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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 2802.PDF
'-;;••. • .a-:.;•• Tomcats shoot down Libyan Sukhois TWO United States Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcats shot down two Libyan Air Force Sukhoi Su-20 Fitters* over the Mediterranean on August 19. The two Tomcats of VF-41 "The Black Aces" from the USS Nimitz were patrolling an area some 60 n.m. north of the Libyan coast, over the Gulf of Sirte. At 05.20 GMT the Tomcats picked up a two-aircraft flight ap proaching from the south; initial radar detection range was 40 n.m. from the Tomcats. The two returns continued to close head-on with the Tomcats and the Tomcats' weapon system operators reported a High Fix lock-on. The radar intelligence was the first intimation of the unknown aircraft's type. Just before the Fitters were visual at five or six miles range, slightly low * Widely reported as the similar Su-2'2 version of Fitter. Grumman F-14 A Tomcat Span Length Wing area Wingsweep Max TO weight Max spd (alt) Rate of climb (si) Service ceiling Combat radius Armament Powerplant Radar Radar range Crew * Effective wi eluding gloves 19-5m/ll-7m 18 -9m 52-5m* Auto or manual 33,725kg M2-4 30,000ft/min + 50,000ft + Over 500 n.m. 1 X 20mm rotary cannon 6 hardpoints for mix of Pheonix, Sparrow, Sidewinder AAMs 2 X Pratt & Whitney TF30, each 20,9001b st with A/B Hughes AWG-9 with track while scan ratio of 6:24 300km + Pilot, weapon system operator ag area 305m2 in- and centre fuselage. at two o'clock on a reciprocal head ing, the Tomcats started a hard counter-right break towards the Fitters in an effort to negate their already marginal missile-launch window. As the Tomcats crossed the Fitters' path at about two miles range, one of the Libyan aircraft launched an AA-2 Atoll IR-homing missile. This was evaded by the Tomcats, probably by tightening their turn until the Atoll's seeker reached its gimbal limits and the missile lost lock and either went ballistic or chased the Sun. The Tomcat leader waited a few seconds until the Fitters had crossed the Sun then launched an AIM-9L Sidewinder from 34-mile behind the Fitters. The Tomcat wingman launch- AIM-9L from missiles achieved kills, one parachute was observed. The Tomcats did not suffer any battle damage. The dogfight took place at 20,000ft and the time from the radar pick-up to the kills was just under one minute. The dogfight is the latest in a series of incidents involving US and Libyan military aircraft. In September 1980 a US Air Force RC-135 was on an electronics intelligence gathering mis sion off Libya. The RC-135 was inter cepted by two Libyan fighters and monitored RT between the fighters and their ground control. The con versation revealed that both fighters were ordered to open fire on the USAF aircraft and each fighter is said to have launched one missile. The RC-135 crew did not see either the air craft or the missiles. A week later the RC-135 took off from Athens on a similar mission. On this occasion the RC-135 was met and escorted by an F-14 from the VSS John F. Kennedy. The Libyans reacted by scrambling four MiG-23 Floggers and four Mirages to intercept the US aircraft. The unusually high number bottom story page 613 >- >- • Crete • I 290miles LIBYA 612 FLIGHT International, 29 August 1981
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