yanks a hard time. i imagine the weasels have saved a hell of a lot more lives (and lost a lot of their own in the process) than just about any other type. i can forgive a bit of 'cowboyism' for that.

But when anyone, Brit, Yank or b£oody Martian for that matter, doesn't stick to established procedures in the Airspace Co-ordination Order to an extent that they hazard others through stupid, reckless cowboy behaviour, then they thoroughly deserve to be criticised.

Nothing at all to do with nationality.

In the 12 years I flew operations over Iraq, the only real danger I ever encountered (apart from a couple of dozen Scud attacks) was from ill-disciplined Weasels disregarding the ACO.

For truly professional electronic combat fliers, you have only to listen to the stories about the Lechfeld Tornado ECR guys during the Balkan wars.

But the Weasels did throw some good parties at Incirlik!

Im more suprised to find a VC10 type who actaully reads the ACO. Not many of them about these days.

Surprised you even looked out of the window on the tanker tracks Beagle. Coffee not being served at the time?

Wonder how many other types, various roles, messed up and were at the wrong level or working hard in their sinlge seat fighter and maybe got a little close. Things happen in v busy airspace. Im sure the fighter guys have plenty stories about tankers not being where they should on the ACO too!

Nobody hit to my knowledge so maybe a wee bit of cutting of slack aint a bad thing. Weasel guys saves asses. Cowboyism is a bit harsh.

Actually it was the USAF KC-135 captain who had first complained at the way those particular Weasels had behaved in OPC. When we also reported a 'too lose for comfort' incident to Duke, that was the last straw for the OPC boss and he fired them back Stateside until they could learn to conform with orders.

We had to overstress to avoid a collision with the idiots in GW1 - it is hardly 'cutting some slack' to have to push to avoid being hit by a brace of reckless fools who broke away and down off the tanker through our level - and to hear the nose of " 2x 2 x J79 at close range going past the window was not too pleasant.

Bugger all point in Weasels 'saving lives' if they hazard other lives unnecessarily through breaches of flying discipline!

Disciplined, professional aggression is good; cowboy antics are not.

Which could bring me to the subject of the behaviour of certain ANG units some years later....but that would be off-topic.

There must be some good Wild Weasel anecdotes around, surely?

There are some good tales.

One, that I've gotten from the Weasel driver involved, had a 'better lucky than good' quality. Since it involved some GR1s, it is along the lines of why I posted my question on pprune.

Short story: several weeks into Desert Storm, not many Iraqi air defenders were lighting up ANY radars, much less the search or tracking varieties of the SA-2 or -3. On one night mission supporting GR1s against H2, a surveillance radar was the only game in town, so the F-4G crew decided to at least get that one.

Launched just a little before the GR1s were to lay down their load, the HARM actually acquired a SA-3 that illuminated the GR's in the last few seconds of the missile's flight. The GR flight lead was impressed and appreciative of the 'precise' destruction of the SAM tracking his flight and said so upon RTB. The Weasel had to 'fess up that while he was glad he could help, he had actually meant to take out something else.

In another anecdote, on night three, a four ship was escorting B-52s dropping on Republican Guard. SA-2's to the left, to the right, yet still the regiment rode through the valley (oh, wait, wrong conflict....). Anyway, 1 & 2 stayed to tangle with the SAMs while 3 & 4 pressed with the BUFFs. Lead had to avoid six SA-2 shots within 70 seconds. A busy time in his life........

Ooooh beag's, its soo cute when REMF's play tough with the gun slingers....

Although I'm not one of the grow bagged Gods I believe calling the 10 guys 'REMF's' is a bit harsh. Many a low on fuel US Marine/US Navy a/c was drouged out of trouble by VC10's during the various Gulf Wars, not always in the 'safe' side of the border either.

"YGBSM"

Is the story behind this true?

Do you mean the phrase?

If so, supposedly.

For those unaware, this is the suppossed to be the quote (You gotta be
sh1tting me!) from the GIB when the Weasel mission was being set-up in Vietnam.

Edited to add: Is this the story to which you referred?

First flown in F-100Fs
then F-105F/G
F-4G
EA-6B
F-16CJ
maybe the E/F-18G.

[QUOTE=BEagle;2819611]
For truly professional electronic combat fliers, you have only to listen to the stories about the Lechfeld Tornado ECR guys during the Balkan wars.

Kosovo in 99 first night the E3D took the southern Orbit, had two ECR's come all the way down from northern Italy and both failed to take gas off of fragged Tanker and KC10 that was in the orbit. Had to get them to Goia Del Cole? (spelling) on a mayday which kind of blew the plan for that raid out of the water. But F18 and EA6 stepped forward and instead of PET shots waited to target any Serb radars that came up. Always wondered why both ECR's failed to take gas?

SASless, you're an ar***ole. Your attitude stinks.

There is no substitute for discipline, no matter how dangerous or glamourous the job. Take out a "Ten" full of fuel instead of following published procedures and Op Order. Why not, hey should have got outta the way guy! Mind you, neatly explains how the Maverick ended up in the Warrior APC in the first GW doesn't it?

Grow up.

Flame if you wish, but Jeez that annoyed me. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Doc C

Worth a look here :
www.sci.fi/~fta/storm-01.htm
Desert Storm - The Electronic Battle by Carlo Kopp
Published in Australian Aviation, June/July/August, 1993

B-E

Beag's,
You should know better than offering criticism of our "cousins", not only have you upset SAS but you now have his faithfull sidekick Westy yapping at you as well:rolleyes:

You could'nt write this stuff:p

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

You're right, apparently you can't.