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P-3 finds a sub
- Thread starter NUFO06
- Start date
I am here to help......
fudog50
Registered User
thats the point hozer, there was no sasp or AQA-7, (i was brought up on 7/8/9,,then 10/11/12), and of course everyone thought SASP totally sucked when it first came online.
161130 CDU had some junk onboard that will remain unnameless at SS 1&2. All the original stuff was stripped and "listening" equipment was installed. Yes I know the equipment and yes it shall remain unnamed.
Also, in 1987, during Operation Earnest Will in the Gulf, we had 2 birds in VP-19 that were stripped of AQA-7 and associated gear.
We operated out of Dharhran, and there were "spooks" from the Army onboard. Sensor 1&2 guys were sent back to Dodge. (diego garcia)
The 4 months I spent there in Dharhran were a story in itself. The #1 thing I learned is how different Navy is from Air Force as far as perdiem and perks.
Air Force was there training AWACS at the time. They got full perdiem and a liquor ration. We stayed at the same compound, got zero perdiem and had zero liquor. WTF?
I don't care what anyone says, P-3's are more important than any tailhook guys care to even fathom.
That is my opinion coming from 26 years Naval Aviation, 16 enlisted, 10 officer. 5 carriers,(one ships company as Avionics Officer) 5 squadrons including tailhooks and P-3's.
161130 CDU had some junk onboard that will remain unnameless at SS 1&2. All the original stuff was stripped and "listening" equipment was installed. Yes I know the equipment and yes it shall remain unnamed.
Also, in 1987, during Operation Earnest Will in the Gulf, we had 2 birds in VP-19 that were stripped of AQA-7 and associated gear.
We operated out of Dharhran, and there were "spooks" from the Army onboard. Sensor 1&2 guys were sent back to Dodge. (diego garcia)
The 4 months I spent there in Dharhran were a story in itself. The #1 thing I learned is how different Navy is from Air Force as far as perdiem and perks.
Air Force was there training AWACS at the time. They got full perdiem and a liquor ration. We stayed at the same compound, got zero perdiem and had zero liquor. WTF?
I don't care what anyone says, P-3's are more important than any tailhook guys care to even fathom.
That is my opinion coming from 26 years Naval Aviation, 16 enlisted, 10 officer. 5 carriers,(one ships company as Avionics Officer) 5 squadrons including tailhooks and P-3's.
I'm going to differ with you on this one. VP-19 was sent on the spur of the moment as a result of an urgent requirement. I was in VP-46 and relieved your crews in Dhahran. In fact, I went there 3 weeks before the rest of our crew along with my PPC to fly with yours and see what/how things were going.
The only thing VP-19 had were flare/chaff pods and night vision goggles. VP-46 scrambled to have our planes modified with IR jammers, flare/chaff release buttons at the aft observer windows, blackout visors for all the windows, night vision goggle lighting, the grey paint scheme (versus the old white/grey) and fuel tank foam. We also sent all our crews through DACM training and a select few of us went to Nellis and flew their ranges to test the IR, flare and chaff and develop self-defense tactics. All in the 3-4 months from when VP-19 was sent and we relieved them.
There were plenty of SS1 & SS2s in the VP-19 det as they rotated through the aft observer windows on the goggles. As VP-46's lead NFO on getting us up to speed, I talked to your guys in Dhahran at least 3 or 4 times a week over the STU.
Further, when we relieved you, we took over your quarters. It was a separate compound than the AWACs guys and no where near them. The AWACs guys had a "tea house" where beer was served and strictly controlled to the point even the empties had to be accounted for. We has total access to this tea house and it was a VP-19 guy who took me to it my first night in Dhahran and explained the rules to me. The tea house was actually run by USMTM - the U.S. Military Training Mission, a joint detachment to who the AWACS were attached along with some other Navy, Army and Marine trainers.
There was roll-on/roll-off "listening" gear available and the operators did sit at the SS1/SS2 station. But the jez equipment was not stripped out and it was usable at all times (but no reason to). This gear was rarely flown by either VP-19, VP-46 or VP-9 (who relieved us).
The CDU planes were never in the Gulf. They were strictly anti-drug used in the Caribbean. They did have the jez gear stripped out and a F-16 radar in the nose.
VP-46 introduced ISAR to the Gulf when we relieved you. It was a pain in that many of the ships confused it with a fire control radar because of the scan. Took a lot of educating on our part and we almost pulled it out of the Gulf as too confusing but wiser heads prevailed and we trained the ship guys.
VP-19 did a great job on the spur of the moment, but they went in with generic P-3s. The rest came with us when we relieved them. VP-9 had even more.
BTW, my brother was a TACCO/MC in VP-19 at the time and was part of "Det Bravo".
On VP-8's last deployment to Rosie Roads, they took an old ass aircrew, and tried to get the AQA-7 up to fly an ASW mission for the hell of it. Turns out they couldn't get it operating correctly, but it sure didn't start a fire. Its too bad it didn't work, I'm sure the old guys would have had a blast.
Big Red Det "B"
Concur with HAL.
I was there too, CAC 4. No Sensor Operators were sent back to DG that I remember. We, as HAL stated, manned the aft observer windows with NVG's and a pickle switch. The only one I know of that was sent back to DG was an AZ who wrote letters home embellishing the situation.
First time I actually observed AA/AAA on NVG's. I spent a few nights at the AF "bar", accounting for each and every bottle. Actually, my crew was in Cubi when it all went down. We were supposed to be in Cubi for 5 or 6 days but the Skipper came and crashed our party so that we could enjoy the hot sand.
Concur with HAL.
I was there too, CAC 4. No Sensor Operators were sent back to DG that I remember. We, as HAL stated, manned the aft observer windows with NVG's and a pickle switch. The only one I know of that was sent back to DG was an AZ who wrote letters home embellishing the situation.
First time I actually observed AA/AAA on NVG's. I spent a few nights at the AF "bar", accounting for each and every bottle. Actually, my crew was in Cubi when it all went down. We were supposed to be in Cubi for 5 or 6 days but the Skipper came and crashed our party so that we could enjoy the hot sand.