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‘Top Gun’ takes on Taliban upside down
From the Sunday Times:
THE Royal Navy’s “Top Gun” pilot and veteran of almost 200 missions in Afghanistan has relived the hair-raising aerial manoeuvres used against a Taliban stronghold. Lieutenant Simon Rawlins, 30, described flipping his Harrier jet upside down while flying up the side of a mountain at more than 500mph to scare off enemy troops. The “show of force” mission required the fighter pilot to fly just 100ft above ground, the minimum safe distance, leaving him vulnerable to rocket attack and rifle fire. edited to correct the link |
Finger Trouble?
That link doesn't take you to the Sunday Times, G2................
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135 AoB=up-side down nowerdays is it...?
....but well done lad, pity that you only got 400 hours in your 200 sorties. - that is a lot of strap-ins. |
How pissed is he about comparing his maneuver to pulling a Maverick and Goose on the Taliban?
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Hope the Taliban enjoyed the display - can't see how it killed any of them but maybe we can only read the bit that was meant to impress.
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Might have been worthwhile if he had actually shot/bombed some of them instead of 'terrifying' them - more fantastic RN PR
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But if proximity of our forces/civilians prevented this, and the impact of his low pass gave time for our forces to advance/move to safety, then it's still a worthwhile action. Look at all the munitions dropped in Vietnam - who won?
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more fantastic RN PR I wonder when someone will ask if the display was performend due to a shortage of ammo. |
Shortage of ammo?
7/9's don't have a gun, :mad:
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Scranbag!
Scrawlins! Or Scranbag. Bless you. Dartmouth (Cunningham) 1998, do you still wear pyjama bottoms under your 3's trousers (itchy legs)? PM me if you are out there in prooone land (when not going inverted and keeping up international relations).
NGB (we shared a cabin for 5 months) |
7/9's don't have a gun, :mad: Last time I heard, the Taliban still did not have an air force. So it is mostly ground support missions. How do you do that without a gun? |
Last time I heard, the Taliban still did not have an air force. How do you do that without a gun? |
Paveway IV |
What happened to the 30mm?
ADEN 30mm was fitted to GR1, 3, FRS1 and F/A2.
ADEN 25mm was being developed for UK GR5/T10, etc. RO/BAe and an engineering development company in the Ascot/Windsor area(?) couldn't get around the gun cradle twisting during gun firing resulting in multiple stoppages and excessive cradle cracking - allegedly. US system on AV8B - gun in one pod, ammo in the other with an up-and-over feed system through the fuselage - can not be fitted on UK Harriers due to additional UK spec kit being fitted in the cross-feed hole - allegedly. |
ADEN 25mm was being developed for UK GR5/T10, etc. RO/BAe and an engineering development company in the Ascot/Windsor area(?) couldn't get around the gun cradle twisting during gun firing resulting in multiple stoppages and excessive cradle cracking - allegedly. |
Thought it was de riguer?
Many moons ago (2004?) I watched 2 PARA doing a live firing attach up an Otterburn re-entrant supported by a pair of Harriers dropping some form of practice bombs.
The boss of 16Bde was obviously unimpressed by their accuracy and demanded that the next run impress him or else. Cue Harrier running in inverted before verting and dropping at the last minute. I think it was the laughter of those around the bunker rather than the flying skills that silenced the Brig. |
Desert Diner,
Along with Paveway and General Purpose Bombs. CRV-7s RAF - CRV-7 Maverick RAF - Maverick TJ |
TEEEJ,
Thanks for the links. Truly awsome weaponry against ships and other armored forces and installations. However, these may not be well suited for close air support of a patrol that has come under fire from nearby snipers. You need a gun/cannon for that. Now I see why Lieutenant Rawlins had to resort to "scaring" the Taliban CRV-7 This unguided weapon equips the Harrier GR7 and comes in two versions, for attacks on lightly protected installations, ships or armoured forces. The weapon is designed for close air support and defence suppression and can be used against armour, ships and transport and fuel-storage facilities. The G2 version, with which the RAF is equipped, has an Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker which gives the weapon a true all weather, day or night ‘fire-and-forget’ capability against armoured and mobile targets. |
Desert Diner
Exactly how many CAS missions have you flown in? I assume you are an expert in the weapons effects of a gun verses HEPD CRV 7 verses sniper positions. |
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