The Gun Counter

Looks like the modern version of Frontal Aviation is getting frisky again.

Based on the distance in that photo I'd say that an enterprising seaman with a slingshot and a couple of 1-inch hex nuts could have some fun.

"No, Ivan, we have no idea how you FODed out your engine like that. Pity, though."

I wonder if the language being used by the Navy spokesman is just the diplospeak game, or related to the fact the very few if any of the folks manning our ships were around during the "good old days" of the Cold War and aren't used to this kind of thing, and it wasn't necessarily one sided.

I hear tell that pilots of KA-25 Hormones for instance, don't appreciate the skill it takes a large 4 engine jet to under fly them, while making their landing approach to the Kiev. I hear tell, anyway.

SoupOrMan wrote:Looks like the modern version of Frontal Aviation is getting frisky again.

I'd think it more likely that it was Naval Aviation. IIRC the FA boys didn't like to get too far out of the sight of land. To them Feet Wet meant being splashed into the Rhine

Back in the day, RA-5C's used to underfly the tops of mainmasts while beating up trawlers. Not between masts (not enough room), but beside them. Our guys were crazy, but not insane.

randy wrote:

SoupOrMan wrote:Looks like the modern version of Frontal Aviation is getting frisky again.

I'd think it more likely that it was Naval Aviation. IIRC the FA boys didn't like to get too far out of the sight of land. To them Feet Wet meant being splashed into the Rhine

As long as they take one of those abominations out of the sky, I'm happy. It's an affront to the F-111 community.

Still got my flight boots and winter weight flight jacket.

I wonder if our ships are still equipped with chaff rockets. And what would happen if said rockets were fired right before a jet overflew the ship at low altitude.

Have you ever had a moment when you accidentally test fired a CIWS?

Langenator wrote:I wonder if our ships are still equipped with chaff rockets. And what would happen if said rockets were fired right before a jet overflew the ship at low altitude.

SRBOC (Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff) is still a thing. They shoot out about 100 yards and explode into a foil cloud. Pretty cool to see in person.

Funny story: EW's, in wartime, can elect to fire SRBOC without having permission to do so from the CIC officer. A buddy was manning the computer during Desert Storm and detected a Exocet radar painting the ship. He informed CIC who promptly stated "Stream Nixie. My buddy starts questioning this officers lineage while he elects, all on his own, to start popping chaff. The CIC places him on report and tries to take him to mast for disobeying an order. CIC gets hindparts chewed off by the old man and EW3 gets a NAM for his efforts. It turns out that they later found out it was a bored French pilot flying around lighting ships up with his Exocet gear for kicks. Don't know if anything bad ever happened to him though.

They said, and subsequent videos showed the fighter jets to be un-armed. If someone might be so kind as to explain to me how does one know that, before its too late, I would be grateful.