U.S. F-22 stealth fighter pilot taunted Iranian F-4 Phantom combat planes over the Persian Gulf

I wonder if there may have been more colorful language than ‘you really ought to go home’”
Must have been a G-suit soiling moment to look over and see this with no warning...


.......
“He [the Raptor pilot] flew under their aircraft [the F-4s] to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there, and then pulled up on their left wing and then called them and said ‘you really ought to go home’”

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Earlier this year, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little, said that an IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force) F-4 Phantom combat plane attempted to intercept a U.S. MQ-1 drone flying in international airspace off Iran.

As we reported back then, one of the two F-4 Phantom jets came to about 16 miles from the UAV but broke off pursuit after they were broadcast a warning message by two American planes escorting the Predator.

The episode happened in March 2013, few months after a two Sukhoi Su-25 attack planes operated by the Pasdaran (informal name of the IRGC – the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution) attempted to shoot down an American MQ-1 flying a routine surveillance flight in international airspace some 16 miles off Iran, the interception of the unmanned aircraft failed. After this attempted interception the Pentagon decided to escort the drones involved in ISR (intelligence surveillance reconnaissance) missions with fighter jets (either F-18 Hornets with the CVW 9 embarked on the USS John C. Stennis whose Carrier Strike Group is currently in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility or F-22 Raptors like those deployed to Al Dhafra in the UAE.
“He [the Raptor pilot] flew under their aircraft [the F-4s] to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there, and then pulled up on their left wing and then called them and said ‘you really ought to go home’”
New details about the episode were recently disclosed by Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh who on Sept. 17 not only confirmed that the fighter jets providing HVAAE (High Value Air Asset Escort) were F-22 stealth fighters but also said that:

“He [the Raptor pilot] flew under their aircraft [the F-4s] to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there, and then pulled up on their left wing and then called them and said ‘you really ought to go home’”

If the episode went exactly as Welsh described it, it was something more similar to Maverick’s close encouter with Russian Mig-28s in Top Gun movie than a standard interception.

It would be interesting to know how the Raptor managed to remain stealth (did they use their radar? were they vectored by an AWACS? etc.) and why it was not the E-2 most probably providing Airborne Early Warning in the area to broadcast the message to persuade the F-4 to pursuit the drone before the Iranian Phantoms and the U.S. Raptors got too close in a potentially dangerous and tense situation?

Anyway the U.S. pilot achieved to scare the Iranian pilots off and save the drone. A happy ending worthy of an action movie.

 

interesting .... very interesting ..... I personally think there's a better lesson to be taught .... they should have sent thru a drone and waited for the Iranians to shoot it down .... just a little act of war there .... then chased the ever living h@ll out of them before splashing them just off shore of their haven ....

the Libyans were playing all kinds of games claiming a 200-300 nautical border .... it must have been during Reagan's years ...... the navy challenged them not too much different than Top Gun .... settled their hash on an air combat level ....

 

Yes it really did happen. The story going around in the Mil back then was " Now when Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (the crazy cross dresser) reviews his Air Force he can do it with a glass bottom tour boat".

 

I was stationed in southern Sicily when this happened. We received sudden and unexpected orders to stop what we were doing, retrieve our chemical warfare bags, and keep them beside our work areas. No explanation until later in the day when the radio traffic between the F-14 drivers and their carrier was available. Seems 2 Tomcats on patrol were intercepted by 4 Libyan fighters who attempted to get radar lock. Tomcats evaded for quite a while all the time asking for weapons free and getting denied. Then radar tone and incoming fire was reported and carrier issued weapons free. 60 seconds later we heard the Tomcat leader say "splash 4". We were so proud of our Navy brothers. Even though we were only a short chemical equipped missile flight away from Libya that day...

 

All that training paid off! For the TOMCAT Drivers.

 

That's because our Naval pilots KICK ASS!

 

Best in the world, IMHO

 

Best back then and still the best today as the F-22 pilot demonstrated.

 

F-22 air force