猛禽旗帜(Raptor Flag)- 转载自Combat Aircraft杂志

原文作者MDC第二论坛版主TOGA,
http://www.acewings.com/cobrachen/forum/

1. 美国空军一直期盼能採购381架F-22A以编成10个Air and Space Expeditionary Force（AEF，每个AEF下辖24架F-22A），然而随着元老院心意已决，美国空军最终只能获得183架F-22A以编成7个AEF（每个AEF 下辖18架F-22A）之事似乎已成定局，如无意外，LM厂的猛禽生產线将於2008年迈入逐步缩减关闭之路，而差不多已经认命的USAF也準备将旗下状况最佳的178架F-15鹰式机进行延寿与升级，於可见的未来年间与无双猛禽共同担任维持美国绝对空权的重责大任．
2. 由USAF种子教官文中背书的猛禽战机性能指标：
A. F-22A的中高空超巡时速可达1.72马赫，正常作业高度为60,000英呎．
B. F119-PW-100涡扇引擎的推力级数高达39,000磅级～猛禽战机的飞行极速上限是受机体材料所限，而非引擎推力．
C. F-22A的爬升能力天下无双，能正负20度俯仰的TVC提供其绝伦的缠斗机敏性，不过暂时无法配备JHMCS和AIM-9X则是其目前美中不足之处．
D. APG-77 AESA雷达每秒鐘频率变换超过千次，足以让时下最新锐的Jamming Pods在其面前也得称臣，其也将据备集中能量来饱和破坏敌方感测器的电子攻击能力．
E. 机上两具CIP拥有300 Mb的记忆容量，并能以每秒10.5 billion instructions的速率处理资讯，机上软体code超过170万行．
F. 近来的军演显示，F-22A能在飞弹发射完毕之后继续靠著匿踪性能逗留在战场，再凭著强大无比的主被动侦搜系统与资料处理能力担任前线匿踪预警机与 Mission Commander的重任，不过再度美中不足的是，目前F-22A并不具备透过LINK-16对友军盟国传统战机传达资讯的能力，因此与友军盟国传统战机间的资讯沟通暂时还是得靠无线电语音．
3. 27th FS的F-22A在2006年阿拉斯加北方军演期间所创下的最终交换比：241比2（这个2，实际上是和F-22配合作战的2架F-15/F-16）．
4. 2007年2月间，94th FS的14架F-22A参加了模拟地球上最高强度空战的内华达红旗军演，在整场军演期间，蓝军方的F-22A遭受到史无前例的F-15与F-16红色联军挑战：
A. 红军方试图使用详情列为机密的最新机动战术规避猛禽的侦测锁定，但全数以失败作收．
B. 红军方还曾试图以近似犯规的手法进攻～从原始军演计画简报中列为非攻击轴向的方向朝猛禽战机所在空域袭击，但还是被杀得片甲不留．
C. 红军方也试图以密集编队，共同组成电磁干扰防护墙的方式来阻挠F-22A的雷达锁定，但APG-77雷达轻轻鬆鬆的就突破干扰，识别锁定目标，接著来场BVR猎火鸡．
D. 红军方亦曾试图以四架配备NVG的F-16於夜间用低空突防战术突破禽之壁，结果还是惨遭F-22A的AIM-120模拟屠杀．
E. 到最后，红军方真正足以威胁猛禽的手段只有一种：超BT，超赖皮的“不死机海”战术————”无限机製”～在每次军演时限内，红军方的战机无论被击落多少次，都可以在飞行一段距离后，於一个新方位重新宣告”復活”，再度向猛禽方发动进攻，而猛禽方则除了弹药有限，被模拟命中就得退场外，更得持续面对不断復活且从四面八方而来的一波波敌机群的严苛挑战（一名猛禽飞官表示：”这就活像是打地鼠游戏般”），而在这样的超激斗下，有些F-22A因为识别误判，而遭到以为已经击落，但其实业已重新復活的对手暗算，有些F-22A则在AAM使用殆尽之后，被不断復活的敌机对手给一涌而上，壮烈成仁～虽然有几次是猛禽飞官蓄意想看看自己若只靠机炮的话能战至何等地步（战死不退，永不言败～That is Raaaaaaaaptorrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!）．
F. 在一场特别悲壮的场面中，一架（似乎）只剩AIM-9M与机炮的F-22A被三架F-16给近距缠上，当其勇猛地干掉其中两架之后，在要以AIM-9M锁定第三名对手时不幸晚了对手三秒鐘，最后在判定相互击落中壮烈成仁（Tonight, we diet in the hell~~~~~~!!!!!!!）
G. 就在如此超壮烈的空中温泉关大战下，94th FS於这场红旗军演中获得了比例为36比1的最终交换比，虽然和猛禽以往的表现相比，这等交换比数字显得不够光采，但已经是自有红旗军演以来，所有参加军演的战机中队中最为辉煌灿烂的表现矣．


Raptor Flag

Throwing the world's most advanced fighter into Red Flag

Reporter: Maj Lawrence Spinetta, USAF

A thunderous roar from 28th Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines sets off car alarms in the flightline parking lot at Nellis AFB on February 3, 2007. The arrival of 14 F-22As from the 94th 'Hat in the Ring' Fighter Squadron marked the start of a two-week Red Flag exercise in Las Vegas, Nevada, designed to sharpen the talons of Raptor pilots from Langley AFB. Even though more than 200 aircraft deployed for the exercise - including B-2s, F-15s, F-16s, F-117s, Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s and Royal Australian AF F-111s - all eyes were on the Raptor as it made its Red Flag debut.

'We were ready for business', declared Maj David Johnson, one of 22 Raptor pilots who deployed for the exercise. 'As a young squadron, we were eager to test our capabilities and showcase the unique capabilities of the Raptor.'

Only three weeks earlier, the 94th FS accepted delivery of tail number 5085, its 20th and last aircraft, from the Lockheed Martin factory in Marietta, Georgia. At the delivery ceremony, Lt Col Dirk Smith, the 94th FS commander, remarked, 'Its amazing that 13 months ago, we were an F-15 fighter squadron, and today, we are officially an F-22 fighter squadron.' The delivery also completed Langley's fleet of 40 F-22s. In December 2005, the 94th's sister squadron, the 27th FS, earned the distinction of becoming the first fighter squadron in America to stand up as an operational F-22 squadron.

The F-22 has not completely displaced the F-15 on Langley's tarmac, however. The Eagles of the 71st Fighters Squadron remain an integral part of Langley's arsenal. The 183 F-22s that Congress has authorized for purchase simply do not meet Combatant Commanders' air superiority requirements. To fill the gap, the USAF plans to retain and upgrade 178 of the service's best F-15s to compliment its Raptor squadrons. For the foreseeable future, the Eagle will remain an critical component of America's air superiority dominance.

The USAF has long maintained that it requires 381 Raptors in order to man one F-22 squadron for each of its 10 Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) packages. After Congress slashed its F-22 budget request, the USAF had to adjust its combat plans and will now only equip seven AEFs with F-22s. Furthermore, each F-22 squadron will consist of 18 rather than 24 jets, not including attrition reserves. The Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Wynee, mentioned at an air power symposium in December 2006 that he was thinking about seeking funding for an additional 20 F-22s, but most Pentagon insiders believe that Congress will balk at the price tag. At more than $120m per jet, the Raptor is literally worth its weight in gold. The Lockheed Martin plant will shut down in 2008 if no further orders are booked.

The bottom line is that the Raptor may be slowly replacing the F-15 as the 'World's greatest air superiority fighter', but the scarcity of Raptor platforms means that the key to warfighting success will remain how well the Raptor integrates with other low observable and legacy aircraft. Hence, Red Flag takes on an even greater importance as a forum to test, develop, and validate supportive tactics.

As is well known, Red Flag trains aircrew in large force employment under simulated combat conditions. The Aggressors of the 414th Combat Training Squadron spare no expense in Challenging coalition pilots. Not only do Red Flag participants face a lethal combination of F-16 and F-15 pilots specifically trained to replicate the tactics and techniques of potential enemies, but Blue forces also must navigate a complex web of electronically simulated surface-to-air missiles and communications jamming. In other words, Red Flag serves an ideal proving ground for new weapons systems.

CHARIOTS OF DEATH

'I prefer to fly when aluminum chaff is airborne' (a not-so-subtle jab at the radar cross-section of legacy aircraft), says Maj Brian Beales, and experienced Raptor pilot and former F-15E Strike Eagle pilot. 'Like all stealth aircraft, the Raptor isn't necessarily invisible to enemy radars. But invariably, enemy threats our job a little easier.'

The Raptor's low-observable characteristics provide pilots with an unmatched first-look, first-kill opportunity. No enemy fighters will get anywhere close to employing their long-rang missiles unless Raptor pilots make gross tactical errors or the rules of engagement do not permit beyond visual range (BVR) shots. The Raptor's unprecedented super-cruise capability allows it to fly at speeds as high as Mach 1.72 without having to use afterburner. Flying faster than legacy aircraft translates into an expanded weapons employment zone (with longer missile maximum ranges).

The Raptor's F119-PW-100 engines provide 39,000lb of thrust each, which would easily rocket the jet to speeds well in excess of its design limits unless the pilot reduces power to keep the aircraft's airspeed in check. Lockheed Martine advertises the F-22 as a 'Mach 2 class' jet. Airspeed limitations are structural in nature, though, and not a function of engine power. The Raptor also routinely operates at 60,000ft, an altitude at which pilots report seeing the curvature of the earth. Simply stated, no other fighter can climb as high or fly as fast as the Raptor.

Within the visual arena, thrust vectoring (+ 20 degrees along the pitch axis) gives the F-22 unparalleled maneuverability and thus affords it a tremendous dogfighting advantage. One negative, however, is that the USAF has yet to fund the joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing system (JHMCS) for the Raptor. So, F-22 pilots are unable to take full advantage of the off-boresight capabilities of the AIM-9X missile. The air force leadership chose to buy the JHMCS for legacy aircraft first, the logic being that legacy aircraft like the F-15 are more likely to find themselves in a dogfight.

'The Raptor's performance capabilities make it a bad-assed chariot of death', boasts Maj Beales. 'But, engineers have made more important advancements in avionics.' The Raptor's AN/APG-77 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar provides pilots with more situational awareness than the air picture generated by AWACS. The AESA radar changes frequencies more than 1,000 times a second, foiling even the most advanced jamming pods. The AN/APG-77 can also focus its emissions to overload enemy sensors, giving the jet an electronic attack capability. Two integrated processors that contain 300 megabytes of memory analyze radar and other sensor information at speeds upwards of 10.5 billion instructions per second.

The Raptor's software contains over 1.7 million lines of code, yet the pilot display remains incredibly user-friendly. Computer processing filters and consolidates the display. Pilots can select a 'God's eye view' of the aerial battlefield or alternatively, select more detailed offensive or defensive information.

Even after firing off all eight of their air-to-air missiles, Raptor pilots often choose not to leave the battlefield. Instead, they rely on their stealthiness for protection and continue to fly out in front of a strike package advising other friendly forces of any threats. F-22 pilots use their on-board sensors to supplement gaps in AWACS coverage, such as the airspace behind mountains, and direct the intercepts of other fighters. Advanced computer processing sorts through unprecedented amounts of information and displays it in an easy-to-digest format, thereby allowing Raptor pilots to effectively function as mission commanders.

At present, however, the F-22 cannot transmit targeting information to other aircraft electronically via data link. F-22s have their own data link and they are privy to link 16, but the F-22 system currently is not set up to contribute to a 'common air picture.' Instead, pilots must communicate to other aircraft by voice.

A LOPSIDED VICTORY

The Raptor's overwhelming technological superiority certainly affords it an advantage. But, the dynamics and uncertainties of modern air combat make air power employment more of an art than a science. In the end, the outcome of an engagement depends much on the skill and training of an individual pilot, particularly when you fight a numerically superior enemy. Besides, the pilots of the 94th FS weren't just fighting against crafty Aggressors at Red Flag, they were also battling to fulfil the high expectations of air force leaders.

The 94th's sister squadron, the 27th FS, had previously set the bar high when 12 hand-picked pilots flying in Northern Edge, a two-week joint force war game in Alaska during the summer of 2006, amassed an incredible 241-to-two kill record. During one massive aerial battle, F-22-led forces claimed 83 aerial victories.

At Red Flag, the 94th performed very well under pressure and managed to post an equally impressive kill total, although this time the Raptors did not make it through the exercise unscathed. With a 36-to-1 kill ratio, the 94th's performance earned the squadron an unofficial Red Flag kill ratio record. It was a lopsided victory for the Blue forces. To put the Raptor's performance in its Red Flag debut in context, Col Thomas Bergeson, the 1st Operations Group commander, points out, 'Normally, you have a great day [at Red Flag] if you lose only 10 per cent of your forces.'

Launching between six and eight aircraft to support each strike package, 'Hat in the Ring' pilots routinely killed 30-40 adversaries. 'My biggest concern during my missions was running out of missiles,' said Maj Beales. 'The bad guys just kept coming.' Red Air Forces were allowed to regenerate and return to the fight, but Blue forces could not.

Capt Clay Percle compared his Red Flag experience to playing a game of 'Whack-A-Mole', a popular arcade activity invented in the 1970's. Moles randomly popped up from holes in the game's console; the object was to smack as many moles as you could with a mallet to force them back into their holes. Every mole you whacked added to your score. Similarly, the Red Flag Aggressors continued their relentless attacks even after being beaten back repeatedly by Raptor missiles. Capt Percle flew five sorties and claimed a tally of 21 kills, a triple ace.

In the end, the Aggressors managed to overwhelm a few unlucky Raptor pilots, many of whom had had already fired off all their missiles but were hoping to add to their kill record with nothing left but their bravado and their gun. Capt Percle's luck finally ran out after diving into a merge with three F-16s. He quickly dispatched two, but the third managed to fire off a missile finding its mark. Basically, it was a dying man's last gasp that resulted in a mutual kill.

The 94th had originally planned to carry a mixed load of air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance. At the start of the exercise, the Raptors carried a JDAM to practice dropping bombs, but they reluctantly gave up that strategy after encountering so many adversaries. The F-22 sacrifices to missile positions for every bomb it carries. So, an eight-ship of Raptors has 16 fewer missiles. Given the quantity of Red Flag adversaries and the ample number of 'mud movers' (other fighters and bombers in the strike train), they decided to concentrate on their escort duties.

The Red Flag scenario was much more challenging than the missions flown at Northern Edge. Usually, the Aggressors gradually loosen their operating restrictions over the course of the exercise, allowing pilots who do not necessarily fly large force exercises on a daily basis to experience a 'building block' learning approach. But, the gloves were off right from the start of this exercise.

Some of the Red Air tactics bordered on downright silliness. For example, the Aggressors tried to sneak past the Raptor's radar detection by ingressing from a direction that wasn't briefed as the threat axis. In essence, these aircraft would suddenly appear in friendly territory and start shooting.

Half of the Red Flag missions occurred at night. Mostly, the Red Air Would try to bundle large 'guerilla' packages together in tight formations and attempt to hide under the cover of jamming protection. But the Raptor radars easily pierced the jamming veil, enabling the Blue Forces to sort and kill individual targets.

One four-ship of F-16s even resorted to a low-level night attack in which they flew in close formation using night-vision goggles (NVGs) while navigating through canyons along the northern border of the Nellis range. Most potential adversaries have limited or no night capabilities. Since they fly at night infrequently, most have a hard time safely taking off and landing at night, let alone navigating around mountains using NVGs in close proximity to their wingmen. The Aggressors were really just looking for ways to challenge the Raptor rather than accurately replicate Red tactics. Regardless, Lt Col Michael Shower, the upcoming Alaska F-22 detachment commander, fended off the low-level F-16 attack with a barrage of AIM-120 AMRAAMs.

The next base to receive F-22s will be Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska. Because only a few jets roll off the assembly floor every month, Alaska is yet to build up a critical mass of aircraft. As such, Lt Col Shower still flies with Langley to remain proficient. A seasoned combat veteran, Lt Col Shower downed a MIG-29 on the first night of Operation 'Allied Force' near Belgrade, Serbia. His voice on the radio that night remained as cool as ice, even while engaging in a life and death struggle and dealing with the confusion of combat.

COMBAT READY

During the 94th Fighter Squadron's Red Flag deployment, the 27th FS began to quietly send 10 F-22s to Kadena Air Base, Japan. Not wanting to upset the 'peace and stability in the region', USAF officials said the first overseas deployment of their newest air supremacy aircraft was 'part of a regularly-scheduled US Pacific Command rotational assignment of aircraft'. But, the message to bellicose countries in the region was clear - the Raptor is ready for combat!

The jet passed its Red Flag baptism of fire with flying colours. Any defense official thinking about ordering their airmen to tangle with coalition forces over the Strait of Taiwan or the Korean Peninsula should think long and hard about the repercussions. The kill ratios that Raptor pilots achieved at both Northern Edge and Red Flag should send shivers down their spine. At those attrition rates, any potential adversary should expect to have little left of their air forces after a couple of days of combat. The Raptor is the new king of air superiority.
猛禽旗帜




将世界最先进的战斗机投入红旗演习


LawrenceSpinetta少校, USAF




2007 年二月 3 日，来自28具 普惠F119-PW-100 的引擎的雷鸣使得内利斯空军基地的停车场中的汽车警报器响成一片。 第94“戒指中的帽子”中队的14架F22战斗机抵达位于内华达州的拉斯维加斯，标志着其在红旗军演为期两周的的历练的开始。


尽管有200架飞机参加了演习，包括B-2， F-15， F-16， F-117, 皇家空气的狂风GR4和澳大利亚的F-111等，但所有的目光都聚焦在首次参加红旗军演的猛禽身上。




“我们已经做好准备”,参加演习的F22飞行员大卫詹森表示：“作为一只年轻的部队，我们热切期望测试我们的水平并且展现猛禽的独特能力。”




仅仅三周之前，第94中队从位于佐治亚州玛莉埃塔的洛克希德马丁工厂接收了编号 为5085 号的第 20 架也是最后一架战机。 在交接仪式上，第94中队指挥官少校史密斯表示：“在 13个月以前，我们是一只 F-15 战斗机部队，而在今天，我们正式地成为一个 F-22 战斗机部队。” 在 2005 年十二月，第94中队的姊妹部队，第 27战斗机中队,赢得了成为美国第一个具备初始作战能力的猛禽部队的荣誉。




F-22 没有完全替换掉兰利的 F-15,第71中队的鹰将继续作为兰利的空中武力的一部份。国会只确认了183架的采购数量， 为了弥补空缺,美国空军计划保有并且升级178架状态最好的F-15以辅助它的猛禽部队。 在可预知的未来，鹰将会保持一个美国的空中优势地位的至关重要的组成部分。




美国空军长久以来一直坚持它需要 381架猛禽以组建10个航空航天远征部队。 在国会削减了它的 F-22 预算请求后,美国空军必须调整它的计划，现在只将会用F-22装备七个航空航天远征部队 。


此外，每个 F-22 战斗机中队将会有 18 架而不是 24 架飞机, 不包括备份。 空军秘书长麦可韦恩在2006 年十二月的一个空军酒会中表示,他在设法增加另外的20架采购，但是大多数的五角大厦内部人士相信国会将会因为超过每架飞机1.2亿美元的单价而阻止这一构想。如果没有进一步的订单，洛克希德马丁的生产线将在2008 年停工。




尽管猛禽将作为世界最好的空气优势战斗机慢慢地替换掉F15, 但猛禽平台数量的缺乏，意味着要想赢得未来空战的胜利，必须依赖于猛禽与其它空战平台的配合。因此，红旗演习将提供一个平台来测试、发展各种协同作战的战术。




众所周知, 红旗演习以高度仿真的模拟战斗情况训练空勤人员。 由第414假想敌中队迎接联盟飞行员的挑战。参演的蓝军不但要面对模拟的假想敌的空战武器与战术，同时也也必须面对由低空武器系统与电子对抗组成的防空系统。换句话说，红旗演习为新的作战系统提供一个理想的校正平台。






死亡战车




“我宁愿在抛洒铝箔的时候飞行(一不-如此-敏感的注射在上代飞机的雷达跨区段)” 曾经是前F-15 E攻击鹰飞行员的经验丰富的猛禽部队少校布莱恩比尔斯说。“就象其它的隐形飞机,猛禽对敌人雷达不是完全不可见。 但是总能使敌人威胁我们的任务更困难。”




猛禽的隐身性能提供给飞行员无与伦比的先视先射先杀的能力。没有敌人的战机有机会使用他们的中距空空导弹导弹， 除非猛禽飞行员作出错误的战术或者作战规则不允许它做BVR攻击。猛禽的空前的超巡能力让它没有使用后燃器就能做1.72马赫的高速飞行， 可以比上一代飞机更快速地穿越一个更广大的武器使用区域.(由于更长的导弹射程)




猛禽的每个F119-PW-100 引擎可以提供 39,000 磅的推力,除非飞行员减少推力控制飞机的空速，否则这会容易地超过它的设计极限速度。洛马的广告中把F22描述为一个2马赫级的战机， 而事实上其速度的限制不是引擎推力。 猛禽的作战高度通常在 60,000英尺, 一个飞行员可以见到地球的曲度的高度。没有其他的战斗机能如猛禽飞的那样高那样快。




显而易见的，推力矢量(+20 度)给了 F-22 无比的机动性而且使它在空中缠斗获得巨大优势。 但不够完美的是，美国空军还没有为猛禽配备联合头盔显示系统(JHMCS)。 因此, F-22 飞行员还不能够充分利用AIM-9X 导弹的大立轴角能力。空军领导选择为上一代飞机首先配备JHMCS, 因为上一代飞机如F-15等将更可能陷入狗斗当中。




“猛禽的能力使它更象一部死亡战车”, Maj Beales自豪的说：“工程师们在航电上取得了巨大的进步” 猛禽的AN/APG-77 主动电扫相控阵(AESA) 雷达提供给飞行员更多的空情，甚至超过了AWACS。AESA 雷达改变频率超过一秒 1,000 次, 甚至超越那些干扰夹舱 。 AN/APG-77 也能集中它的波束瘫痪敌人的感应器, 从而使战机具备了电子攻击的能力。拥有300M内存的二个整合的处理器每秒一百零五亿次的速度分析雷达和其他的感应器数据。




猛禽的软件包含超过一百七十万条代码, 其人机界面之友好让飞行员难以置信。 处理的计算机对数据进行融合并联合展示。 飞行员可以选择“上帝之眼”的纵览战场的模式或者是选择获取较多的详细的关于攻势或防御的数据。


甚至在射出了8枚导弹之后, 猛禽飞行员时常选择不离开战场。 相反的，他们依靠隐身能力的保护而继续为执行攻击任务的友军部队提供威胁情报。 F-22飞行员使用他们的机载传感器填补AWACS 的覆盖缝隙,比如山背后的空间， 而且指示其他战斗机。先进计算机处理器分类空前量的数据并且把它们以容易获取的方式显示，从而让猛禽飞行员更有效地作为任务指挥官。


然而目前，F-22 还不能够通过数据链与其他的飞机交换数据。 F-22 有他们自己的数据链，但却还不能用过LINK-16数据链与友军飞机联络， 现在，飞行员暂时只能用过语音沟通其他飞机。




压倒性的胜利




尽管先进科技使得猛禽拥有巨大优势。 但是,现代空战的复杂性和不确定性使得空勤人员更需要空战的艺术。 最终的战果仍然依赖每个飞行员的技术和训练, 特别地当你以寡敌众的时候。此外，94 中队的飞行员在红旗演习中不只是对抗狡诈的侵略者,他们也正在战斗中实践空军高层的期待。




第94中队的姊妹部队 , 第27 中队, 先前已经由12位精选的飞行员在北方之边演习中大显身手, 在阿拉斯加举行的一个为期二星期的联合力量军事演习于2006年夏天期间, 猛禽创造了难以置信的 241：2的交战记录。 在一场大规模的空战中， F-22 领导的部队声称取得 83 场胜利。




在红旗演习中， 94中队在压力之下顺利取得了令人印象深刻的交换比, 虽然这次猛禽没能再次全身而退。 以36比1的损失比，94中队赢得了战斗机中队在红旗军演中的非正式的记录。 它是蓝军压倒性的胜利。


为了更好地理解猛禽的表现，汤姆斯 柏金森指出：“在红旗演习中，通常如果你一天内只损失10%的部队就是值得庆贺的了。”




每次任务击落6到8架敌机，猛禽的飞行员通场一天内要击落30～40架飞机。 “在我的任务期间的我最关心的是导弹是否用尽,” Maj Beales说：“坏蛋们持续不断地来袭。红军部队被允许复活和重新头投入战斗,但是蓝军不行。




Percle上尉 比较了他在红旗演习的经验和玩一场“打鼹鼠”的游戏，那是一种在 1970 年代被发明的一个流行的游戏。鼹鼠随机地从洞中出现; 你要用棒槌把尽可能多的鼹鼠敲回它的洞中。 每敲回一个鼹鼠都将增加你的得分。


同样地，红旗演习中的侵略者在被猛禽导弹击落之后会再三地返回，以继续他们的无情攻击。 Percle上尉飞了五个任务后就取得了21个战果，一个三料王牌




最后，侵略者设法淹没了一些射光了导弹但是希望继续靠虚张声势和机炮继续增加他们的作战记录的“不幸”的猛禽飞行员,。 Percle上尉的运气最后在投入与三架F16的搏斗中耗尽。他很快地干掉了二个, 但是第三个设法在他要发射导弹时锁定了他。 算是这个垂死挣扎使双方同归于尽




94 中队已经本来计划演练空优和空地任务。 在练习的开始，猛禽携带了 JDAM 练习投弹，但是他们在遇到这么多敌手之后不情愿地放弃了这一策略。 F-22将为每个炸弹牺牲它携带的导弹数量，从而一只由八架猛禽的部队只携带有16导弹。 基于红旗演习的敌手的数量和己方有充足的力量来“运泥巴”(其它对地攻击战机与轰炸机),他们决定专注于他们的护航任务。




红旗演习的情节比北方之边中的任务更具挑战性。通常，红方会逐渐地放松在演习科目中对他们的操作限制。


一些红军的战术明显无用。 举例来说，入侵者曾试着从原始军演计划简报中列为非攻击轴向的方向朝猛禽战机所在空域偷袭。 基本上，这些飞机都会被猎杀殆尽。




一半的红旗演习的任务在晚上。 有时候红军会保持紧密队形并试图在电子干扰的保护之下突防。 但是猛禽雷达轻松地穿透干扰, 并引导蓝军部队逐个猎杀个别的目标。




曾有一只F-16的四机编队曾借助夜视镜沿着内利斯北部峡谷边超低空突防————事实上大多数的潜在敌手只有有限的或干脆没有夜间行动能力。他们在晚上很少飞行,大部分都无法安全起降——侵略者们此时仅仅是在找寻方法向猛禽挑战而不是为了正确地模拟潜在敌人的战术。 但这些也毫无用处, Michael Shower少校 ,未来的阿拉斯加州 F-22 分队指挥官,用一个AIM-120导弹的弹幕歼灭了这次F-16的超低空攻击。




接收 F-22的下一个基地是阿拉斯加安克雷奇的艾尔门多夫 。 因为只有一些战机每月轮流部署,阿拉斯加州仍然将作为战机的紧急集结地。 所以，shower少校仍然留在兰利保持作战技能。作为一个经验丰富的老兵 , 他在联合力量行动的第一晚在贝尔格莱德附近击落了一架米格机29。他的声音仍保持着如那晚在收音机上一样的冷静, 甚至在生死关头仍可以应付战斗的混乱。




准备战斗




当94中队为参加红旗演习而部署时, 第 27中队毫不张扬地将 10架 F-22排遣到了日本那霸空军基地。 避免影响区域的和平和稳定 ,空军官员说他们最新的空优战机的第一次海外部署是美国太平洋司令部的例行的轮流部署任务.但是, 传递给此区域好战国家的讯息很清楚 - 猛禽已经为战斗做好准备!




战机在红旗军演中经受了战火的洗礼。猛禽飞行员在北方之边和红旗军演达成的交换比将使敌人胆寒。 基于这样的损失比，任何的潜在敌手可能要想在几天的战斗后他们的空中力量还能剩下些东西。


猛禽，新的空优战机之王。