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F-14 VF-32 Armanent Libya 1989


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Been searching with no luck for the weapons loads carried by VF-32 F-14s during the January, 1989 shootdowns of the Libyan MiG-23s.  Does anyone have good information on the configurations of both VF-32 jets during this encounter?

 

Thanks,

Kirk Taylor

 

 

 

 

 

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I was involved in this incident. Two MiG-23's launched out of an airbase near Benghazi to intercept a lone S-3 Viking flying south of the Lybian FIR (international waters) on a SSC mission. I was the Sensor Operator in that Viking, VS-22's Vidar 704. E-2 Hawkeye ordered us to "Buster North" while the 2 Tomcats engaged them to the south. We (my crew and I) knew nothing about it until we landed back on the JFK 2 hours later.

 

As a modeler, I took note the Tomcat squadrons, VF-14 Tophatters and the VF-32 Swardsmen, had a standard load out of 4 to 6 AIM-7 Sparrows, and 2 AIM-9L Sidewinders.

 

Tracy

 

p.s. I grew up in Colorado Springs. ;-)

Edited by Vidar_710
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On 2/20/2017 at 9:25 PM, Vidar_710 said:

I was involved in this incident. Two MiG-23's launched out of an airbase near Benghazi to intercept a lone S-3 Viking flying south of the Lybian FIR (international waters) on a SSC mission. I was the Sensor Operator in that Viking, VS-22's Vidar 704. E-2 Hawkeye ordered us to "Buster North" while the 2 Tomcats engaged them to the south. We (my crew and I) knew nothing about it until we landed back on the JFK 2 hours later.

 

As a modeler, I took note the Tomcat squadrons, VF-14 Tophatters and the VF-32 Swardsmen, had a standard load out of 4 to 6 AIM-7 Sparrows, and 2 AIM-9L Sidewinders.

 

Tracy

 

p.s. I grew up in Colorado Springs. ;-)

 

Tracy, amazing to hear that bit of it. Can't imagine what it must have felt like landing and then finding out you had been a live-fire target without knowing! :cheers:

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Yeah, they never go back to the very beginning on how this whole thing started. I did see a show about it on the old Discovery Wings channel, but they said it was an A-6 Intruder instead of a Viking. Got my blood boiling at first, then blew it off as typical media inaccuracies.

 

The reason we were blind to it for over two hours is because different missions have different frequencies, or as we call them "Buttons" to monitor. Air-to-Air is on the AB (Alpha Bravo) button, while Surface Surveillance is on AS (Alpha Sierra) button. The E-2 Hawkeye monitors all Buttons and can cross-talk to any mission aircraft.

So, after the Buster Call, we thought nothing of it and headed towards Crete to continue our Triple Cycle SSC mission. (one cycle in 1.5hrs) Back on the Kennedy, anyone who wasn't flying was in the ready room waiting on us to hear a war story. We had nuttin' to tell'em. LOL

 

Tracy

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