Considering everything that is happening in the world at present, and the disdain our Commander in chief has for our military and our nation, this story is delectable. Every now and again, we get a glimpse of what makes America America. Have a look…
The Adversaries:
credit; aswetalk.org
F-4 Phantom, 70’s era fighter/bomber: a two-seat aircraft. Powerful and fast for its time, it is badly outclassed by:
credit: avioneers.net
F22 Raptor, air-superiority stealth fighter: a single seat, state-of-the-art fighter.
The Setting: March of 2013, over the Persian Gulf in international airspace. An Iranian F-4–we supplied them when America was allied with the Shah of Iran before Jimmy Carter ushered in the age of jihad–is pursuing, and closing on, an American drone, until…
…an IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force) F-4 Phantom combat plane attempted to intercept a U.S. MQ-1 drone flying in international airspace off Iran.
As we reported back then, one of the two F-4 Phantom jets came to about 16 miles from the UAV but broke off pursuit after they were broadcast a warning message by two American planes escorting the Predator.
The episode happened in March 2013, few months after a two Sukhoi Su-25 attack planes operated by the Pasdaran (informal name of the IRGC – the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution) attempted to shoot down an American MQ-1 flying a routine surveillance flight in international airspace some 16 miles off Iran, the interception of the unmanned aircraft failed. After this attempted interception the Pentagon decided to escort the drones involved in ISR (intelligence surveillance reconnaissance) missions with fighter jets (either F-18 Hornets with the CVW 9 embarked on the USS John C. Stennis whose Carrier Strike Group is currently in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility or F-22 Raptors like those deployed to Al Dhafra in the UAE…
‘He [the Raptor pilot] flew under their aircraft [the F-4s] to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there, and then pulled up on their left wing and then called them and said ‘you really ought to go home.’
If the episode went exactly as Welsh described it, it was something more similar to Maverick’s close encounter with Russian Mig-28s in Top Gun movie than a standard interception.
The F4 carries all of its weapons on under wing hard points; they are all visible, and the aircraft has an enormous radar cross section. The F22, on the other hand, carries its weapons internally to preserve its stealth characteristics. This is the kind of thing the F22 was designed to do.
Tell me again how America isn’t exceptional, Mr. Obama–oh yes, and Mr. Putin?
Stately McDaniel Manor 
For a fighter pilot, babysitting a drone has to be the most boring possible thing to do (for obvious reasons) and simultaneously the most interesting (because it’s probably more likely than most other missions to bring you into direct contact with opfor).
Well, nothing about that scenario is different for those doing it from similar ones from the Age of Chivalry, or from certain dog fight stories in each World War, come to that; only the implements and techniques are different. So that says nothing whatsoever to confirm or refute U.S. exceptionalism, since others did much the same sort of thing. As far as that goes the remarks of Putin and many others disavowing U.S. exceptionalism are far more to the point, though it is entirely open to debate whether they are correct.
But there is one aspect of that story that is troubling: it is remarkable how often stories of that sort bring out the idea that the events took place in international waters and leave it there, as though that was all that mattered. Not only is that something that needs independent confirmation, even if true it provides no sanctuary in conditions of hot pursuit (which has different standards than mere location on its own) – yet we are never told whether or not those conditions applied. If so, the U.S. actions just then were themselves hostile acts in furtherance of previous ones, international waters or not, and that would make the narrative itself (as distinct from the events described) a case of U.S. exceptionalism of a very negative sort – spin to justify bad deeds. That may very well not have been the case, yet we are told absolutely nothing to establish that. (It would be begging the question, a circular argument resting on U.S. exceptionalism to support a story supporting U.S. exceptionalism, to say that Americans simply wouldn’t do that sort of thing in violation of international law. And Eisenhower said pretty much that about the U2 flights, until Gary Powers was trotted out in rebuttal.)
Exceptional article
I used to live in rural ky in the 70s and the air national guard would run simulated bombing missions over our farm in the Phantom. I loved watching those jets come screaming over at about 500 feet. You could hear them for miles. Now days I watch the f22 while out in the forest of N central FL. If I’m lucky they will have permission to fly super sonic and the crack from a low flying jet is amazing. One minute its peaceful forest and then you see a dot off low on the horizon. Seconds later BOOM and a jet has blasted by 300 or so feet above your head. Makes you proud to be an American.
Iran’s air force would last about 90 seconds if orders were given to take them out.
I wish more people in my community had the patriotic feeling you do. I live in Burlington, VT and our local Air National Guard may become a base for the F-35. The amount of bellyaching and protesting is ridiculous, albeit from a minority. Of course the VTANG is offering every concession to minimize the noise but the opponents are undeterred, many are simply “anti-war” and will grasp any excuse to protest a decision by our military.