Matt chanced a glance at his left Multi-Purpose Display (MPD) video screen where he had called up the Navigation Forward Looking Infrared picture coming from the LANTIRN (Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night) pod slung under the right intake. The same pod also held the Terrain-Following Radar (TFR). The pod under the left intake carried a laser and a FLIR for targeting. Together, the two pods made the F-15E into the true all-weather, nighttime, dual-role fighter that had ruled the skies over Iraq. The infrared picture coming through the nav pod was almost as sharp as the visual picture he was seeing through the HUD (Head Up Display). It was very reassuring.
Then Matt looked at the right-hand MPD, where he had called up the TFR. The E scope presentation checked perfectly with what he was seeing on the Nav FLIR and through the HUD. Furry was trying to remind Matt of what the F-15 could do and rebuild his confidence after the crash. “Come on,” Furry urged, “take her down. We got to get into the weeds if we’re going to get onto the range undetected.” The TEWS, or Tactical Electronic Warfare System, started to chirp, warning them that an acquisition radar was sweeping the area.
“Amb, I don’t know about the TFR down this low. If it fails …”
“Then we’ve had a very bad day,” the wizzo growled, “use the goddamn feature or someone will guarantee we get our asses hosed down.”
“Jesus H. Christ, Amb!” Matt protested. “This is only a training mission.”
“Train like you’re going to fight,” Furry snapped.
“Real original. Is that one of your ‘rules'?”
“Damn right” was the only reply from the rear cockpit.
Matt set the clearance limit to three hundred feet and let the autopilot take them down. After a few minutes, he started to relax and concentrate on other tasks. His trust in the F-15 was coming back. The TEWS was doing its job and they were getting early warnings of the hostile radars ahead of them.
At one point, Furry reevaluated the threats in front of them and reprogrammed their route, bypassing a heavily defended point and flying down a low valley. The Tactical Situation Display (TSD) that Matt had on his Multi-Purpose Color Display screen blinked and the new route came up on it. The TSD was a constantly moving electronic map that was synced with the laser ring gyro inertial navigation system and nav computer. The TSD showed them their current position and was overlaid with a wealth of navigation info. “We’ve got to get lower in this valley,” Matt said and lowered their clearance limit on the TFR to two hundred feet. Furry only grunted in satisfaction. Matt was amazed how fast Furry could bring the APG-70 radar to life by hitting the EMIS Limit switch, sweep the area in a mapping mode to update their position, and then tell him to take command of the radar for an air-to-air sweep. Within seconds, Furry would hit the EMIS Limit switch again and they would be back to silent running, their powerful radar in standby.
“I wish we could use the jamming feature of our TEWS,” Furry said. “That would water their eyeballs.” In peacetime the crews were only allowed to use the detection part of the TEWS and not activate the system’s jamming and deception circuits.
The chirping warning sound on the TEWS changed, becoming more insistent. “Airborne interceptors,” Furry muttered. “I’Ve got our position wired down to a gnat’s ass so when I hit the EMIS Limit, do an air-to-air search for bogies.” It was a crew coordination procedure the wizzo had talked about in the mission briefing. It went off without a hitch.
“Right on,” Matt rasped. “Two hits, on the nose, forty-two miles.”
“Probably RAF Tornados out of Five Squadron at Coningsby,” Furry told him. “I heard they were using the range.” A low laugh came from the back. “I know those toads. They’re good but the Fox-hunter radar on the Tornado ain’t worth shit. Try to sneak by ‘em.”
“Rog,” Matt said, feeling much more confident. He made a mental note to ask Furry how he knew so much about the RAF when they debriefed. Probably another one of his damned rules, he decided, probably something about knowing the opposition better than what your wife wants in bed.
Then Furry’s fengs started to grow. “What the hell,” he said. “Even if they don’t see us, let’s engage. A kill is a kill.”
Matt was feeling better and better as his self-confidence surged. “I’ll simulate a head-on shot with an AMRAAM at the leader and after it would have gone on internal guidance, I’ll take a head-on Sidewinder shot.” Furry grunted an acknowledgment. The more they flew together as a crew, less chatter would be needed and they would become much more efficient. The AIM-120, or AMRAAM, was their mediumrange standoff missile that was launched in a semiactive mode, homing on reflected radar energy from the F-15's radar. Close in, the AMRAAM’s internal radar would become active and steer the missile to the target, allowing the F-15 to disengage. By launching a Sidewinder missile at short range, the target aircraft would have to defeat a second missile. Only this one would be guided by an infrared seeker head. Life would have been very complicated for the Tornado if the missiles had been for real.
“I’ll blow on through and turn on the trailer,” Matt said, “and Fox Two him.” Fox Two was the brevity code for a Sidewinder missile. Furry grunted again. “Then I’ll close a Fox Three.” Fox Three was the brevity code for guns, their close-in weapon.
“No can do,” Furry said. “Without a face-to-face briefing before the engagement, the ROE say one turn only on a defender and no closer than one mile.” The ROE, or Rules of Engagement, determined just what they could do when engaged in combat. The ROE for peacetime were designed to keep fighter pilots alive.
“Rog,” Matt acknowledged. “Now.”
Furry hit the EMIS Limit switch and the radar came to life. Matt locked on the lead aircraft and simulated launching an AMRAAM. He keyed the UHF radio, transmitting on the frequency all aircraft using the range had to monitor. “Fox One on the northbound Tornado at twelve thousand feet.” Fox One was the brevity code for a radar missile. He waited, watching the two aircraft split on his radar, taking evasive action. Matt pulled up and into them. The track-while-scan ability of the Hughes radar gave him an awesome capability. When the computer gave him a signal that the AMRAAM would have gone on internal guidance, he locked on with a Sidewinder and simulated launching it. “Fox Two on the same aircraft,” he transmitted.
Now Matt searched for the second aircraft. He thumbed the Weapon Select switch on the side of the right throttle full aft. Three things happened: The radar went into an air-to-air supersearch mode and locked on the nearest target; second, the 20-millimeter cannon was selected or made “hot"; and third, the sight picture in the HUD flashed to a “guns” display. Matt looked through the small target designator box on his HUD. As advertised, he could see die target and did not have to search the skies for a “tallyho,” the visual sighting of another aircraft. He broke lock and zoomed into the sun, never losing sight of the Tornado. In the mission briefing, Furry had suggested that technique as a way to find the bad guy and then confuse him. The radar warning gear in the target aircraft should have warned the pilot that he was being tracked by the F-15's radar. When the signal disappeared, the pilot would be preoccupied with a visual search while they hid in the sun.