Transponder use in military aviation
 

Anyone knowledgeable willing to share some typical practices, generalisations regarding transponder usage within military aviation.


The context is a heated debate about the "aviation safety in the Baltic region".
What is the norm, are all mil planes equipped with secondary transponders, when do the typically use them, when not?


Thx for any educated input.

I can't speak for the Baltic region, but along the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Russian east coast during the cold war, we ALWAYS had our transponder on. There was no mode S in those days, but we broadcast mode C and mode 4 military. This was in P-3s flying various kinds of patrol missions, including PARPRO. We also used TACAN air to air mode when arriving or departing a patrol station.

I think all Britmil aircraft are transponder fitted.
For al training and transit sorties it would be on.
For certain operational sorties it might be off, the operating area might also dictate that the transponder be at standby, so no fixed answer, it would be aircraft, mission and location dependent .

Caygill, curiously in 15 years on the lecture circuit that question has never arisen. 1771 has given the definitive answer.

Thanks. The Baltic air safety question is that politized (beyond the actual transponder issue) that I simply tried to educate myself for more relevant debates.