Tomcats Answer The Call, Drop Down For Low-Level Strafing Run

San Diego Union-Tribune | April 3, 2003 | Otto Kreisher

[Stand Watch Listen]

ABOARD THE CONSTELLATION - American troops in Iraq were taking fire and called for air support. Two F-14 Tomcats from the Constellation answered the call by dropping all their bombs on the target.

Then, the Tomcats dived from their high-altitude sanctuary into the lethal reach of Iraqi anti-aircraft and small arms fire to strafe the enemy with 20 mm cannon.

It was the first known combat use of guns by U.S. carrier-based fighters in this conflict, which has been characterized by high-altitude air attacks with precision weapons.

"It's not something we planned to do ... but when there are guys dying on the ground, we're going to go that extra step, even though someone can pop us," said Lt. Tony Culic, one of the Tomcat pilots from Fighter Squadron 2 who made the attack.

Capt. Mark Fox, commander of Carrier Air Wing 2 on the San Diego-based Constellation, said: "Some missions just give you more satisfaction. (Close air support) gives you the most.

"It's typically the low-altitude air defenses that are going to get you in this environment."

That is why the gun attack by the Tomcats on Sunday was so notable.

The gun attack was an extension of a close air support mission that started with the relatively low-altitude delivery of seven bombs, said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Bilzon, the radar intercept officer in the back seat of Culic's Tomcat.

Their altitude was dictated by layers of clouds down to 10,000 feet, which masked the ground from their normal, higher altitudes, Bilzon said.

The second Tomcat was flown by Lt. Mark Callari with Capt. Craig Geron, the deputy air wing commander, in the rear seat.

After using a laser-guided bomb to destroy an Iraqi armored personnel carrier and then refueling, the two fighters checked in with an Army controller south of Karbala.

The controller said he had taken small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire from Iraqis a kilometer ahead, and asked if we "could we please make them go away," Bilzon said.

The Tomcats dropped below the clouds again and, guided by the controller, found the Iraqi troops.

"We set up for a low-altitude attack because, with the weather, that was the only option we had," Bilzon said.

Although the two planes had laser-guided bombs, the Tomcats dropped all six of their bombs unguided because they were too low for laser tracking.

After the bomb run, the controller said some of the Iraqis had scattered, but he asked the pilots to keep coming.

"Because we had the gun on board, with 600 rounds, and we had enough fuel on board for some more passes, we decided to continue and strafe them," Bilzon said.

They rolled in at 9,000 feet and pulled out at about 3,000, firing all available rounds, Culic said. "Probably the most exciting thing I've ever done."

[Bryan24]

Maybe they can transition into A-10s!

[Saturnalia]

This is why we need more A-10s, zoombirds don't have much staying power and the GAU-8a would certainly give the Iraqis someething to think about.

[fatrat]

get some! Naval Air

[Joe Brower]

"strafe the enemy with 20 mm cannon"

Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark.

[Hodar]

"If I hadn't just polished my boots, I'd have chucked them out the window at them too"

.... Not really, just my added 2 cents.

[chiefqc]

I believe that the iraq's now know that some days it just does not pay to get out of bed.

[Bryan24]

I watched an F-14D at the Huntsville, Al Air Show last Saturday. That is one incredible aircraft.

I'll bet those RIOs were sucking the cushion off the seat on those strafing runs.

[Kozak]

This is why we need more A-10s, zoombirds don't have much staying power and the GAU-8a would certainly give the Iraqis someething to think about.

Actually there's an external 30mm cannon pod that can be hung on hard point (usually centerline), it's the same as the Warthogs gun. Got to fly with 1 in an F4 when I was a flight surgeon. Wow. We even saw potos of an F4 with 3 of them hung center and both wings. Talk about ruining someones whole day...

[Bryan24]

Can you imagine what a strafing run with 3 of those guns would do to a destroyer or smaller naval vessel? Swiss Cheese.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Warthogs are being rounded up and sent from Missouri this week. They fly over our place almost weekly.

[Blueflag]

" ...They rolled in at 9,000 feet and pulled out at about 3,000, firing all available rounds, Culic said. "Probably the most exciting thing I've ever done."

yeah, whoopee, they made it all the way down to 3000'.

Please. Yawn.

Actually the most exciting thing he does is to trap at night in a thunderstorm.

[Feckless]

"Probably the most exciting thing I've ever done."

Now to explain the hole chewed in the seat to the ground crew.....

[IGOTMINE]

I was thinking the same thing. I mean, good on'em and all, but let's not forget that air power exists to move the ground guys up.

[Kozak]

Yeah. Actually even a large naval vessel would be shot up real bad. It's not like they are covered with the kind of armor a tank has, and THAT won't stop the 30mm DU round! Only problem with all those guns is you SWEAR that when that gun fires the jet actually starts to slow down. You REALLY feel it.

[bmwcyle]

Now for some R and R.

[magslinger]

My tagline says it all.

[Trueblackman]

Tomcatters have been training to do this for years, When I was on U.S.S.Independence CV-62 they use to fire at a target pulled behind the ship about a mile off and it was so cool, first was the vapor trail, then the bullets, then the whine of the gun. Hornet Drivers got their time in as well.

[Trueblackman]

I wonder if DCAG was blowing chunks (LMAO at work)

[Mr. Thorne]

Tomcats are some of the baddest looking planes in our arsenal.

Everything else, it seems, looks polished and slick (excepting the A-10, of course). A Tomcat looks functional, big and MEAN.

Of course, that's just my prejudiced opinion. My dad was a carrier man, and I wanted to be. Alas, it seems I'm 4F. Sucketh beyond all measure.

Darn near cried when I read they were phasing these babies out. They're still the biggest, baddest, most long range fighter on the navy's roster. Who else can launch a Phoenix, eh?