2x F16C flight to protect strike package from AAA air defences.
Snake3_1 and Snake3_2
Arming: 1x AGM88
5x CBU 87 CEM
2x Aim9M
2x Aim120
ECM pod
Conditions:
Wind 64 deg @ 18KTS
temp 20 deg
clouds broken @ 104,000 ft. MSL base
con layer 30,000 ft. @ MSL base
divert field- Twitt o kol airstrip
Situation:
Intel reports the following enemy squadrons are operating out of the 2nd infantry corps located 12 nm east of T'osan:
86th Mi24 helo attack squadron, 5th KA50 helo attack squadron.
Air command would like to damage or destroy facilities in order to
reduce sortie rate. Primary target for OCA flight: Ammo dump. Known air
defences ZSU 57 AAA. No enemy air activity reported over the target
area.
Snake3_1 reporting.
First tasking of the day. Fly minutes ahead of the main strike package and thin out the
the AAA. I was a little relieved that intel reported no known SAM launchers in the target
area, but getting dirty with the AAA can be just as deadly. The OCA strike group would be
counting on my Two ship to make it a little easier on them.
The crew chief SGT. MacNamara goes over the arming with me: 5 combined effects munitions- cluster bomb
units, (CBU 87 CEM) and 1 AGM88 anti-radiatiom missile, just in case a SAM unit decides
to make an appearance. With arming checklist complete, Mac pats me an the back, and with a nod
for good luck, " Get some for me Sir". " smiling, I will bring her back in one piece"
After a final walk around, it's into the cockpit for spool up then taxi.
"Tower, permission to taxi? " "Snake3 permission to taxi runway7_3" We are just ahead of the OCA strike
package and I salute Mac as we leave the chalks and head to the strip. Passing 2 A10's holdling on the taxi way,
I notice they are returning 'weapons gone'. This conflict is getting hotter by the hour.
I glance over my right shoulder to check on my wingman 2nd LT.
Diggs. This is "Mongo's" first combat mission. I don't know him well,
but his flight record is top notch.
Ok, busy as hell, Tower asks me to hold short to let another Viper two-ship to clear the runway.
"Snake3 , you are cleared for takeoff".
As I taxi to final position , my hearts skips a couple of
beats; "here we go again!" The familiar feeling of a combat sortie
takeoff reminds me of my last combat missions in F15E's over the Gulf.
The engine lights up as I push the throttle quadrent to full afterburner. Pushed down the runway, I gain momentum
to the point where gravity doesn't have a grip on my jet anymore. I lift off the strip, the after burning engine thundering.
Ka-thunk, gear is up, set coms, and get ready to check in with Sentry.
Reaching steerpoint 2 and checking in with AWACS, I tell Mongo to go echelon, and close it up. As we pull through the
clouds and level off, my wingman comfirms, "2 in position."
Ok, its 15 minutes to IP, then to 5000 ft. for run in on target at SEAD 4. AWACS reports multiple groups of bogies, with
none in our vicinity. Good, we will have our hands full with the AAA.
Arriving at IP, we steer into the flight path to target. My
RWR, has been chirping continually for 5 minutes, as EWR
and other ground units, both friendly and unknown have been painting
me. Decending to 5000. Wings level, I push it up a notch. No point in
giving those guys down there an easy target.
A/G on, select HRM display/AGM88..... Good, no SAM sights over the
target area..... yet. Select CBU CCIP mode, declutter HUD, pair bombing mode. height burst is 750.
"Snake3_2, kick out, weapons free......"
Check TOT; Good, a little early but only by seconds. Nose down, I pick up some targets on the right side of the compound.
I see puffs of smoke, a few seconds before tracers and flak start pounding the air.
Thud thud thud, the air is violated by the bursting of
shells... Almost there....
Pickle! 2 away. A second and a half later the tell tail rattling of CBU
bomblets and secondaries is music to my ears as I violently jink
several times to avoid the tracers. Dropping flares and chaff , I
egress to the north. As my wing man lines up on the left side of the
compound he confirms 3 of my kills.
Cluster Effect Munitions
Flak!
Down the road I pick up a group of vehicles retreating. Pitch down... I line them up, and pickle my last 3 CBU's on the
group. Jink! Jink! The G's compress my body as I hear two dull impacks on my airframe!
Betty responds WARNING WARNING....
I look over at damage display and see only 2 minor systems damaged..
Good, I still have control. As I turn off target, I look back and check
on my last drop. Smoke fills the air over the road, confirming some
hits.
I look at my escape options as I select my next steerpoint. Turning right, I choose to egress low and fast over the hills.
"Snake3_2 check in....." He responds and I give him my position. Good he made it through the target too.
A few minutes later he checks in on my wing, and we close it up as we head south. He clears me of any visible damage, and his
frame looks tight as well. "We got a few, hope it makes a difference for the package."
I respond, "copy 2, it was pretty thick down there."
Returning to base is uneventful, and I keep tabs on coms
listening to a CAP engaging 4 mig29's. We get within 12 nm of the Osan
airfield, and I ask for an inbound vector.
"Good afternoon Snake 3_2, Take standard orbit pattern, turn right 240,
keep most practical speed."
After a standard approach, and landing clearance given with proper spacing, it is touchdown, and rollout.
A small section of a debrief screen from another mission. The full screen
includes a listing of kills, both air and ground.
Debrief:
"How'd we do boys?" Good job sir, looks like the strike package
made it through with no losses, they report secondaries on the
compound, and ammo dump. BDA (battle damage assessment) is enroute now.
All in a days work.
Snake3 actual target assessment
Snake3_1 5X CBU 87- ZSU 57
ZSU 57
ZSU 57
ZSU 57
T 55
T 55
Snake3_2 5x CBU 87- ZSU 57
ZSU 57
ZSU 57
Maj. Robert " Vexx " Yurystowski 469th , tasked with the 35th Fighter/Bomber Sqdrn. Osan airbase, South Korea.
"First to Fight"
