This one is not really an article. I posted this fictional and hypothetical scenario on the Pakistan Defence Forum in 2010. It was a first attempt at writing sensational and fictional stuff. Again no jingoism was meant. Those who are totally unfamiliar with the military aviation may find it a bit hard to understand.
Disclaimer: Please note that this is a hypothetical scenario. The names of Minhas, Alam , Khalid and Rafiqui have been chosen for their historical relevance only. All other names and characters have been chosen randomly. Any coincidence would only be by chance.
PHALCON MEETS ITS NEMESIS
Masud: Gentlemen its urgent. We have to send a mission in an hour against IAF Phalcon in the Northern Sector. We have lost element of surprise. All sorties are monitored by Phalcon right from the take-off. During dogfights, Phalcon is acting as a virtual wingman for each Su-30 and these Flankers have enough confidence to operate alone too.
Shamim: what happened to the earlier missions sent by southern command to neutralise Phalcon that is operating over their area?
Alam : So far no success. But I think our northern command should also send some mission.
Inam : We have aleady lost 4 pilots and I dont know why we are still crazy about Phalcon.
Alam: Yes but we shot down 12 of theirs.
Inam : Its impossible. The numerical superiority of the enemy is overwhelming. Continuing to fight for this objective is useless.
Masud: Our job is to find the possibilities and do the impossible. This nation depends on us. History is looking to us. I am sending Mirages to attack Phalcon.
Shamim: Why not F-16s?
Masud: Falcons will be escorting them. Rafiqui shall attack the Phalcon from above and Sajjad shall attack from beneath. Both shall go simultaneously and fire the missiles forward. Rafiqui is to pull-up after attack in a upward loop and Sajjad is to pull a split-S in a downward loop. The pattern is to repeated, if circumstances allow, to cripple the Phalcon. Dilawar and Minhas shall be wingmen to Sajjad and Rafiqui respectively. Wingman shall take the lead if leader encounters a problem. Escort will be given to you. You shall avoid any unnecessary air combat and proceed to your objective. In case of casualties, you are free to reform pairs. Remember to disengage at Bingo. Everyone is to take one flare catridge for R73 and one blinding flare catridge for Python missiles, which use IIR. For dogfights take a mix of Magic-2s and AIM-9Ms. Your escorts will be carrying AMRAAMs.
Masud: Alam! providing air cover to Mirages is your responsibility. Take Khalid as your wingman.
Masud: Any question?? If No then its time to scramble. I shall be monitoring the mission. Phalcon of the northern sector is now over Srinagar.
AFTER 20 minutes......
Controller: Sir Mirages are crossing LoC.....8 bogeys approaching in pairs, 4 Mig-29s from behind and 4 Su-30s at 60 degree angle-off,
Masud: At which range?
Controller: Mig-29s at 30 miles and flankers at 40 miles, Sir.
Masud: where is Alam? He should be somewhere near........
Controller: Not visible on scope Sir...no radio contact....
Controller: Radar lock reported on Mirages....possibly a BVR shot......releasing chaff....
Masud: Call Alam to engage.....
Controller: No response from Alam Sir...
Shamim: Sir I told you he is a maverick, he can't be trusted with orders....
Masud: May be he is in radio silence....
Controller: 2 BVR missiles launched at leading Mirages by Flankers......
Alam: Drop tanks away, going head to head with bogeys, changing from tight to battle formation.....
Sajjad: Diving for the deck,
Controller: Sir Alam and Khalid were flying very tight abreast formation with Mirages and so were a single blip on our scope.
Masud: where did the BVRs go?
Controller: Sir Alam and Khalid pulled horizontal scissors maneuvers with missiles passing in between the two.....
Alam to Khalid :dont be exactly at my tail....while horizontal, you are to fly 1000 feet above me and 1000 feet behind...whenever a Fulcrum or Flanker pulls a Cobra, you roast him....in the verticals, you are to fly at the same altitude as me but 500 feet apart towards the inner side of the loop...In horizontal, you are to release flares downwards and I shall release flares upwards...same for the chaff...In verticals, release flares directly backwards......
Alam : Two Fulcrums locked up together.....releasing two AMRAAMs......Fox 1...
Khalid : Two Flankers locked.........unleashing AMRAAMs....
Alam: 4 bogeys down...getting close now....
Alam : Zooming up on Fulcrum....closing in....impossible to take lead... Fulcrum turning too tight......Khalid he must be in your sight....
Khalid : Yes Sir, he is....giving him a dose of bullets...Fulcrum smoking and going down....
Alam: Going after the Flanker....Flanker pulling Cobra....Khalid bite him!!!!!!
Khalid : Guns thundering....Flanker dead....They would not do Cobra again....
Alam : Look right Khalid...R-73 fired from 60 degree off-boresight.........
Khalid: Deploying proximity fuse jammer and releasing R73C flares.....
Controller: Sir Alam has become PAF's second ACE after 1965....and Khalid needs one more shot to become ACE....
Khalid: 5th bogey in sight.......going in for the kill......
Controller: Khalid! break!....break immediately...there is a bogey at your tail....
Khalid: There is nothing on my RWR but breaking left.......coming around....nothing found....
Controller: perhaps that was a mistake....
Khalid: Bogeys are out of sight now......
Minhas to Rafiqui: Missile coming from 12'o clock with the launch aircraft at 20 miles...it must be a BVR..
Rafiqui: Deploying towed radar decoy...breaking right
Rafiqui : Flare catridge empty!
Masud : Rafiqui, you should disengage now....fighting in the enemy skies without flares can be fatal.....
Rafiqui : Minhas! close in...follow me through all maneuvers......release flares when I tell you.....
Controller: Sir Sajjad and wingman are engaging the Phalcon without waiting for Rafiqui.....
Sajjad : Launching 2 Sidewinders on Phalcon.....Splash One!!! Right wing destroyed. Phalcon going down......
Dilawar : But the indian fighters are still guided by AWACS.....Sir look at three'o clock, the real Phalcon is there.....it was dummy...
Masud: Were there any intelligence reports of a dummy AWACS?
Inam : No Sir, it was a surprise.
Controller to Masud: Sir a formation is heading towards Kahuta.....You must order CAP to intercept it....
Masud : Inam, you are incharge now.....
Controller : 8 more bogeys heading towards you....
Controller : Rafiqui has gone down Sir......
Sajjad : Bingo level reached! disengaging.......
Inam: Abort! Abort! Mission Aborted......All of you are ordered to abort the mission.....
Dilawar: Target is in sight but ...ok disengaging.....
Controller:Minhas! you are ordered to disengage.....
Inam: where is he now?
Controller: Sir he is heading towards Phalcon....2 miles away....
Sajjad : Entering the safe corridor for egress......
Dilawar: Crossing LoC......
Alam: Escorting Mirages and crossing LoC......
Khalid: Crossing LoC...
Inam : what are plans of Minhas? Is he going to shoot down the big Phalcon with few rounds of his gun?
Controller : I repeat Minhas......you are ordered to disengage and proceed to safe corridor over LoC......
Minhas: I have burnt my boats, there is no retreat when target is in sight. This flying suite is my coffin. I swear to the blood of Rafiqui, this Phalcon is going down....
Masud: Whats going on here.....
Controller: Phalcon going down....Minhas out of screen Sir....Indian formatin over kahuta has lost contact with AWACS and they are bugging out.
Masud: This nation shall remember Minhas forever. I am recommending NH for him.
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