The gala history of the F-102 "Delta Dagger" and the

Transcription

The gala history of the F-102 "Delta Dagger" and the Texas Air...
file:///Users/edmarek/Documents/Talking Proud/Military022804...
The gallant histories of the F-102 "Delta
Dagger" and the Texas Air Guard
Go!
Lost in all the hullabaloo surrounding President Bush’s
military service are the gallant histories of the F-102 "Delta
Dagger" air interceptor and the Texas Air National Guard
(ANG). The F-102 was a pioneering aircraft for many
reasons. Don't let anyone diminish the important role played
by the F-102 and its ANG fliers. Don't let anyone make you
think that the F-102 was anything less than one super piece
of complex machinery. And don't let anyone tell you that
this aircraft and its National Guard fliers were anything less
than gallant, courageous warriors. Finally, it is patently clear
that the Texas Air National Guard has a long and proud
tradition, veterans of WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the post
Desert Storm era in Iraq. The men and women who have
served and continue to serve with the Texas ANG deserve
respect and admiration. A smiling "thank you" is in order as
well.
We honor service and
sacrifice. Please click the
"Donate" button and
contribute $20 or more to
help keep this station alive.
Thanks.
February 28, 2004
Lost in all the hullabaloo surrounding President Bush’s
military service are the gallant histories of the F-102 "Delta
Dagger" air interceptor and the Texas Air National Guard
(ANG). It is not our purpose to join the debate about what
Lieutenant George W. Bush did or did not do while with the
ANG. It is sufficient for us to know that he flew one helluva
fighter and belonged to one helluva fighting outfit in the
1 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
Texas ANG.
President Bush has taken a
lot of heat for this aircraft
carrier landing and his
walking around the deck in
his flight suit and helmet.
This editor throught what he
did was neat as hell. He
looks cool. He looks like a
fighter jock, which is what
he once was. Once you read
this story about what it took
to be a F-102 "Delta Dagger"
pilot and fly with the Texas
Guard, perhaps you will
agree that the president can
wear a flight suit any time he
feels like it.
The F-102A at Ellington Air Base, Houston, Texas ANG. Photo credit:
Gerald McMasters
Texas Air National Guard
The F-102 aircraft was nicknamed the “Delta Dagger.” This
aircraft set a host of "firsts" during its design and
employment.
It was the world's first supersonic all-weather jet
interceptor.
It was the USAF's first operational delta-wing aircraft.
It was the first fighter to have an all-missile armament
provided as standard from the very start of the initial
design stage.
It was the first manned interceptor designed from the
outset as the principal component of a weapons
system.
Mission: Provide
mission-ready forces,
responsive to the
community, state and nation.
Vision: A continually
evolving World Class
organization that
accomplishes the mission
and takes care of its people.
Values:
Service
Courage
Honesty
Integrity
Respect
Loyalty
The aircraft was built by Convair in the early 1950s.
The F-102 was a pioneering aircraft because of its use of
delta wings. But more important, the aircraft pioneered a
wide variety of new approaches to aircraft design,
development, testing and production.
We first need to recall some important history. In 1945 the
US had just emerged from WWII and an alliance that
destroyed evil dictatorships in Germany and Japan.
Following these very bloody and costly wars, the US was
thrust into a position where it had no choice but to become
mightily involved in the reconstruction and occupations of
both its former enemies. Why? Because the Soviet Union
rapidly emerged as an opponent to the US and Japan and
Germany became strategically important to the effort to
contain Soviet expansionism and communism.
2 of 19
Goals:
Care for People
Optimize Readiness
Communicate
12/27/10 9:03 AM
A Soviet TU-4. Photo credit: John Sloan ([email protected]), courtesy
of Aeroweb of Italy
In 1947, several Soviet Tupolev Tu-4 heavy bombers, a
reversed engineered US B-29 medium range bomber,
showed up at a Moscow Air Show. The truth is that the
Soviet dictator Joe Stalin understood he needed long-range
strategic bombers long before he allied with the US and
Britain to fight the Germans. His challenge was to overcome
enormous technology challenges. But then good fortune
struck for the Soviets as the result of American misfortunes.
In the fall of 1943, the Americans decided to attack Japanese
industrial targets in Manchuria and Kyushu with B-29s
flying from advanced bases in China. Long-range bomber
attacks from Guam, Saipan and Tinian were initiated in
3 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
November 1944 following their capture.
During the period July through November 1944, three US
B-29s were lost on Russian territories. One US B-29 was
damaged during a mission against the Japanese over
Manchuria, and limped into Vladivostok, USSR; a second
US B-29 flying a strike mission against Yawata, Japan, was
heavily damaged and crash landed in the foothills of Sikhote
Alin Range east of Khabarovsk after the crew bailed out;
and a third US B-29 was damaged during a raid against
Omura on Kyushu and was forced to divert to Vladivostok.
In all cases, the crews were interned by our "allies," the
Soviets. The American crews ultimately were allowed to
"escape" to Iran, but all three aircraft were held back and
were never returned.
It turned out that the Soviets had developed an aircraft
production capability and, with the help of these "captured"
B-29s, acquired the requisite technologies and managed to
produce their own, which they called the Tu-4.
Stuart Symington was sworn in as the first Secretary of the Air Force by
Chief Justice Fred Vinson on 18 September 1947 establishing the United
States Air Force as truly an independent arm of the U.S. military. Photo
courtesy of Wright Patterson AFB
This was an obvious warning shot across the American bow.
The US Air Force was in its infancy, having just recently
been reorganized out of the US Army Air Corps into its
own, separate military service. Almost immediately after its
birth, this new air force was abruptly faced with the near
term prospects of a long range Soviet bomber capable of
striking the continental US. Almost immediately, the USAF
went searching for a suitable air interceptor to counter these
bombers.
The USAF quickly learned that it could not adapt existing
fighters to the new job, so it decided to challenge the state of
the art and conduct a new design competition for a “1954
interceptor,” which was the year the USAF wanted the
aircraft to enter operational duty. The Air Force also decided
that air warfare was growing so complex so quickly that it
4 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
would have to design this fighter as a “weapons system,” a
new concept in those days. This means every component of
the system would be integrated from the beginning, instead
of being designed separately and force fit later.
The development of what would end up as the F-102 is
fascinating, really a study unto itself. Convair won the
contract with its delta wing design in 1951. The Air Force
was in a hurry to get this fighter into production and
operational. It decided to skip the prototype and
pre-production testing stages and went straight to delivering
a small number of production aircraft. If changes were
required, they would be incorporated into the mass
production effort later. The idea was produce a new fighter
aircraft in a hurry.
The desired J67 engine and MA-1 fire control system could
not be ready in time, so the Air Force decided to go with
interim systems for an aircraft which came to be known as
the F-102A. The desired systems would come later in the
F-102B, which ended up being so different that it was
designated the F-106.
At the Convair assembly plant - S/N 52-7994, 2 Oct 1953; the date of
completion for the first YF-102 airframe. 1 Apr 1952 was the start date of
the detail design. 1 May 1953 was the date of design completion. Official
USAF photo, courtesy of US Air Force Museum.
The Pratt & Whitney J57 engine was selected. The YF-102
came off the line in 1953 and the YF-102’s maiden flight
was in October 1953. Ten YF-102s were to be built.
Problems showed up immediately. She buffeted severely at
Mach 0.9, less than the speed of sound, the landing gear was
not right, and the fuel system operated erratically. One
month later, the first YF-102 was sent to the bone-yard after
an engine failure and subsequent accident upon landing. The
objective was to have a fighter that could fly faster than
5 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
Mach 1.0 at level flight, but the YF-102 never made it,
achieving only Mach 0.99 in 1954. In a 30 degree dive, it
could only achieve Mach 1.24. It also encountered handling
problems at 47,000 ft. altitude and had to be restricted to
40,000 feet, not good enough to tackle expected altitudes of
incoming bomber forces from the USSR. In 1954, this
airplane was in trouble and was staring at cancellation.
In flight - S/N 53-1787. The first YF-102A built. The YF-102A was a
major redesign of the YF-102. To overcome high drag loads at transonic
speeds, Convair engineers redesigned the fuselage and wing. The fuselage
design used the "area-rule" which resulted in the characteristic "coke
bottle" shape. Official USAF photo, courtesy of US Air Force Museum.
Given that the first two of ten YF102s did not cut the
mustard, a redesign was imperative. Drag was a major issue
for the first two aircraft, so the fuselage was narrowed and
lengthened. A new cockpit canopy was designed to reduce
drag but it also reduced visibility for the pilot. The overall
aircraft was made lighter and a new more powerful J57
engine was introduced. Just 117 days after redesign started,
the first of four new YF-102As rolled off the line. In
December 1954, the first took its maiden flight, achieved
Mach 1.2 in level flight with ease, and she had plenty of
climb left after reaching 51,600 feet altitude.
6 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
F-102A in flight, firing GAR-1 missiles - S/N 57-0825. Official USAF
photo, courtesy of US Air Force Museum.
In July 1955, a YF-102 fired six Falcon missiles and 24
unguided rockets in less than 10 seconds.
The first production model came off the line in June 1955.
Many of these aircraft ended up being used for more
research and development. The Air Force’s Air Defense
Command took the first operational aircraft in May 1956,
three years beyond goal. The last aircraft was delivered in
1958.
As mentioned earlier, the F-102 was mainly an air-to-air
interceptor to defend the US against Soviet nuclear equipped
bombers. In the 1950s, the F-102 was flown by what was
then known as the Air Defense Command (ADC) whose
mission was the defense of the continental US.
Development of the Tu-95 intercontinental bomber began in the early
1950s after series production of the medium-range Tu-4 started. The Tu-4
was a copy of the American B-29. This photo of an airborne Tu-95 nuclear
bomber courtesy of Federation of American Scientists.
7 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
A 1951 map shows common Soviet bomber tracks to the US over the
Arctic from Soviet Arctic bases. The Americans and Canadians watched
them like hawks, and intercepted them at every opportunity. Graphic
courtesy of Plesetsk.org
The concern was nuclear war and the employment of Soviet
long-range nuclear capable heavy bombers. The Tu-95
BEAR soon became the major threat. It was perhaps the
most successful bomber produced by Soviet aviation,
enjoying long service in a variety of roles and
configurations. It was the only bomber deployed by any
country to use turbo-prop engines, which provided
extraordinarily long endurance at speeds only slightly less
than comparable turbojet-powered heavy bombers. The
Soviet Union regularly tested U.S. air defenses by flying
their Tu-95s toward Alaska and through the Iceland area
during the Cold War, Maintaining the capacity to intercept
these bombers and shoot them down was the job of the
F-102. Eventually, the more modern F-15 Eagle got the job
and they were still intercepting incoming Tu-95s in 1999.
8 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
In flight intercepting a Soviet TU-95 "Bear" bomber - S/N 55-1350. Photo
courtesy of US Air Force Museum.
The F-102 was also flown by the USAF Air Forces in
Europe, conducting mainly defense patrols along the
East-West German border, and in the Pacific, also flying air
defense patrols.
In Vietnam, the Communist Tet offensive in South Vietnam
in February 1968 stretched American military resources.
The President ordered a mobilization of the Air National
Guard (ANG). Most of the units came with the F-100 Super
Sabre, a jet designed to be an air superiority fighter, but
inadequate to that task. It was later modified to be a fighter
bomber. The active USAF did not like the airplane, and gave
them to the ANG and Taiwan.
The F-102A was also among those ANG aircraft that went to
Vietnam. Its main role was air defense of South Vietnam,
though a few ground attack close air support missions were
logged, a mission for which the aircraft was not designed or
equipped. They also escorted B-52 bombers as they headed
into North Vietnam to protect them.
9 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
F-102 scramble from DaNang Air base, close to the DMZ with North
Vietnam. Photo credit: Chester Adamik, courtesy of 366th Tac Fighter
Wing Net
In the Vietnam War, the F-102 stood alert at Bien Hoa and
Da Nang in South Vietnam, at Udorn in northern Thailand
and Don Muang in Bangkok.
Two F102s sit alert at the southern end of the runway, DaNang Air Base,
Vietnam, July 1965, courtesy of American Warrior Series, by Don Poss,
dedicated to the memory of those who served in the Vietnam War, and all
who died there.
Fifteen F-102s were lost in combat in the Vietnam War,
seven to hostile fire and eight to operational accidents.
While the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the Texas
Air National Guard was not called to Vietnam, other units
from its parent 147th Wing were. Pilots from the 147th
participated in operation “Palace Alert” and served in South
Vietnam during the height of the war, from 1968 – 1970.
Many Air National Guard units flew the F-102. The Texas
Air National Guard was the first to receive them. The 111th
Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Texas ANG, Ellington ANG
Station, flew the F-102 from 1960 to 1975. President Bush
served with this squadron from 1968 to 1972. This squadron
transitioned to the F-101B in 1975.The 182nd Fighter
Interceptor Squadron (FIS) of the Texas Guard got theirs in
mid-1960. By 1966, twenty-three ANG units had 339
F-102s.
10 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
Two F-102 aircraft take off - S/N 56-1067 and 56-1018 of the 111 Fighter
Interceptor Squadron, Texas Air National Guard. Official USAF photo,
courtesy of US Air Force Museum.
National Guard pilots played a pivotal role in backing up the
active force when it came to defense of the continental US.
Known fondly as the deuce, it’s fun to read “war stories”
noted by pilots who flew them. We might have forgotten
about the Cold War, but in the 1960s these aircraft were
sitting 5 minute and 15 minute alerts around the coastline of
the US. A five minute alert means from the “go” signal, you
have to have wheels in the well within five minutes. Often
that meant the pilot sat alert in his cockpit, ready for engine
start and roll-out.
They had many scrambles in those days out of Florida
because of Cuba and flights coming toward the US from
there. Sometimes an F-102 would sneak out of Maxwell
AFB in Alabama, fly out to the Gulf of Mexico, shut down
his radios and launch an exercise attack run against Florida
to test the boys’ scrambling ability there. Alaska was another
favorite place, awaiting incoming Soviet bombers which
would frequently test our air defense systems.
We have read several memoirs that said Guard deuce pilots
were among the best. They were constantly flying “intruder”
training missions across the US at speeds of Mach 1.2. They
did low level and high level intercepts.
This is a good time to take a look at
the Texas Air National Guard,
“America’s community based
national defense force.”
The Texas Guard is headlined by the
147th Fighter Wing. Its operational
fighter unit is known as the 111th
11 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
Fighter Squadron. Together, they are part of the 1st US Air
Force, which is headquartered at Tyndall AFB, Florida, part
of the Continental US NORAD (North American Defense)
Region. As an aside, the 1st US Air Force is one of the four
original air forces. Today, 1st Air Force consists primarily of
members of the Air National Guard. It is comprised of 10
Air National Guard fighter wings and three air defense
sectors for the Northeast, Western and Southeast regions of
the country. Even with the Cold War ended, these units now
have the job of Homeland Security against all manner of
potential attack scenarios.
The logo you see above is the "Ace-in-the-Hole" insignia,
proudly borne by the aircraft of the 147th Fighter Wing. It is
one of the oldest insignias in the United States Air Force and
rich in tradition and significance. The star represents the
great "Lone Star" State of Texas. The "Ace-in-the Hole"
playing card represents strength held in reserve. The black
and white border surrounding the insignia signifies oil and
cotton, two of Texas' chief natural resources.
The insignia was adopted by the 36th Division Aviation,
Texas National Guard, and carried by that honored Division
until after World War II, when air units were separated from
the Army Guard. A major component of the Division, the
111th Observation Squadron (now recognized as the 111th
Fighter Squadron) retained the insignia when reorganization
initiated the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group (now
recognized as the 147th Fighter Wing) as an outgrowth of
the 36th Division Aviation.
The 111th Observation Squadron was formed on 29 June
1923, as part of the 36th (Texas) Division at Houston.
Before World War II, the squadron drilled at home and
attended annual training with the 36th Division at Camp
Hulen, Palacios, Texas.
On 25 November 1940, the 111th Observation Squadron
was mobilized for World War II with its first active duty
station at Brownwood Airport, on the other side of town
from the 36th Division at Camp Bowie. The squadron took
part in Louisiana and Carolina Maneuvers in 1941.
Immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, the 111th
Squadron departed Texas for its new training base at Daniel
Field in Georgia, and an early deployment overseas with the
68th Observation Group.
On 22 September 1942, the ground echelon of the 111th
Squadron boarded the Queen Mary in New York for travel
12 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
to England. In England the 111th Squadron had no aircraft
or duties , but stood there awaiting the North Africa
Invasion. The ground echelon landed at Azew, Algeria on
the afternoon of 8 November 1942, and marched inland to
Saint Lew the next day.
A-20B with nose glass painted over. Near aircraft (#9) is S/N 41-3272
"Tutu" and #17 is S/N 41-3339. The Douglas A-20 "Havoc played an
important role in the early part of World War II. It was an attack aircraft.
Official USAF photo, courtesy of US Air Force Museum.
The air echelon flew the squadron's A-20s to Algeria from
the United States by way of South America. The 111th
squadron quickly moved to Oudja, French Morocco, and
began a mission of border and anti-sub patrols. Many of the
squadron's pilots also went to the Tunisian front to fly
reconnaissance missions for the 12th Air Support Command.
P-51D prototype in flight - S/N 43-12102; Modified P-51B. The North
American P-51 "Mustang" scored heavily over German interceptors and
by war's end, P-51s had destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft in the air, more
than any other fighter in Europe. Official USAF photo, courtesy of US Air
Force Museum.
On 7 July 1943, the 111th Tactical Reconnaissance
13 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
Squadron began flying combat missions for the Seventh
Army's invasion of Sicily with the P-51 Mustang aircraft.
After Sicily the squadron supported the Fifth Army's
invasion of Italy with reconnaissance and naval gunfire
spotting. It pioneered spotting for the long range field
artillery. In April 1944, the squadron replaced its old P-51s
with new P-51Cs. In August 1944, the 111th squadron
supported the Seventh Army's invasion of Southern France
and followed that army into Northern France. The squadron
was in Nuremberg, Germany when World War II ended, and
was assigned to the Occupation Air Force.
In 23 months of combat flying, the 111th
Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flew
7,284 combat sorties, supporting four invasions and
participating in a fifth. Squadron pilots shot down 43 enemy
aircraft while supporting the ground armies with
reconnaissance and long range artillery spotting. The
squadron received the Distinguished Unit Citation for
combat in February 1945, an award now known as the
Presidential Unit Citation..
The squadron returned to Texas following World War II, but
was called to active duty for the Korean War with the 136th
Fighter Wing.
Two F-84 Republic Thunderjets in formation - S/N 46-652, 46-653. The
F-84 was the USAF's first post-war fighter, and made its initial flight on
February 26, 1946.Official USAF photo, courtesy of US Air Force
Museum.
The squadron also served during the Korean War, flying
F-84 thunder jets on close-air support and interdiction
missions. It is credited with two MiG-15 fighter jet kills.
14 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
We're going to focus on their efforts during the Korean War
in a moment.
In 1976, the 147 Fighter Interceptor Group (FIG) took over
as part of a transition to the State of Texas Air National
Guard. The 147 FIG operated Ellington Field in Houston.
F-101 Voodoo fighter in flight, courtesy of Globalaircraft.org
In October 1978 the 147th won the USAF’s Air-to-Air
Weapons Meet, “William Tell,” the Air Force’s equivalent to
the Navy’s “Top Gun.” The 147th would win again in 1980.
Each victory was with the F-101, a fighter which played a
major role in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The 147th converted to F-4Cs in 1982 and converted to
F-4Ds starting in November 1986. In September 1989 the
147th converted to the F-16A, and by June 1992 the jets
were being converted to F-16 air defense fighters. In
October 1995 the unit was redesignated the 147th Fighter
Wing (FW) and by September 1996 the 147 FW was
converting from F-16As to F-16Cs jets. This conversion was
completed by February 1997. In October 1998 the 147th
Fighter Wing converted to a General-Purpose role, an air-toground mission while also retaining its air interceptor alert
mission.
15 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
147th Fighter Wing F-16 "Fighting Falcon" on the flightline. Photo
courtesy of the 147th Fighter Wing, Texas Air National Guard
Today the 111th Fighter Squadron of the 147th Fighter Wing
continues to defend the Texas border on 24-hour alert, flying
the F-16 "Falcon." .
The Texas ANG has its Hall of Honor in Austin. It has 14
honorees. In reading their citations, one sees the real
meaning of the citizen soldier, or in this case, the citizen
airman.
One who caught our
attention was Colonel
Albert C. Pendergast. He
was one of the first officers
to enter the Texas Air
National Guard subsequent
to World War II. As
commander of the 136th
Fighter Group, he was
ordered to active duty on
October 26, 1950, and
assigned to Langley Air
Force Base. In May 1951, now designated the 136th FighterBomber Wing and flying the F84E Thunderjets, Colonel
Pendergast led operations out of Itazuke Air Base, Japan
into combat in Korea. In November, the Wing moved to
Taegu Air Base in Korea, and began flying close support
combat missions. This was the first National Guard wing in
history to enter combat and the unit is recognized as the
most outstanding fighter bomber wing to see action in Korea
during the period of June1, 1951 through December 31,
16 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
1951.
Colonel Pendergast personally led the combat echelons on
many of these missions. He was killed in action while
returning from a mission when he remained aloft during
dangerous weather, sacrificing precious fuel until all of his
flight members had landed safely.
The 136th Fighter Bomber Wing of the Texas ANG was
actually formed to fight in Korea, and was made up of the
111th Fighter Squadron (FS) from the 147th Fighter Wing at
Ellington Field, the 182nd FS from Brooks Air Force Base,
and the 154th FS from Little Rock Arkansas.
MiG Alley, North Korea, June 26, 1951, presented by the the National
Guard Bureau. Art piece shows an enemy MiG-15 (upper left) jumping on
a flight of American B-29 bombers and a F-84 escort coming in for the
kill.
During the Korean War over 45,000 Air Guardsmen, in 22
wings and other units, were called into active Federal
service. The 136th Fighter-Bomber Wing, Texas ANG, was
among the first Air National Guard units to be called. Flying
the F-84E Thunderjet, the Texas Guardsmen moved to Japan
in May 1951 and, shortly thereafter, became the first Air
Guardsmen to enter combat in the Korean War. During the
winter and spring of 1951, the Chinese Communist Air
Force mounted a major air offensive against the United
Nations air forces. The major contested area were the skies
over northwestern Korea known as "MiG Alley." The U.S.
Air Force retaliated by mounting a counteroffensive aimed
at destroying the enemy's aircraft and bases.
In June 1951 the 136th's 182d Fighter-Bomber Squadron
was given the mission of protecting B-29 flights on bombing
17 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
missions over North Korea. On June 26, 1951, the pilots of
the 182d were escorting four B-29s to an enemy airfield near
Yongyu when five MiG-15s attacked the American bombers.
Although relatively new to combat, the pilots of the 182d
turned back the veteran MiG pilots. During the ensuing
dogfight, 1st Lt. Arthur E. Oligher assisted by Capt. Harry
Underwood, shot down a MiG-15, the first Air Guard jet
"kill." The Air National Guard went on to make an
impressive combat flying record.
The Guard's performance during the Korean War is worth
noting. Korea was the Air National Guard's first war as a
separate reserve component of the Air Force. In all, 486
units, including 22 of 27 Air National Guard Wings and 67
of 84 flying squadrons totaling 45,594 officers and men,
were called to active Federal service between October 1950
and April 1951. This was approximately 80% of the Air
Guard's total personnel strength.
Two wings, the 116th Fighter Bomber Wing (Georgia) and
the 136th Fighter Bomber Wing (Texas) fought in Korea,
entering combat in May 1951. Both wings had to transition
from outdated aircraft to the F-84 Thunderjet before
shipping off to war. The majority of the missions assigned to
the F-84 in Korea were close air support of friendly ground
troops and aerial interdiction of enemy troops and supplies
behind the front lines. Four Air Guard pilots became aces in
USAF units flying F-86 Sabrejets. The two Guard wings
also provided air defense for Japan.
The Air Force, which had little use for the Air Guard before
the outbreak of the Korean War, was impressed by the
performance it received from its citizen-airmen. Air
Guardsmen flew 39,530 combat sorties, destroying 39
enemy aircraft and damaging another 149. The ANG paid a
high price in Korea as 101 of its members were either killed
or declared missing in action during the conflict.
We'll close with one final story.
The 147th Wing has participated
in Operation Southern Watch,
which was designed to enforce
no-fly zones in Iraq following
the Desert Storm War. The 147th
integrated with the 363rd Air
Expeditionary Wing. The
Texans, members of the 147th
Fighter Wing, deployed as part
of Aerospace Expeditionary
18 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM
Force 9, in support of Operation
Southern Watch. Its mission was
to provide defensive counter-air for the coalition forces and
to protect the 33rd Parallel. More than 150 members of the
Houston-based F-16 Fighting Falcon unit saw action.
In the photo above, credited to Army Staff Sgt. Len Butler,
Texas National Guard Public Affairs, Major Joel "Kramer"
Henness' F-16 Fighting Falcon takes on fuel while
displaying the Lone Star flag over the Saudi desert.
A typical combat sortie lasted anywhere from three to more
than five hours. A “wall,” the defensive posture of coalition
aircraft, was created by maintaining a constant presence in
Iraqi airspace south of the 33rd Parallel, often referred to as
the “box.” In addition to the fighters, radar-jamming,
reconnaissance and command and control aircraft, and
KC-135 Stratotanker refuelers ensured that the planes stay
on the mission. When a plane ran low on fuel, it was
immediately replaced by another one. The 147th did not
miss a single sortie since the mission began.
You can see from this study that the F-102 was a gallant
fighter aircraft that scored many firsts in its design and
operations. One air defense controller who handled F4s and
F-102s escorting B-52 bombing runs as well as F-102
scrambles against incoming targets in Vietnam commented
liked this:
"The 102 was a great plane, but the Guard pilots that
flew them were what really made them great."
So there are you. Don't let anyone diminish the important
role played by the F-102 and its ANG fliers. Don't let
anyone make you think that the F-102 was anything less
than one super piece of complex machinery. And don't let
anyone tell you that this aircraft and its National Guard fliers
were anything less than gallant, courageous warriors.
Finally, it is patently clear that the Texas Air National Guard
has a long and proud tradition, veterans of WWII, Korea,
Vietnam and the post Desert Storm era in Iraq. The men and
women who have served and continue to serve with the
Texas ANG deserve respect and admiration. A smiling
"thank you" is in order as well.
19 of 19
12/27/10 9:03 AM

The gala history of the F-102 "Delta Dagger" and the

Transcription

Similar documents

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 11 am to 1 pm Texins Activity Center

World War 2

Wherever you are. Whenever you need it.

Fighter has plenty for pros, novices

Cotton Defoliation Turn Row Meeting

76-020 USAF 76-0020 F-15A c/n 199/A172 Built 1976 by McDonnell

KTSU 90.9 FM 13th Annual Tennis Classic

Freedom Fighters

TASUS Corporation by Walter Barkalow

The Destination is Worth the Journey! Call 877