역사 2013년 - 무인기를 요격하는 이란군 F-4를 바로 아래에서 감시한 F-22

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2012년 11월 이란 공군의 Su-25가 미공군 MQ-1 프레데터 무인기를 이란 영공 16마일 바깥 국제 공역에서 격추하려 했지만 실패한 뒤로 무인기를 전투기가 호위하도록 교전규칙이 바뀌었다고 합니다. 

2013년 이란이 F-4 팬텀으로 MQ-1을 격추하려고 시도했는데, 당시 무인기를 호위하던 F-22는 이란의 F-4에 포착되지 않고 팬텀 아래에서 팬텀의 무장 상태를 확인한 뒤, 팬텀의 왼편 위로 상승해 존재를 노출하고이란 팬텀에게  " ‘you really ought to go home,’”이라고 경고했다고 하네요. 팬텀은 응답한 뒤 이탈했다고 합니다. 

팬텀 파일럿들에겐 정말 경탄 & 좌절스러웠던 경험이 아니었을까 합니다. 

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/how-air-force-f-22-raptor-stealth-fighter-flew-under-irans-f-4-undetected-208440

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May 11, 2024  Topic: Security  Region: Middle East  Blog Brand: The Buzz  Tags: IranMiddle EastF-22 RaptorF-4 PhantomStealth

How an Air Force F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter Flew Under Iran's F-4 Undetected

The F-22’s pilot, operating undetected, had sidled right in. “He flew under their aircraft to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there,” then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said. Having determined the F-4’s payloads, the Raptor pilot finally alerted the Iranians to his presence

by Harrison Kass Follow Harrison Kass on TwitterL

Summary: The U.S. Air Force's coveted F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, equipped with cutting-edge technology, recently showcased its prowess in intercepting Iranian F-4 Phantom jets attempting to engage a U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator drone in international airspace.

F-22 Can Do It All 

In November 2012, two Iranian Air Force Sukhoi Su-25s tried to down a U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator drone. At the time, the MQ-1 was flying in international air space, 16 miles from the Iranian border; the drone flight was legal, but understandably instigatory. Iran scrambled the two Su-25s, which quickly closed on the drone. But the Su-25 was designed for close air support, not air superiority, and it struggled impotently with its cannons to shoot down the MQ-1.

The American drone escaped the interaction unscathed, having filmed the entire sequence with on-board cameras. In response to the incident, the U.S. modified its procedures to better protect its vulnerable drone fleet. It began providing drones with a fighter escort.

One year later, in 2013, the Iranians – apparently unaware of this new U.S. drone-escort policy – engaged another MQ-1. This time, the Iranians sent a jet with some air-to-air game, the F-4 Phantom – an aircraft the U.S. exported to Iran in the 1970s, back when the two countries were allies. Unlike the Su-25, the F-4 was entirely capable of bringing down the MQ-1. But when the Iranian F-4s moved to engage the MQ-1, they discovered they were not alone.

Escorting the MQ-1, lurking silently, was a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor – a fifth-generation stealth fighter. As the Iranian pilots learned that day, the F-22 “is equipped with stealth technology that enables it to operate virtually undetected by radar.”

Iran, F-4 and Those Stealth F-22 Raptors

Indeed, the Iranians were oblivious to its presence as the F-22 stalked them from below.

This aircraft is packed with enviable, cutting-edge technology. “The F-22 Raptor is a technological marvel,” I noted previously.

“The world’s first operational fifth-generation fighter, the F-22 was designed with a bevy of novel features – stealth technology, supercruise, supermaneuverability, and sensor fusion – all combined to create the preeminent air superiority fighter.”

The Iranians flying in Vietnam War-era F-4 Phantoms were ill-equipped to match an F-22. Granted, the F-4 was a capable airframe – the most produced American supersonic military aircraft ever – but it first flew in 1958. The F-22, on the other hand, was an up-to-date, 21st century marvel.

“The F-22’s software is advanced and impressive. Using sensor fusion, data from multiple onboard sensor systems are synthesized to create a more comprehensive tactical picture,” I explained a few years back.

Besides, the F-4 was not built for dogfighting. “The Phantom was not particularly maneuverable,” I explained in a previous article on the F-4. “Enemy MiGs could typically outturn the F-4, which wasn’t designed for dogfighting and suffered from adverse yaw in tight turns. Instead, the F-4 was intended to fire radar-guided missiles from beyond visual range, not engage in air combat maneuvering.”

Well, the F-22 was comfortably within visual range: It was directly below the Iranians.

The F-22’s pilot, operating undetected, had sidled right in. “He flew under their aircraft to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there,” then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said. Having determined the F-4’s payloads, the Raptor pilot finally alerted the Iranians to his presence.

He “pulled up on their left-wing and then called them and said ‘you really ought to go home,’” Welsh said. The F-4s complied and bugged out.

The incident is indicative of the friction that has underscored the U.S.-Iranian relationship since the late 1970s. Currently, the two sides are working toward a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, which is reportedly nearing break-out capacity and has made Iran an international pariah. The world is watching closely as the negotiations unfold. In the meantime, hopefully the two rival nations can avoid any further dogfighting incidents.

Author Biography: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a senior defense editor with over 1,000 published articles. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, he joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison has degrees from Lake Forest College, the University of Oregon School of Law, and New York University’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. He lives in Oregon and regularly listens to Dokken. Email the Author: Editor@nationalinterest.org. 

Image Credit: Shutterstock. 

[degg.]

원문에 따르면 2022->2012 네요

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네 제가 오타를 쳤네요 ㅎㅎ 수정했습니다 감사합니다