Today was Electronic
As we chatted about interference cancellation systems, I couldn't help but notice an odd decal decorating the side of the fuselage. I asked the pilot: What's that aircraft decal on the fuselage?
"That's an F-22," he said.
Well, why is it there?
"Because this is the EA-18G that killed an F-22," he explained.
Um, really?
Alas, after that bombshell, the conversation quickly dried up. I did learn the EA-18G kill was courtesy of a well-timed AIM-120 AMRAAM shot. And I learned the simulated combat exercise took place at Nellis AFB. How the EA-18G escort jammer got the shot, and whether its jamming system played a role in the incident were not questions the pilot was prepared to answer.
For the spotters, the aircraft pictured above is EA-1, the first of two Lot 27 F/A-18Fs converted into flying prototypes for the EA-18G program.
on February 25, 2009 10:59 PM | Reply
Mr. Trimble,
first...get flickr
second...post these pics in hi rez!
thanks,
the general public
on February 26, 2009 10:35 AM | Reply
Well, it looks more to me as as YF-22 decal. Just notice the wings and the rear fuselage. :-)
Oh, some PAK-FA concepts look similar to the YF-22 from a bird-view angle.
;-D
Slán,
fightingirish
on February 26, 2009 11:28 AM | Reply
Now that's a photo to drive APA mad!
on February 26, 2009 11:41 AM | Reply
Of course, looked at another way, it's a huge compliment to the F-22. You don't usually see a kill decal for a simulated combat victory. The fact that this "kill" merited such an extraordinary display of pride says a lot about what the Growler community thinks about the F-22.
on February 26, 2009 5:14 PM | Reply
This is not entirely unprecedented. I remember seeing some Super Hornet gun camera footage a few years back showing an F-22 in the perfect position for a guns kill. Ok, not a Growler, but close :)
on February 26, 2009 5:17 PM | Reply
And here are the aforementioned pictures:
http://www.alert5.com/2006/04/fa-18f-guns-down-f-22a.html
http://www.alert5.com/2006/04/fa-18f-guns-down-f-22a-update.html
on February 26, 2009 5:32 PM | Reply
"The fact that this "kill" merited such an extraordinary display of pride says a lot about what the Growler community thinks about the F-22."
Or how the navy hate the overated F-22
on February 26, 2009 5:35 PM | Reply
"Or how the navy hate the overated F-22 "
Right. Or that!
on February 26, 2009 7:03 PM | Reply
That's kinda pathetic when you're painting a simulated kill marking on your plane...
on February 26, 2009 7:15 PM | Reply
Get an airplane outside of it's designed mission envelope and you can probably kill it.
The USAF probably could have killed MiG-17s all day long in Vietnam with enough Sparrows at BVR. Go ACM and the MiG is going to eat your lunch. Interceptor Vs. Fighter is not good for the interceptor.
on February 27, 2009 2:20 AM | Reply
Just to clarify, those Alert 5 gun shots are from an F/A-18E/F. Not the Growler. That incident took place somewhere on the East Coast.
on February 27, 2009 3:34 AM | Reply
"That's kinda pathetic when you're painting a simulated kill marking on your plane... "
I recall seeing F-15 Eagles with F-14 "Kills" painted on them and the opposite as well ... Nothing new with having a little Intra-service rivalries in good fun ...
on February 27, 2009 9:10 AM | Reply
But the F-22 is not a pure interceptor F-106/Lightning-style - it's supposed to be able to take out anything in the air from BVR down to the old school knife fight. To think that it could be beaten by a) an attack type b) a Navy type - how embarrassing! BTW what was the EA-18G toting? It gets worse for the Air Force if the Growler scored with ALQ-99s under the wings!
Note: speaking from Down Under, I have no problem with the concept of a Raptor/Super Hornet mix - see our MP's comments regarding Congress' disinterest in supplying F-22s to anyone outside the USAF ( http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Australian-MP-US-Allies-Sold-Short-on-New-Fighters-05301/ ) - and no, I'm not on his side of politics.
on February 27, 2009 1:08 PM | Reply
Granted, the rivalry swings both ways all the time. I can't speak for whoever made that "kill," but keep in mind that most of the guys flying the Growler right now aren't ex-Prowler guys, but proficient fighter pilots who have been killing for a living for more than a few years in the Hornet already.
But I agree, simulated kill painting is tacky humor (probably NFO-influenced, sorry 'FOs). Controversial HUD tapes are better. :)
on February 27, 2009 5:46 PM | Reply
Alert 5: In my defence, I did point out that the gun camera shots were from a Super Hornet and not a Growler. I was just trying to illustrate that F-22 'kills' are not unheard of :)
on February 28, 2009 4:32 AM | Reply
And just as in the earlier referenced F-18 event, and just as importantly, without the exact details, the relevance of the event cannot be known. Look at the earlier HUD pic and data shown. Looks more like the F-18 was falling on the F-22. Had the -22 already spanked the -18 and was the -18 was playing tourist as the -22 went by? Who knows?
Full disclosure: I've never been a fan of the overweight variant of the LWF competition loser.
No one claims the F-22 is invincible. However, It would be interesting to see the F-22 ready-room tally sheets as to how many F-18s and others have 'died' in the process of a Growler managing to get a good shot in.
Now, what I want to see is a SAR snapshot taken from a B-2 of an unsuspecting CAG steaming within direct attack weapons range. Oh where art thou ye who are the next Billy Mitchell? [I know, that ain't gonna happen either]
on February 28, 2009 5:09 AM | Reply
There are quite a few former Tomcat Drivers in the Rhino/Shocker Community as well ...
on March 8, 2009 12:56 PM | Reply
It will always be the man in the machine, that makes the difference.
on May 8, 2009 6:59 PM | Reply
" "The fact that this "kill" merited such an extraordinary display of pride says a lot about what the Growler community thinks about the F-22."
Or how the navy hate the overated F-22"
or more likely a Boeing vs Lockheed fight
on July 19, 2009 9:14 PM | Reply
Looking at this (if it's true), I think it must have been just a lucky flying squids crew who just happened to come across an F-22 Raptor without the Raptor pilot knowing they were there. There is no way this could have been a BVR victory!! The Raptor is almost impossible to detect. The Raptor is the most advanced fighter in the world, I don't care what any jealous pilot of another plane says. No matter what type of engagement BVR or WVR the F-22 will always be the one flying away from the falling, burning enemy. Plus a GROWLER give me a break, but I wouldn't believe this either if it was F/A-18E or an F-15C even. (see I'm fair). But either way I'm still sceptical.
on August 27, 2009 3:32 AM | Reply
The F-22 has been shot down by F-16 and F-15 agressors at Nellis who train in 'Russian tactics'. It has even been shot
down by a gun T-38 pilot. The pilot makes the plane not a pilot. A typical computer pilots answer I guess. If missiles
worked all the time we would have BVR over N.Vietnam. Rules
of Engagement forced us to go close...
F-22 is no longer safe in the dogfighting arena than any other
plane in a close quarter fight. A better trained pilot may also
detect and evade any missile and ecm forcing a traditional dogfight. Case closed.
on September 5, 2009 7:55 PM | Reply
Why would a Growler be flying an air to air mission? I know it has the capability, but just for self defense. I think this is the typical Navy arrogance, and always having to make sure people think they're better (really for no reason, ever). People always talk about how the F-22 is overated? Hmmmmmmm..... well aren't all you Growler, and squid supporters doing the same thing for your bugs, as you are acusing the Raptor supporters of doing. Think about it! The Navy is just jealous that they are a "NAVY" (boats) and not an "AIR FORCE" (Planes). Yeah they fly planes, but that's not their main job, nor are they any better at it than anyone else. (despite a squid pilot's twisted way of thinking). The Navy is just jealous that they don't have a comparable plane, nor should they they're a "NAVY" (boats)
on September 19, 2009 7:03 PM | Reply
Umm, YF-22 is the prototype version of f-22 you cant compare these two o.O.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-22_Raptor