Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Kosovo Mig Kills

History of the Engagement


While on a sortie over Bosnia on March 26th, 1999 during Operation Allied Force, Captain Jeffrey C. J. Hwang identified two aircraft in violation of Bosnian airspace and NATO peace-keeping directives. After spotting the aircraft on radar, Hwang and his wingman, Captain J. "Boomer" McMurray, turned deeper into Bosnian airspace and assumed a position of disadvantage both to determine the intent of the other pilots and to avoid a confrontation along the border. But the Serbian aircraft continued to close in on the F-15Cs and NATO forces on the ground. The F-15 pilot’s training then took over as he maneuvered to take a shot at the rapidly approaching aircraft. Both Hwang (flying a Lakenheath AFB (LN) F-15C S/N 86-0156) and his wingman (flying a Lakenheath AFB (LN) F-15C S/N 84-0014) fired AIM-120 missiles. Later investigation revealed only Hwang’s two missiles had reached and destroyed the targets - two MiG-29s from the Serbian Air Force (one piloted by Major Slobodon Peric, who ejected safely; the other piloted by Captain First Class Radosavljevic, who was killed in action as a result).


Captain Hwang became the first pilot in combat aviation history to single-handedly and simultaneously destroy two enemy aircraft during a single intercept using radar-guided missiles. In recognition to his achievement, he was awarded the Mackay Trophy on September 14th, 2001 in Washington, D.C. The aircraft flying as Hwang's wingman during the shootdown (84-0014) later scored a kill during Operation Desert Storm. On March 20th, 1991, Captain John T. Donesky was credited with one Iraqi SU-22 kill with the same F-15 involved in this recording.


Dirk One (F-15C, Serial 86-0156)
- Pilot: Captain Jeffrey C. J. Hwang (Dirk1)


Dirk Two (F-15C, Serial 84-0014- Wingman
- Pilot: Captain J. "Boomer" McMurray (Dirk2)


Magic Seven-seven
- AWACs E-3 Sentry (Magic77)


Terms
----------------------------
Bogey/Bandit- Enemy aircraft
Bullseye- Secret code for aircraft location
Given in a heading from center of bullseye, distance from center, altitude, and direction of flight
EX: 254 (heading), 45 (miles), 23 Thousand (altitude), Westbound (direction)
Fox Three- Announcement that an AIM-120 missile has been launched
Picture- Current situation (any threats around)
Splash- Enemy kill + the number (ex. Splash Two mean two enemy kills)
----------------------------
Magic77- "All clean, Magic Seven-seven, Magic, clean, bulls, zero-three-zero, forty-five.
Magic77- "Magic break break. All clean. Magic, picture, bogey bulls zero-two-zero, forty-five, westbound, twenty thousand, radar track."
Dirk1- "Verify contact there. Arm hot. Magic, Dirk, request purple onion."
Magic77- "Standby."
Dirk2- "Contact there."
Dirk1- "(? walked on) two MiG-29's."
Dirk2- "One-four, forty-five, twenty-three thousand!"
Magic77- "Magic, the same contact, bogey, radar, twenty-two thousand."
Dirk1- "Dirk Two, Threat hostile, hostile. Dirk Two, engage there. Bogey, bandit maneuvring northbound."
Dirk2- "Two show's same. Two's engaged."
Dirk1- "Press."
Dirk2- "Zero-five-five, twenty-four BRA, twenty thousand."
Dirk1- "Dirk come back in."
Magic77- "Maneuvring north, twenty-four thousand. Magic has two contact."
Dirk1- "Copy, two contacts there."
Dirk2- "Fox Three!"
Magic??- "I have, ah, Frank Three-five up. That's about it. It's all yours. Ahw, he's descending to two-three-zero, if he's not there already." (extranious comm, not related to incident. It is from an AWACs flight, a combat air controller is switching shifts, and his relief is giving him the picture. The recorder of this comm might have switched frequencies, and in the mean time, Dirk1 probably launched his 2 AIM-120s, since there is no mention of this till "Splash 2!")
Magic77- "One bandit is turning hot. (?) Forty-one."
Dirk2- "Eighteen thousand, nose eight miles."
Dirk1- "Dirk One, tally one nose."
Magic77- "He's at, twenty-four thousand, southbound."
Dirk1- "Splash Two! Splash Two! MiG-29! Bullseye, three-six-zero, thirty-six! ? radar."
Magic77- "You copied the Splash Two?"
Dirk1- "A-firm, Splash Two!"
Magic77- "Eighty-five, picture clean, picture clean. Clean, give me the bogey's position. Magic, roger, bulls zero-zero-five, thirty-five east bound."


Monday, June 07, 1999 8:32 AM


As told by "Claw" Hwang - MiG killer:


Well, I'm finally back in England after being TDY since the end of January, at least for two weeks anyway. Got sent direct to Cervia AB, Italy, from Operation Northern Watch in Turkey after being at the Incirlik AB for over 7 weeks ("Luv the 'Lik" no 'mo ! ). My house and yard is a total mess! There doesn't seem to be an end in sight in the Kosovo situation, but the war is over for me for a while. Some of you probably already heard throught the grapevine about what happened to "Boomer" Mcmurry and I. Here's the proverbial "Rest of the Story"...


Boomer and I were tasked as Bosnia-Herzgovinia DCA on 26 Mar, vul time from 1500Z to 1900Z. We were established on CAP over Tuzla for about an hour after initial refueling. At 1602Z, while eastbound approaching the Bosnia/Yugoslavia border, I got a radar contact 37 nm to the east, 6k', beaming south at over 600kts. Of course AWACS had no clue and did not have any inkling of someone was flying on the other side of border (although he was real good at calling out every single friendly WEST of us!).


I called out the contact and Boomer was locked same. Without an ID and not tactically sound to cross the border at the time, I elected to pump our formation in a right hand turn through south and called "PU**** UP, BURNER, TAPES ON!" (we were initially flying .85M, 28K') and rolled out heading west/southwest. At that time I didn't think anything much would happen. I figured the contact would probably continue south or turn east and remain well on the east side of the border. Nevertheless, I called the flight lead of the south CAP over Sarajevo and gave him a craniums up on the posit of contact, altitude, and the heading. This entire time AWACS still had no radar contact, even after I called it out on the radio.


Man, running away with the contact at our six o'clock with AWACS not having any clue was NOT comfortable! Boomer and I continued west for a total of 60 sec (about 10 nm) before I directed the formation to turn back hot, again turning through south in an attempt to get some cut-off. Boomer was on the northside of the formation(left side as we rolled out heading east). We both got contact 070 degrees for 37 nm, 23k', target now heading west (hot towards us). AWACS finally woke up and starting seeing the same thing. Now, I'm starting to think, "@#%$ IS GONNA HAPPEN" (evident with the increase of about two octaves in my voice!).


Checked AAI for friendly squawk: nobody home! We still needed to get clearance from AWACS to engage, so I requested (codeword) and got no reply from the controller (pretty sure he had no 'freakin clue what that codeword meant!). About this time both Boomer and I got good ID on the target in our own cockpit and with threat hot towards us inside 30 nm decided to blow off the AWACS/clearance to engage restriction and go for it!


Target was now inside 30 nm and I directed Boomer to target the single group. I broke lock and went back to search in 40 nm scope and 120 sweep. The target check turn towards northwest (about 14L aspect) and descend to high teens. Boomer and I checked about 30 deg left to northeast for cutoff. This check turn slung me aft in the formation so I stroke it up to full AB to get more line abreast. I called "COMBAT 1, ARM HOT" and saw Boomer's wing tanks come off with bright flames under the wing. Pretty impressive!


I was well over the Mach when I punched my tanks off and the jet jumped up abruptly (you can see it in the HUD). Took a quick look back to check and see if my stabs were still intact... I rolled my elevation coverage looking from about 5K' to 21K' and no kidding stay in search for at least one full frame (believe me, I wanted to go back to single target track SO DAMN BAD !!!)


Ed note: They have an system identification that they've got at least one MiG. Claw had the discipline to break lock and search.


AWACS started calling out two contacts, lead trail. Sure enough, I was starting to see the breakout on my scope! At about 20nm, Boomer called "FOX 3, 18K' !". I saw the cons/smoke came from his jet and thought: SONOFABITCH!!!! I gotta get me some!!! I commanded mini-raster on the leader and as soon as the radar lock (about 17nm), immediately thumb forward to HDTWS. My first shot came off inside 16 nm from the leader. When I pressed the pickle button, it seemed like an ETERNITY before the missile actually launched, but when it did...WOW!!!! I have never shot an AMRAAM or AIM-7 before at WSEP (and I don't think I have a chance in hell of shooting more missiles at WSEP after this!). The missile came off with such a loud roar/whoosh, I not only heard it clearly in the cockpit above the wind noise, radio comm, ear plug, and helmet, I actually FELT the rocket motor roar! In the HUD, you can see the flames shooting out from the tail end of the missile, and the smoke and cons following it!


Stepped immediately to the trailer in HDTWS and press and held the pickle button for at least 3 seconds. Again, thinking: COME ON, DAMN IT! LAUNCH!!! The second missile came off just as impressive as the first after the same painful delay. I yelled "Dirk 1, Fox 6, lead trail!" ("Cricket" Renner later critique my comm as incorrect 3-1 terminology... EAT ME!!!)


Since Boomer was the primary shooter, I assumed he was locked to the leader, so I kept the trailer as the PDT. Didn't want to screw with a good thing, I stayed in HDTWS inside 10nm ("Dozer" Shower, our WIC dude, promptly crititiqued me for NOT going STT inside 10nm upon reviewing my VSD tape, thus I still have to pass my Intercept ride!). Both targets started a check turn to the southwest (14L to 16R aspect) and continued to descent to low teens. Approaching 10nm, checking RWR to make sure we weren't targeted: "Dirk 1 naked !" "Dirk 2 naked !"


"Dirk, let's go pure! "From 30K', both of us rolled our jets inverted and pointed nose low directly at the TD box on the HUD, and pulled throttle to idle. I think my heart rate at this time was reaching my aerobic limit for my age (you know, that formula: 220 minus age...)! Against a broken cloud background, I saw a tiny dot in the TD box about 7 to 8 nm out. "Dirk 1, tally ho nose 7 nm, low ! "Realizing I saw the trailer, I was praying Boomer would soon follow up with a tally call on the leader. Approaching 5 nm, I'm scanning in front of the trailer for the leader but no joy. @#%$! The trailer continued his left turn to southwest and I was looking at approx 14R aspect. Inside of 5 nm, thumb aft to AIM-9 and tried twice to uncage but the tone was not there.


Just then, between the HUD and the canopy bow (about right 12:30 to 1 o'clock position), I saw the leader explode! The best visual description I can think of is if you held a torch from one of those Hawaiian Luau party, and swing it through the air. The flame with a extended tail trailing the torch is exactly what I saw! Turning my attention back to the trailer, the trailer exploded into a streaking flame seconds later just as I tried to uncage the missile the third time! Never mind! "DIRK 1, SPASH TWO MIG-29s, B/E 360/35 !!!


"Heater, I'm ashamed... I was screaming like a woman! Didn't really bothered to keep an eye on the fireballs, so I didn't see any chutes. Later report confirmed both pilots ejected safely. Not that neither Boomer nor I would've felt bad if they morted. Anyway, I called for Boomer and I to reference 080 heading and short range radar. Thumbed aft to AUTOGUNS and plug in full AB and accelerated to 460 kts at 20K'. My cranium was on a swivel and breathing like I just ran a full sprint! "Dirk 2, blind!" Crap!!!! I looked north and it took me a few seconds to find Boomer (about 3.5nm left and stacked high). Tried to talk his eyes back to me, but Boomer called out to west in a right turn. I waited a few seconds to sanitize and turned west as well. During the turn, I immediately pulled into double beeper due to airspeed and Gs (looking back, I should've over G so the mission would've been more impressive...).


Rolling out, I was 3nm in trail of Boomer, so I had him shackle to the south to pick up line abreast. The fun wasn't over yet. Boomer got an AUTOGUN snap lock less than 10 nm south of us, low alt, with no ID. I told him to press for VID while I followed him 3 nm in trail. We were diving back down to the low teens and I saw ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on my radar! Boomer all of a sudden pulls up and yells "Dirk 2, unable ID!" That's BAD!!!


I just about @#%$ in my pants! I saw nothing and after a few seconds I asked Boomer if he saw ANYTHING at all. Boomer said he didn't see anything, so we just stroke it up and separate to the northwest for a while, then came back for a second look. Nobody home! Boomer thought it may have been a bad radar lock. I sure hope so! The rest of the sortie was one excitement after another.


While on the boom, AWACS controller started calling out every single ground traffic as possible contact crossing the border into Bosnia. For a while it sounded like amass attack on Tuzla! By now it was night time, and Boomer (in an offset3~5 nm trail) and I were still running around with our hair on fire! One time AWACS called out contacts very low alt moving towards Tuzla westbound. I didn't see squat on my tube, neither did Boomer. As the position of group started getting closer to Tuzla, I expected to see a burst of explosion from the airfield underneath! Boomer and I were gonna go from "heros to zeros" real soon! Finally I turned the GMTR setting on my trusty APG-70 to low and immediately saw the targets. Locked them up and show 80 kts ground speed! I wanted to reach through the mic and strangle the @#%$ out the controller! [vehicles]


AWACS later called out MiG CAPs just 15 nm northeast of the border! Boomer and I were ready to "Pop a cap in their ass" across the border as soon as we got contact and ID! Again, nothing on the radar. We even did two iterations of grinder with a two ship of Vipers and no one got a solid radar hit. That night we committed and armed hot THREE MORE TIMES AFTER the MiG kills based on ridiculous AWACS calls! No kidding, by the time our replacement showed up (4 hours of vul time later), I was totally exhausted and drained!


The flight across Adriatic was uneventful, and Boomer and I finally had a moment to think about what happened. After I landed and pulled into de-arm, I saw a freak in flight suit and wearing a reflective belt, jumping up and down. Sure enough, it was "Freak" O'Laughlin welcoming us back! Taxi back to the chocks was like having a bunch of kids following an ice cream truck! Everyone came running out and waited at the parking spot for Boomer and I. Boomer taxied in front of me as I pulled into my spot. Losing all professionalism and radio discipline (yada yada...), I called out on Ops freq: "Boomer, YOU'RE the @#%$!!!"


Getting out of the jet and greeting all the bros and maintainers was THE GREATEST MOMENT OF MY CAREER!!! Our Ops Group commander "Wilbur" Eddy was first to shake my hand, followed by the mob! We were laughing, shouting, hooting, high-fiving, and hugging! It was awesome! Couldn't wait to review the tapes, we all piled into the "Turtle" and watched my HUD tapes. Thank God it recorded everything clearly, including the fireball from the trailer. "Homer" Samuel and "Bull" Mitchum almost knocked me over when they came storming into the Turtle! We were all screaming and jumping so hard in the Turtle I though it was going to tip over! Too bad Boomer's VSD tape did not run, and his HUD tape was washed out due to high aperature setting. Boomer and I were laughing and high-fiving entire car ride home! We weren't even suppose to fly that day!


Some afterthoughts:


It no kidding took over a day for this to finally sink in. It felt almost surreal that day/night. "Fish" Bonita, our MX officer, said it best when he saw me hours after I shut down engines: "So, Claw, have you landed yet?" Only one word can describe this event: @#%$_UNBELIEVABLY_LUCKY!!! Not the fact we shot them down, but that they were airborne during our watch. Any Eagle driver could've easily done what Boomer and I did, but as "Heater" Griffin said: "You guys won the lottery!"


The sequence of events happened in our favor like the planets lining up. The jets, the missiles, the radar (well, at least mine) performed marvelously! Our MX dudes deserve the bulk of the credit. We had no spares that day. The crew chiefs and the Pro Super, Jim Snyder, absolutely BUSTED THEIR ASS working red balls and launched us on time! Boomer, my wingman, what can I say? Regardless of whose missile hit which MiG, WE shot down two Fulcrums that afternoon. We succeed as a team, and fail as a team (good thing it was the former)! Boomer did an OUTSTANDING job of finding the group, working the ID matrix, and target according to plan. If I didn't have faith in him, I would not have broken lock to break out the lead trail formation.


Of course I'm proud of what we did, but there's one thing I'll really stick out my chest for: To everyone who taught me and influenced me on my tactical flying and gave me long debriefs (though painful at times), especially "Razor" Johnson, "Elwood" Amidon, "Heater" Griffin (even though he's a meat gazer...), "Homer" Samuel, "Dozer" Shower, "Nuts" Destasio, and "Bear" Gibbs, I DID NOT LETYOU GUYS DOWN!!! It doesn't get much better than this guys! Well, maybe two more kills would be pretty cool...That's all I have to say about that!


Claw out...

8 comments:

Unknown said...

''Heater, I’m ashamed. I was screaming like a woman! Didn’t really bother to
keep an eye on the fireballs, so I didn’t see any chutes. Later report confirmed both pilots ejected safely. Not that Boomer or I would’ve felt bad if they morted.''

Hwang, you are a true ''hero'' and a ''man''! The only problem is that you scream like a woman. I can only imagine how you wold scream had the MiG shot you down! Unfortunately, they didn't.

West said...

That day one Serbian pilot died because he defend his country.

He is degree from the Faculty of Transport in Belgrade and became one of the leading experts in our country in the field of satellite navigation. These 1999 preparing his doctorate and was in constant contact with their mentors. Posthumously, at the Batajnica airport each year is awarded the prize that bears his name the best of the class. In 1996 he enrolled in graduate studies at the Faculty of Transport, University of Belgrade, with the thesis in June 1998. This faculty since 1999 awarded the annual prize for the best student on air transport, which bears his name.


26 March 1999, just two days after the bombing, Colonel Slobodan Peric and his colleague Zoran Radosavljevic received an order for take-off and confronting NATO aviation. This decision may rightly be considered insane because the Yugoslav army was incomparably weaker. MiG-29 were in semi correct state, unable to air combat. NATO aircraft radar range was 120 km while the range of the MiG-29 was halved. This meant that enemy aircraft could shoot the pilots of the Yugoslav Army before they even notice the enemy.

All this information had Colonel Peric. However, this did not prevent him to fulfill the order and summer coupled with counterpart Zoran Radosavljevic.

- "I go with the late Zoran Radosavljevic home to rest. There are my parents, relatives and neighbors. Everyone wanted to know what was going on, how much will take a while. Me bursts film and go back to the unit. At the door I Luka , who was two years old, hang on the leg and said: "Daddy, do not go." it's hard for me but what I gotta do. I go to Radosavljevic, ring the bell on the intercom, when his mother and girlfriend at the time I go to the window. Rada flings me: "Buco, watch the Zoran", and we're leaving. that day, on March 26, flew the two of us. After all the maneuvers in air and avoid NATO missiles hit both of us are. When I saw that the airplane is no salvation for tren I went through my head, "dad, do not go," I pulled the lever and catapulted up. I jumped out with seven or eight thousand feet. and when the seats turned upside down, I saw a hole in front of you than 5,000 meters and the only thing I wanted was to open the parachute. the fear I have never felt. "

His plane MIG -29. according to the official version, was shot down in the general area of ​​Loznica, but the wreck and found the body immediately in the evening of 16 and 17 years old boys near the town Teočak near Bijeljina in the region of Majevica, in the territory of the Republic of Serbian. With him that night shot down and Major Slobodan Peric who escaped by jumping. Fuselage was on the lawn, beak on one mountain, and Zoran's body based on the other. The boys took a ladder and a blanket from a grandmother. They wrapped it up and handed over to the army of the Republic of Serbian. The soldiers by foot across the fields transferred to a hospital in Loznica.

- Soon American soldiers came and maltreated to say where the pilot - later testified Zoran's mother, who every day visiting his son's grave at the Belgrade Cemetery Lešće. The day before death took him, he says, the last breakfast in his apartment in New Belgrade, where he lived with a girl, and begged him not to fly.

- "Mama, I - then said Zoran mother. - What is man if he loses his homeland? We pilots have to take first strike on yourself and save the bar so a child in this country. "

He was buried three days later.

He was posthumously awarded the Medal for bravery and promoted to command of his commander. Medal for bravery in the war received was much brighter than what is obtained in peaceful times. Still brighter if awarded posthumously. Main Street in Batajnica today proudly bears the name Majora Zorana Radosavljevića.

Anonymous said...

Greetings from Serbia.

You killed one pilot that defended country that was illegal bombed for non exciting genocide.... among a lot of others your action got to the point where piece of country is cutted off and made into a mafia state, and after all you(your country and NATO) didn't had approval of UN for bombing in 1999.

But still, your'e not bombing now that mafia and genocide "country" of Kosovo for stealing human organs from non Albanians, for dealing drugs, for making all non Albanians out of that shameles false country.

Man, I wouldn't be proud of what Western did that year and I wouldn't be proud of having a role in it.

And yeah, your kill is made against not fullu operational Mig's... I wonder if they were fully operational and like more agile fighter in dogfighting, what would income of the battle be.....?

Inflatable Shark said...

Wow, amazing story. I wonder if that HUD video is out there on a streaming site.

Unknown said...

Great to read about this so many years later. I was a soldier on the ground at comanche base. We watched & listened to the sitrep from gambler7 of the entire thing. Very exciting & nerve racking no doubt. Lots of soldiers on the groound would praise the skill & guile of those AF pilots that day

Adice said...

Pilot Peric who successfully ejected later said that he was very dissapointed by NATO pilot words that "he hopes pilots are still in burning aircraft". He also said that he never flew to kill enemy pilot, rather to disable their aircraft, but that's the difference between US "hero" pilots and Serbian one's. Claw brags about shutting 2 MiG 29 that were never supposed to take off because their radar was not operational and MiG's were in very poor condition after years of sanctions. Pilot Peric once added that if he ever meets Claw, he would have asked him if Claw would even take off if the roles were replaced.

srbblogger said...

American dogs.clinton is a war criminal.death to the american pilots

Unknown said...

Brun in he'll! You are soon of the itch and coward.