On 19 August 1981, USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) captured world attention while operating in the Gulf of Sidra. In response to an unprovoked attack, a flight of F-14 Tomcats from the VF-41 “Black Aces“ under the control of an E-2C Hawkeye from the VAW-124 “Bear Aces“ intercepted and shot down two Libyan SU-22 “Fitter“ fighter aircraft. These were the first recorded air-to-air kills for the Navy since Vietnam, the first ever for the F-14, and was the world’s first engagement between variable geometry (swing wing) fighters.
This incident demonstrated the deadly effectiveness of the “Hawkeye-Tomcat“ team.
Various photos and artwork from the web have been included for context. Transcript below:
00:07 102 Going to [garbled] right now, I’ll stay in[garbled]scan.
00:11 Bare Ace
(Air Intercept Controller) And 102 [garbled] 226 36
00:19 102 Tweny miles for 102. Twenty thousand feet.
00:23 Bare Ace 225 at 33 102.
00:28 Bare Ace And what’s your [garbled something about the contact]?
00:31 102 102’s got one 214 16 miles out, that’s all I’ve got.
00:35 102 He appears to be turning a little bit left giving us a left aspect. I’m in single target track.
00:42 102 14 miles 21,000.
00:48 Bare Ace 113 say your heading.
00:52 113 113s heading 070
00:58 102 10 miles
00:58 102 102. The bogeys got us on his nose now 8 miles.
01:07 102 We’re at altitude, we’re twenty thousand feet 6 miles.
01:10 Bare Ace 103, 113 your vector 100.
01:29 Bare Ace 103 state.
01:35 107 Two fitters have shot at my leader.
01:39 102 [garbled]... this is 102, we’ve been fired on!
01:50 Bare Ace And 102.
01:54 Bare Ace OK copy.
01:55 unknown Did you copy that Bare Ace?
01:56 Bare Ace Negative, what did one of them say?
01:58 102, 107 [garbled]...defensive east. I’ve got a visual on you.
02:07 unknown Bare Ace, did you just copy 103?
02:09 Bare Ace That’s negative.
02:09 unknown Because Ok, they said they’ve just been fired upon, that’s what they transmitted.
02:19 Bare Ace 103 confirm you’ve been shot at, over.
02:22 unknown relay [garbled]confirm you’ve been shot at.
02:25 102 amongst interference Affimative.[garbled] shot one of them down.
02:30 unknown relay Did you shoot one of them down?
02:33 102 It was a clean target.
02:38 107 [garbled]Want me shoot my guy down?
02:39 102 That’s affirm, shoot him!! Shoot him down!
02:49 Bare Ace 205, 223 vector inbound at this time.
02:53 223 223 inbound
02:57 107 Fox 2 kill from Music. Fox 2 kill.
03:00 102 [name] did you get him?
03:02 107 Yes sir, I did kill him.[garbled several seconds]
03:09 107 Fox 2 kill. His chute is NOT deploying. He’s falling free.
03:12 102 OK, roger that.
03:15 Bare Ace 106 Reset CAP 5. 106, 110 reset cap 5.
03:18 107 [garbled]123 DME on the 180. And my state ten two, ten two.
03:31 102 OK I’m nine five.
03:33 Nimitz 102 107, you are clear to defend yourself.
03:35 Bare Ace 102 107, you are clear to defend yourself. Pass from the ship.
03:39 102 And this is 102 107, ah two enemy kills.
03:44 Bare Ace Say again?
03:45 102 Two enemy kills. Two MIG-23s killed.
03:49 unknown relay Two MIG-23s. You copy Bare Ace?
03:52 Bare Ace Roger.[garbled]
03:56 107 Mine was a Fitter, a Fitter.
04:03 Bare Ace 102 107 You copy? That’s vector north.
04:45 Bare Ace 107, Bare Ace.
04:48 102 This is 102 go ahead.
04:51 Bare Ace [garbled] Were one or two hit?
04:59 102 102 and 107 are fine. We’re both headed north. And there are two...
05:02 Bare Ace Roger that. And confirm you’ve got two MIG-23 kills?
05:07 102 OK one was a Fitter and they’re probably both Fitters. And there are two kills.
05:11 unknown relay Bare Ace you copy? There are two kills, either Fitters or Floggers.
Audio source: ://
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