Gents, this is an awesome thread. @HeyJoe @Max the Mad Russian thank you for giving us a much-needed diversion.
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Cold War revisited
- Thread starter HeyJoe
- Start date
I think it's time for HeyJoe to resurrect his The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery thread.
Just to help out others... Try this thread:
The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery, Troisième partie: la vengeance!
French President Macron hoists to SNLE "Les Terrible" Helluva way to make an entrance! I can't imagine the French equivalent of the Secret Service was super excited about this, but pretty damn cool.
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The one Zip posted is closed. The new one is Part 33 1/3.
Phil Gay was the XO when I left the 'Winders. I later ran into him after he put on eagles and was a carrier CO at the NTU O'club when I was in VC-12/VFC-12.
Ah...Mustin! By 1985, he was the 2nd Fleet Commander as a 3 Star and Tuttle was also a 3 star commanding 6th Fleet. Max...You are certainly well read on those heady days. So for Ocean Safari 85, Mustin was the senior embarked flag with SecNav himself aboard. Mustin’s advocacy for the surface navy was indeed well known, but Lehman was an aviator and our CAG, Jay Johnson was very forward leaning. We slipped out of Norfolk and at nightfall, joined with Ike and switched lights and weaved back and forth confusing the Balzam class Lira trying to tail us.
So we crossed Atlantic unobserved and arrived north of Ireland splitting off USS Iowa to north with a deception van. The Soviet Navy was arrayed across the GIUK gap and in the English Channel awaiting our appearance with NATO also trying to locate USS America as well as British journalists who chartered a helo. Like you said, Mustin thought surface ships would prevail but we had a nifty Tactical Flag Communication Center (TFCC) that was first of its kind to display all the tracks. I was the Photo Reconnaissance Coordinator so I had access to Flag Plot and watched us easily slip through the cordon during the night in rough seas.
We could also see the Kynda surface action group transiting the English Channel plugging the southern route. Lehman wanted to hit it with a Strike Group and give VA-46 a chance to practice with their brand new HARM missiles. Mustin was not confident that it would be easy and bet we would never find the Soviet Cruiser operating in EMCON and nestled in a lot of shipping traffic. So the bet was on and we called the mission “MUSTARD” for MUSTin Air Recon Division. We launched at dawn for the 600 mile journey with A-7E carrying HARM, a Prowler and an EA-3 for protection and locating info as well as several KA-6D tankers. Chuck Hunter and I were tailend Charlie in a TARPS Tomcat to bring back proof. We were the only aircraft assigned to actually overfly the Grozny and her escort as everyone else would stand off and play their part. If the Grozny did not light off her weapons system to give the HARM shooters something to target before we got there, our job was to get them to do so while the HARM shooters stood off.
We planned a circuitous route threading the passage between Ireland and the UK so we would not have to deal with air traffic control. We had a RAF liaison aboard who was most helpful in figuring out how to conduct the passage in total EMCON. All the jets had the CO or XO due to high visibility of the endeavor. We were the most junior aircrew in the whole caper being mere Lieutenants but we were the most senior school trained and experienced TARP aircrew in the squadron. We were crewed with nuggets at the time but our Skipper put us back together again knowing we would deliver the bacon. His only guidance was “Don’t come back without the pictures!” I took that as a license to do what it took which was how it played out.
In case the Soviet Cruiser wasn’t where we thought it was based on predications hours old by the time we arrived in the search area, I planned for several eventualities to buy us more search time. Luckily, the ship was in Flex Deck mode so I didn’t have to worry about a recovery time. We just needed enough gas for the 2.5 hour return. I asked our RAF Liaison about feasibility of flying a direct path over the UK and whether there were any NATO standard Hot Fuel Pits in the Northern coast of Scotland. That gave me a potential Plan B to save time returning directly once our need for EMCON expired and a last gasp option to get fuel expeditiously on the return of I had not established comms with the E-2C I knew would be watching for us. I drew several fuel ladders on blank kneeboard cards to address various scenarios.
We had our own KA-6D Mission Tanker on the way down which we drained. I kept my INS updated on the way down and watched as the ship (at least where it was when we departed) was further and further away...100, 200, 300, 400, 500nm. The A-7 Squadron CO interrupted our tranquility as we rounded the Southwest part of the UK and said they were RTB. No emissions were detected so far so they were calling it a day. We joined up on the Prowler who gave a head shake beef ore they departed with the rest of the gaggle except for Chuck and me. We were now on our own with a heck of a long way to go and just enough gas to make it. We decided to press into the Channel and see if we could locate our quarry.
the Tomcat had a state of the art amazing air-to-air radar at the time, but it was not optimized at all for air-to-ground, but it could discern surface contacts (and land masses) on the sea with the pulse scope. So I set up the AWG9 to look for some large returns in the expanse of the English Channel. I was surprised to see hundreds of radar returns on my DDD scope. I started trying to make sense of it all and describe to Chuck what I was seeing since his repeat display did not allow him to see my DDD. We discussed the fuel situation and how long we had before we had to return.
I had put Lossiemouth into the INS as our emergency fuel stop so that was looking more and more like our return option. We decided that theSoviet cruiser would probably be avoiding the clusters of smaller returns that I surmised to be fishing fleets. We also had a new challenge as we proceeded into the Channel, the legendary pea soup fog. We figured that would force the Soviet Captain to opt for center of the sea lane that I could see by what appeared to be buoys and larger returns arrayed along them. So I gave Chuck steering to the line of larger contacts thereabouts and found the first several to be large freighters. Still no warships. We discussed fuel again and I broke out the PCL to look at the best profile to use. My RHAW gear was silent. Still no warships ahead. It was time to make a decision on e e using a Bingo profile. I thought about the heavies counting on us a little bit but mainly wanted to score the surprise 600 from mother now.
We were barely halfway into the English Channel now and fog was getting worse and worse. Suddenly, at top of my DDD, a juicy return appeared with a second return followed by two more. That could only be warships! The fog made it hard to discern what they were until we were right on top of them. Chuck came up on the INS and said “I see orange decks!” It was the Grozny followed by a Krivak destroyer. Yahoo! And we could see the Grozny was at quarters on the fantail. Sweet!
We set up to rig them with proscribed TARPS runs and swept the wings to look good. We hit both ships initially with 45 degree oblique passes that intel folks like and passed by the two following ships to see that they were Royal Mavy and French Navy surface ships tailing the Soviet SAG. As we came by the Grozny a second time, they had apparently gone to GQ because the crew had left the fantail and were running forward. We decided on one more pass and a vertical depart in burner to 10K. We were definitely going to Lossiemouth now and had enough fuel for that even with a little burner action. As we passed several thousand feet, they lit us up with their fire control radar. That surprised us at how long it took but we were happy because we knew that would trigger all sorts of monitoring stations and the ship would likely know it was probably us! Nuff for now??
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Max the Mad Russian
Hands off Ukraine! Feet too
Why not? At least Corsair II could stay with Bear a lot longer than Hornet, right?
I was assigned to him as a Marine 1/LT in the Pentagon in 1978. He was a LCDR slated for VA-86 XO/CO tour. We really had a great time in DC after hours. We stayed in touch and he flew to Pensacola to pin my wings on. Ten years later when I reported to VF-32 as a DH, he subsequently took over as CO of JFK and had her for Desert Shield/Storm.
Looking at the notations, that wouldn't have been the Carrier who later in life ended up teaching sims at Meridian, would it? Pretty sure he was a Tomcat guy.
Max the Mad Russian
Hands off Ukraine! Feet too
Excellent work, thank you very much! You just described the RIO work any of Backfire WSO would certainly be impressed by, since they surely lacked such experience in the straits with the heavy maritime traffic. Backfire was the weapon for open ocean and both its WSOs (senior one usually being Nav behind the plane commander in left seat and junior boy serving the targeting radar behing co-pilot by the right side) would definitely be confused by such mission's intricacy. Grozny on your picture is not in GQ and generally one could easily say is that GQ or not by the glance on the foremast about the bridge height where are always two "seven" flags if the ship went to GQ, and it automatically means that all fire control radars of weapon systems are on high and in searching mode. This ship's AAW system, Volna ("the wave"), had single guidance channel for target and twins for missiles, thus it could lock on each single tracking target with two missiles guiding on it at a time. I don't think you were under real threat when that Volna's radar was locked on you but you definitely diverted any threat from Corsair boys had they have been there right after your Tomcat.
Well, amazingly... I've just read beautiful story about the maritime strike targeting written by... RIO! I always supposed the NFO corps in USN Tailhook community is the hidden but actually main reason for success. I've just read the proof, for short. Thanks again!
Last one - this same Grozny later, in 1988, had been the mock target for maritime attack regiment flown Su-17M3 Fitters. The flight leader, Maj Apakidze, made an approach on literally zero altitude, the ship's lookouts got him visually by the white wake of vapor over water, but radar didn't see him. The ship's CO during debrief accused aviator for "unsportmanlike conduct". "There isn't such thing in naval aviation" was an answer...
At this time, my Skipper was a RIO and so was the sister squadron CO. The skipper of USS America was an A-6E BN as was the CARGRU Commander. Only our CAG was a pilot. The E-2C skipper was also an NFO as was skipper of Prowler squadron so backseaters were represented in command structure and had quite a bit of say in cockpit. I was the Mission Commander on this one. I did not have to tell Chuck I would take the heat for arriving back at carrier below Bingo, but unless I violated safety of flight, it was my call. But I explained my reasoning and Chuck agreed. It played out well in the end and we were invited to meet SecNav, VADM Mustin and the other notables that night. We brought along an enlarged picture of the Grozny that was over 3 feet long. We had flown over 1200nm and logged almost 6 hours in the air, my longest time in the cockpit to date.
So....The ending bears mentioning....we got on our Bingo profile flying over the UK as the RAF Liaison advised me was possible. The Freqs he gave me worked perfectly and we were cleared VFR direct to Lossiemouth. We didn’t have a Govt Credit Card but figured we could bluff our way through the admin side without shutting down or having to get out of aircraft. After a nice scenic trip northwards across the UK, we arrived over the RAF base at Lossiemouth and started orbiting while we attempted to raise the E-2C to see if any gas was available. We weren’t too far below ladder but would have to know exactly where the ship was and recover immediately without getting some more fuel. We made a few calls and circuits over the coast not wanting proceed without positive comms. Then we heard a radio call very weak calling us....it was a Blue Blaster Tanker from VA-34 looking for us! Huzzah!! The ship anticipated our fuel state and sent a KA-6D towards where they thought we would be!!
We felt safe to head feet wet and were shortly thereafter taking on fuel...a lot more than expected. Then the E~2C established comms asking us to report complete and to say weapons status....weapons status?? We realized that we had been gone so long that we were now in the window for NATO to attack the carrier and they must need us to fill a CAP station. We were given a station on the 200nm outer ring but we were so far East that we had to fly West to get there but it was in direction of the ship so we expected to get recalled after we passed the Codeword for Mission Success to the E2C.
Meanwhile, we took up a heading to our assigned station. I immediately picked up multiple contacts heading towards the ship. It was the NATO attack force assembling and we had stumbled on a Victor Tanker refueling 4 Phantoms. I reported that to the E-2C who told us Warning Red, Weapons Free. That surprised us but we complied and jumped the gaggle ruining their day considerably coming up behind them scattering them like quail. This was getting fun. Then I visually spotted a special mission C-135 emulating a Soviet snooper and we were cleared hot on that one. We were now running low on our constructive loadout but we had a gun. Next, I spotted a NRL EP-3 below us and got clearance to engage as well. I called Winchester after that and got signal to RTB, but we encountered one more juicy target. A USAF RF-4C in green camo appeared below us moving fast. We had gas to burn so we slid into a six o’clock position and started gaining on it. I waited to lock him up until we were within guns range. When I locked into to him, he executed a break turn to the left allowing us to saddle onto him nicely. We joined up on the Phantom and showed him our camera pod with a belly flash. He took up a heading for home. It was finally time to head for home.
Postscript: after debrief in CVIC and looking at hot prints coming out of the processor for our KA-99 film, I stopped into Flag Plot next door to check in with the staff there. I asked them if they were worried about us after being gone so long. The Intel Watch Officer said we knew it was you when the Grozny lit off her fire control radars and the two ships started arguing whether it a Tomcat or not flying overhead. SecNav was most pleased about the confusion we had caused so far from mother.
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Indeed it was...John “Masher” Carrier flew the F-8 as a JO and transitioned to Tomcats. I was his nugget RIO. He told me he moved to Meridian and was instructing in Sims there.
Small world. I was one of his students back in the day. He used to give out "Certified HUD Cripple" cards in the debrief at times. As I recall, they said something like "I couldn't fly a paper airplane without the thing, much less find my own ass." ?
@HeyJoe @Max the Mad Russian I know it's been said already, but I love the stories. Keep 'em coming guys!
It's so interesting to see how much has either 1) carried over from those days or 2) needed to be relearned as we train towards higher-end adversaries again.
It's so interesting to see how much has either 1) carried over from those days or 2) needed to be relearned as we train towards higher-end adversaries again.
I'll echo @cfam's statement.
My limited cold-war adventures (Sorry, not nearly as fascinating as HJs):
When I joined the Navy in 1984, I was a no-nothing non-designated flight deck rat (blue shirt) on the Enterprise. We did an IO deployment in 1984 and played the alert 5 game with the USSR. We escorted a few Bears flybys over our ship. I had no idea of what was going on behind the scenes, just chocking and chaining aircraft...doing my job.
Fast forward to 1988. I'm a PO2-Aircrewman stationed at PMRF supporting RIMPAC. We fly our trusty RC-12F out and do range clearance for a shoot. We find a tanker on the range and notify range ops. They contact the vessel and tell them to get off the live-fire range. I guess the tanker didn't get far enough off the range and gets hit by a Hornet-launched Harpoon.
During the same time frame, one of my UH-3A helo buds were out flying around the range and come upon an unmarked fishing trawler. They were VID'ing the trawler when a RUSSIAN flag goes flying up the main mast....the helo crew about crapped themselves and RTB'd. Damn AGIs.
