We were tasked for
an OCA strike, the target Ongjin airbase, setting out a little
before mid day this looked to be a fairly easy mission, looking
at the map we were not going to be overflying too many air defenses
and did not expect too much enemy air activity before the target.
Napoleon was flying on my wing and we had 2 AI pilots in the
second element.
I went through my preflight check, then signaled to Napolean
that I was ready to taxi. I taxied to runway 19 and held short
waiting for nap to pull alongside me. Once nap was alongside
I gave him the thumbs up and we both pushed up the throttle
and got our birds airborn. "Turning right to steerpoint
2" I called", "Copy that" came Nap's reply.
No sooner had we pushed through the clouds I picked up 4 contacts
moving quickly down my radar. "Multiple bogeys inbound"
I called, I as I bugged the lead and requested Awacs to declare.
"It's just the friendlies" came the call from Nap. "Negative
on that Nap, Awacs confirms hostile", I resonded. By this time
they were entering visual range.
"Tally 4 TU-16's at 2 O'Clock", I called to Napoleon,
"Shall we engage?" He replied. "Negative, we'll push on to the
target, leave those for the patriots, I don't see any escorts".
A few seconds later I started getting bugged by an aircraft
at 12 O'Clock. I requested the nearest threat from awacs. Awacs
called back Mig 29 2 ship 30 miles dead ahead. I had nothing
on radar and Nap was now being bugged too. I narrowed my scan
azimuth and picked up 2 contacts coming in fast. "Shall we engage"
called Nap "Roger that Nap, cos they are sure as hell going
to engage us" was my response. "I have lock, Permission to engage?",
"Roger that Nap, weapons free, I have the lead locked now .......
Fox 3". The lead Mig satarted beaming while the other pulled
high. Nap engaged the second Mig while I supported my slammer.
"Splash 1", I called as my missile hit home.
Suddenly all hell broke loose, flak started to explode all around
us and I started to jink, then I hear the chilling sound of
the launch warning "Sam Launch , Sam launch I call to Nap, my
voice now showing the tension. I roll inverted and pull hard
back whilst pumping out chaff and flares. The missile flies
past and explodes at a safe distance. Before I can recover my
orientation I see 2 mig 21's within visual range and I know
there is still a Mig 29 around somewhere because I haven't heard
Nap call a shot or a kill. Then the launch tone goes again,
shit this is not the way I want this mission to end, shot down
by sams before I got to steerpoint 3. As I start to evade the
missile I call to Nap, "Shit it's too hot in here let's go push
up to steerpoint 5 full burn towards the target and get the
f**k out of here." My voice now showing similar stress levels
to those F-14 pilots that shot down the 2 Migs back in the 80's)
I managed to evade the sam but unfortunately Nap had taken a
hit from some flak (which was why he had not fired on the second
Mig 29).
We got to the ingress point without further incident and I called
to Nap "running in, give me cover, Copy that", came Nap's reply.
I pickled my durandals along the runway and Nap confirmed 6
hits. I pulled up high and padlocked Napolean. "Ok your in Nap,
I'm high cover on you. I watched as Nap made 2 passes over the
target but no ordinance was dropped. "It's no good Frug, my
weapons won't come off the rail, FCC must have been damaged
by the flak". "Roger that Nap as soon as 3 and 4 drop their
bombs we'll head for home". The 2 ai wingmen seemed a little
reluctant to attack but after calling attack my target a few
times Nap confirmed that they were engaging ground targets.
At that moment I saw an SA-7 shoot in the air towards Nap. "Sam
launch, break right missile in the air.
I never saw Nap evade
the missile because just at that moment my RWR showed an aircraft
at my 3 had a lock, I turned hard right just in time to see a
mig 21 heading straight at me, I turned in but was well below
corner at the merge and the Mig 21 was rapidly gaining the advantage.
During the turn I noticed his wingman had taken a high covering
position. This was not looking good. "Nap clear my six", "Roger
I'm on my way" Nap called back as he jettisoned his bombs. "Get
here quick Nap I'm in deep shit". By now the Mig was pulling
round to my 6 and I was getting very panicky. Then came Nap's
voice, "Get out of there Frug he's engaging you". "Get him off
me Nap I can't shake him" I called back. I'm now jinking like
a mofo while desperately trying to build up some energy and
Nap is unable to fire his missiles due to the damage he took
from the flak, looks like we will be riding the silk soon.
Fortunately my Mig considered Nap enough of a threat to break
of his attack on me. My energy now restored I was able to engage
the Migs wingman who had been tempted into the fray by Napoleons
attack. I managed to turn in on him and got a good tone .....
"Fox 2" I called as I fired off a winder. Meanwhile Nap had
managed to get a snapshot off at the first Mig and had taken
it out with guns. Splash 2. My Mig responded immediately to the missile
and managed to evade it, which took me by surprise at first.
In evading the missile though the Mig had allowed me to get
into a perfect position for a second shot. I uncaged and then
fired. The Mig never stood a chance. Splash 3
I called to Nap "Ok. job done let's get the f**k home". I instructed
the second element to rejoin. We went full burn all the way
back into friendly territory. On contacting the tower it looked
like we were going to have another problem as Napoleon could
not hear the calls from the ATC. I could hear ATC and began
to relay the calls to Nap via RW. Fortunately after a few calls
his comms kicked in and he was able to hear all further instructions.
We were given very good vectors by ATC and came in one after
the other. I managed no bounce landing, closely followed by
Nap's equally smooth landing, the AI controlled second element
touched down perfectly one after the other a perfect end to
a great mission.
We flew .... we killed .... we lived .... we landed.
