Navy gets a kill…F/A-18

wanttaja said:
"Basic lesson in aircraft identification: One engine, ours. Two engines, German."
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Paramedic crew bring an old homeless guy to the ER, he's a bit rough. Mumbles something about deserving to be treated better, as he fought in WWII. ER doc decides to send him to VA.
An hour later the ambulance brings him back to the ER with a note that read "Right war. Wrong side."
 
Warlock said:
So not even on a potential attack profile…might as well be another Airbus…
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Maybe, but not necessarily.

What we don't know is if it was actively tanking or flying that profile when it was shot down. I have seen tankers 'practice' stuff during down time including low level runs.

BUT, what can be implied is that the Cruiser should have been very aware that the aircraft was up and should have known exactly where it was regardless of its IFF status.

So many questions and 95% of them are for the ship rather than the brown shoes....
 
The fog of war…

As reported- “Additionally, the Houthis have come out and attempted to take credit for downing the American fighter jet, carried out with eight cruise missiles and 17 drones which led to the failure of the hostile attack on Yemeni territory.”

They claim a “cover-up” of their ability to shoot down an F-18. Plausible deniability?
 
wsquare said:
The fog of war…

As reported- “Additionally, the Houthis have come out and attempted to take credit for downing the American fighter jet, carried out with eight cruise missiles and 17 drones which led to the failure of the hostile attack on Yemeni territory.”

They claim a “cover-up” of their ability to shoot down an F-18. Plausible deniability?
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Not at all surprised Houthis would make such a claim.....sounds exactly like something the Iranian Public Affairs team would come up with.

But as a counter, I highlight the comment I made earlier that this is literally the very first and only case of fratricide in 40 years of the AEGIS weapon system's operational history.

That would be a hard sell to use AEGIS as a cover up.
 
Just because… pure speculation.

Given how many exercise torpedos get shot out of surface vessel torpedo tubes onto the pier, in port…

They knew who and what it was, they goofed on making sure their missiles were “safe” during a practice engagement.

Hey fast movers, safe ejections normal AFTER being shot? Any chance they were warned??

Just playing the odds here.

Tools

Who has actually looked DOWN THE BARREL of a five inch gun, DURING a live fire exercise, while manning a radar scope on the bridge. Sporty! Wasn’t scared, reckoned it wasn’t gonna hurt long.

Heard a stream of profanity that as far as we know is still hanging in space over lake socal pacific to this day…

EDIT: To be clear, it was OUR gun pointing at us. Yes, there are interlocks, safeguards, LOTS of things to prevent that… yet there we were, staring straight down that puppy!
 
. Edit because I should have listened to my first instinct. Too late now, but oh well.
 
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Mikey52 said:
Will the investigation take 2-3 years?
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And I'm guessing will either not be publicly released or heavily redacted to protect the classified information of the AEGIS system.
AvNavCom said:
Was going to keep my mouth shut, but the speculation is getting a bit wild. Nothing cleared for release, so I'll keep it vague. Two aircraft. Two missiles. Both from the cruiser (Houthis not involved). No warning, just good SA and threat training. Routine flight profile for normal recovery (not tanking). One crew gets out and we lose the bird. The other bird is just a miss and recovers. Flight crews didn't do a damned thing wrong. 100% on the boat shoes. We'll see what the investigation says about what actually went wrong.
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I'm curious as Tools pointed out, did the crew get hit then eject, or was warned and ejected prior to the impact. Did the missile even impact?
 
midwestpa24 said:
I'm curious as Tools pointed out, did the crew get hit then eject, or was warned and ejected prior to the impact. Did the missile even impact?
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Out before impact based on their own good SA and training. That's all I'll say on the matter, and only that much to try to reduce some of the speculation.
 
AvNavCom said:
Out before impact based on their own good SA and training. That's all I'll say on the matter, and only that much to try to reduce some of the speculation.
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Someone has outed the same information to the media now.

www.foxnews.com

Second US Navy fighter jet narrowly avoided being shot down in 'friendly fire' incident: source

An F/A-18 Super Hornet – flying a few miles behind the Hornet that was shot down in a "friendly fire" incident over the Red Sea – took evasive maneuvers after a second surface-to-air missile was fired from the cruiser USS Gettysburg, a source with knowledge of the incident tells Fox News.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com

"It was a tanker crew returning to land on the carrier about 10 miles out. They recognized the missile was guiding and punched out about three seconds before the missile hit the jet," the source said.
 
Mikey52 said:
Will the investigation take 2-3 years?
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No, it will be done MUCH sooner than that and the lessons learned will be implemented immediately.

That said, unless you have a need to know, you won't ever see the investigation results. I probably won't see them myself since I don't work in that specific realm (AEGIS) anymore.
 
AvNavCom said:
Out before impact based on their own good SA and training. That's all I'll say on the matter, and only that much to try to reduce some of the speculation.
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I suspect that was the case, but as a black shoe, it only raises more questions in my mind.

I concur with the comment that based on what has been released, this sounds 100% inside the lifelines of the ship.
 
AvNavCom said:
Out before impact based on their own good SA and training. That's all I'll say on the matter, and only that much to try to reduce some of the speculation.
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So why didn’t the second crew, the one that was missed, eject preemptively?
 
Fearless Tower said:
I suspect that was the case, but as a black shoe, it only raises more questions in my mind.

I concur with the comment that based on what has been released, this sounds 100% inside the lifelines of the ship.
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I also believe that. Based on the information leaking out, it sounds like both aircraft were in the stack or just leaving inbound to land on the carrier. Hard to imagine there was much the flight crews could have done to cause this incident.
 
midwestpa24 said:
I also believe that. Based on the information leaking out, it sounds like both aircraft were in the stack or just leaving inbound to land on the carrier. Hard to imagine there was much the flight crews could have done to cause this incident.
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IF the details I've seen are true (and none of this is corroborated - I'm honestly surprised that anyone involved would be talking), there were 3 aircraft involved/flying in close company - the tanker which I believe is the one that was hit and two jets returning from a strike.
 
lulz @ suggesting preemptive ejections are part of defensive BFM/missile counter tactics. I <3 POA. Best entertainment for the money, hands down.
 
The more I think about, if the newest Aegis boat can’t positively ID a manned aircraft that originated from a sister ship, and the Aegis’s job was to be in charge of ID’ing airborne threats to the strike group, the folks in Jersey may have a point about trusting .gov on the drones.
 
All of a sudden we see a missile launch visually from the Gettysburg at our 2:30-3:00.

We talked about it on ICS, Like "Yooooo that **** is crazy, I can't believe they're shooting a drone down."

Missile hits it's apex, and it looked exactly like the SFARP sact lecture animations, so congrats to all the top gun people who made them, confirmed that's what it looks like.

Sm-2 rocket motor was lit for the entire time. I saw the missile make a correction to lead pursuit (yes I know what that looks like), and then come back to pure, and I asked blunder "dude, you want to get out?"

He said something, I don't remember what it was, and then I was just watching this thing guide, thinking about the only option being to eject, and I just grabbed the handle and pulled.
 
You could have interjected Bitching Betty’s commentary into the narrative… not sure what she would say but last time I checked she never says pull the handle…
 
Warlock said:
You could have interjected Bitching Betty’s commentary into the narrative… not sure what she would say but last time I checked she never says pull the handle…
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I’ve actually gotten on the RWR “fixed wing…fixed wing…Lock!” :oops: First mission in Iraq and it scared the crap out of me. Then I remembered the preflight brief from our hosts (4th ID) that ATC radar at Balad routinely gives false indications. Wonderful.
 
FlightmechH3 said:
All of a sudden we see a missile launch visually from the Gettysburg at our 2:30-3:00.

We talked about it on ICS, Like "Yooooo that **** is crazy, I can't believe they're shooting a drone down."

Missile hits it's apex, and it looked exactly like the SFARP sact lecture animations, so congrats to all the top gun people who made them, confirmed that's what it looks like.

Sm-2 rocket motor was lit for the entire time. I saw the missile make a correction to lead pursuit (yes I know what that looks like), and then come back to pure, and I asked blunder "dude, you want to get out?"

He said something, I don't remember what it was, and then I was just watching this thing guide, thinking about the only option being to eject, and I just grabbed the handle and pulled.
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Cite?
 
Velocity173 said:
I’ve actually gotten on the RWR “fixed wing…fixed wing…Lock!” :oops: First mission in Iraq and it scared the crap out of me. Then I remembered the preflight brief from our hosts (4th ID) that ATC radar at Balad routinely gives false indications. Wonderful.
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Shortly after the GR-4 got frat’d RTB to Kuwait during the OIF push north, I remember hearing one of the CJs tell AWACS “If that Patriot spikes me again, he’s getting HARM’d”. They had an airborne ADAFCO who relayed to the battery…those dude’s were operating without a higher echelon unit so no correlated air picture. They’d lock a target then interrogate mode 4, get a positive response and break lock.

I was like “dude…the Iragi’s buried their air force and TBM profile is nothing like air breather…WTF are those guys thinking?”
 
AvNavCom said:
If you're going to quote crew statements (which you probably shouldn't be doing), at least give them the courtesy of removing their callsigns.
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This coming from the person who released the same information (not vague) in the article. If you’re DoN, as the unnamed “Navy official” in the article, we’ll you’re in violation of Navy PA reg just as he/she is.

I don’t think @FlightmechH3 is still in the service and the info given while OPSEC, most likely isn’t even classified.
 
TCABM said:
Shortly after the GR-4 got frat’d RTB to Kuwait during the OIF push north, I remember hearing one of the CJs tell AWACS “If that Patriot spikes me again, he’s getting HARM’d”. They had an airborne ADAFCO who relayed to the battery…those dude’s were operating without a higher echelon unit so no correlated air picture. They’d lock a target then interrogate mode 4, get a positive response and break lock.

I was like “dude…the Iragi’s buried their air force and TBM profile is nothing like air breather…WTF are those guys thinking?”
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Yeah I remember in the book Viper Pilot he talks about how worried (ticked off) he was of the Patriots. One of their F-16s flat out took one out with a HARM. Of course 2003 guys had itchy trigger fingers. When I got there in 2004, there was no air threat. I don’t even think the Patriots were still in theater when I got there.
 
Velocity173 said:
…One of their F-16s flat out took one out with a HARM. ….
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I remember hearing about that in either our brief or debrief. I seem to recall the Patriots were only allowed to operate against TBMs and had to have an HEU to radiate shortly after that happened.

I don’t think anyone at the CAOC understood the risks they were accepting letting those dudes roam around autonomously.
 
The snippet I provided was a small section that was released from one pilot. It is out there completely and also the other F18 that turned abeam to avoid the other SM-2. Interesting account.
 
FlightmechH3 said:
The snippet I provided was a small section that was released from one pilot. It is out there completely and also the other F18 that turned abeam to avoid the other SM-2. Interesting account.
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Can't believe the pilot is talking publicly.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1871930461095616691

Matthew 'Whiz' Buckley @TopGunOptionsHQ

An accounting from the Ripper Pilot shot down by the USS Gettysburg, pilot’s callsign “Fig”:

We fly, front side tank the strikers down to a 4.7, bingo to the ship and land. Gas up again, take off again, give DCA players another 15k

Land on the second flight, gas up again, things starting to cool down, strikers land, large DCA still up, they start to recover some DCA to re launch them. A dude pulls a Penny Benjamin/Dorothy and lands with a failed decoy out and we get stuck on deck for a bit

Finally launch, only 2 DCA remaining on station, some %#$@ drones or whatever flying about, we get on station, I immediately commit myself in the 5 wet to try and get a kill with the 9x in the big girl

We give gas, hang out, Hawkeye goes negative primary, passed control to the ship who calls picture clean. Papa directs Rtb

Check out of DCA, Head towards home. Avoid the shotgun cruiser and destroyer by 15 miles, which was what they told us to do. We are up button 17, about 300 knots in the descent towards final bearing. All of a sudden we see a missile launch visually from the Gettysburg at our 2:30-3:00

We talked about it on ICS, Like "Yooooo that %#$@ is crazy, I can't believe they're shooting a drone down"

Missile hits it's apex, and it looked exactly like the SFARP sact lecture animations, so congrats to all the top gun people who made them, confirmed that's what it looks like

Sm-2 rocket motor was lit for the entire time. I saw the missile make a correction to lead pursuit (yes I know what that looks like), and then come back to pure, and I asked blunder "dude, you want to get out?"

He said something, I don't remember what it was, and then I was just watching this thing guide, thinking about the only option being to eject, and I just grabbed the handle and pulled.

It was the most violent 5 seconds of anything I've ever experienced. Canopy immediately gone, I remember seeing the canopy bow disappearing below my sight line, and it getting dark. Arms and legs flail everywhere, I never said "eject" or anything on ICS just pulled. felt the opening shock of the parachute, and as soon as I looked up at a good parachute, I heard what I assess as the missile fusing, just a loud "POP"

Did IROK, Took off my mask, inflate LPU, Deploy the raft, and then contemplated life for the rest of the ride down

In the water, SEAWARS goes off, chute goes away, I never even saw it or felt any drag in the water. Raft inflated, I pulled myself over to it and climbed in like a fat idiot ginger would, it wasn't pretty. That's when I figured out my left knee and left shoulder were not In a great place.

Broke out the strobe, broke out the radio, IMM, no workie. Never got a fix on that POS. Went to LOS comms, never got a response on SAR (had the wrong frequency, user error), so I called out on UHF Guard, but also got no answer, but they heard me.

Blunder is like 100 yards from me lit up like a Christmas tree with sidewinder flashlight and strobe and everything, I thought it was a boat
:lol:


We drift closer together in 6-10' seas and eventually get within earshot. "You ok?" "Yup" "Bro what the %#$@ they shot at us!"

I was BIG MAD in the raft so mad they shot at us and thinking about being In the raft for the next however many hours.

Eventually blunder tells me the frequency I'm supposed to be on, like a good WSO, and I get in contact with the E-2 and the Helo.

20 mins later Helo is overtop us, they pick him up first because he is obviously more likeable than I am, and then I get picked up. 10 minute flight to get our story straight in the Helo. One of the aircrewmen had a zyn can in the Helo, and then I remembered I had a zyn can in my G suit pocket. Pulled it out and put the remaining 3 salt water soaked zyns in my mouth and high fived the rescue swimmer.”
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AvNavCom said:
If you're going to quote crew statements (which you probably shouldn't be doing), at least give them the courtesy of removing their callsigns.
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The damage is done. The call sign has been posted all over the bloody internet. One post I saw even included a name and telephone number that received the alleged text and forwarded it on.

The info that is out only made a very bad situation worse. For the pilots involved, Squadron CO and the CO of the CVN for not locking down comms....assuming there is any truth to the alleged statements.

Someone involved was either very stupid OR they are trying to get a message out ahead of the actual investigation which implies that those in the air may not have been 100% blameless.

I have no doubt that heads will likely roll on the Cruiser, but there are some people wearing brown shoes who are going to be very sorry for going public which is unfortunate. Bottom line is that I'll reserve judgement until I see more legit details.

Only other thing I'll say is that there are idiots that still believe the USN shot down TWA 800 and has successfully covered it up for 30 years....
 
As an aside, is there any kind of tradition where the aircrew kicks down some bottles to the maintainers who kept the ejection seats functioning?
 
Fearless Tower said:
Someone involved was either very stupid OR they are trying to get a message out ahead of the actual investigation which implies that those in the air may not have been 100% blameless.
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Or it was written by someone not involved. At this point nothing is certain, at least to an outside observer. Hint: If you are posting in this thread you are (or better be) an outside observer.

Nauga,
JAFO
 
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