One of my regular correspondents, a serious chap, sends the following:
In addition to communicating with the local Air Traffic Control facility, all aircraft in the Persian Gulf AOR are required to give the Iranian Air Defense Radar (military) a ten minute ‘heads up’ if they will be transiting Iranian airspace.
This is a common procedure for commercial aircraft and involves giving them your call sign, transponder code, type aircraft, and points of origin and destination.
I just flew with a guy who overheard this conversation on the VHF Guard (emergency) frequency 121.5 MHz while flying from Europe to Dubai. It’s too good not to pass along. The conversation went something like this…
Iranian Air Defense Radar: ‘Unknown aircraft at (location unknown), you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.’
Aircraft: ‘This is a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace.’
Air Defense Radar: ‘ You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!’
Aircraft: ‘This is a United States Marine Corps FA-18 fighter. Send ‘em up, I’ll wait!’
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16 Comments
1. Phineas:This is one of those stories you just hope is true.
Dec 10, 2008 - 5:11 pm 2. a Duoist:And he only had an F-18. Imagine if he had a new F-22!
Dec 11, 2008 - 1:06 am 3. anton:They would not have seen him on radar, he would have had to introduce himself and open his weapons bay just so they would have a chance.
Dec 12, 2008 - 7:34 am 4. Winston:Lmao!
Dec 12, 2008 - 8:50 am 5. GreenDroll:I wouldn’t bet on even the entire Iranian air force at once having the slightest success against a single Marine Corps F-18 if he knew they were coming……
Dec 12, 2008 - 9:10 am 6. Frank White:So this lone pilot could of very well started World War III and you fools laugh about it.
Dec 12, 2008 - 9:42 am 7. Cheat Seeking Missiles » And Speaking Of Jim …:[...] great Michael Ledeen, who has been more right on Iran than just about anyone else, passes on this gem.
Dec 12, 2008 - 2:24 pm 8. Gary Ogletree:Identify this guy and tell Hillary we found a qualified person for State.
Dec 12, 2008 - 6:39 pm 9. DirtyBlueshirt:Frank, unclench, it was all bluster. There was really no risk of the Iranians sending up aircraft. Even if they did they woulnd’t have opened fire, nor would our fine jarhead jet jockey.
Besides, if the flag every goes up between the US and Iran it won’t mean WWIII, unless you’re defining world war as “The US beating the unholy snot out of another country”. In that case we’re up to something like WWVIII.
Dec 12, 2008 - 8:31 pm 10. chrisa798:Frank White, you were better as the 2B for the Royals. Now you’re a humorless, paranoid douchebag.
But to debase myself and sink to your level: the Iranians threatened an aircraft outside their territory (given that Iran is a major oil producer with periodic gasoline shortages, it’s a safe bet the U.S. plane had a better fix on its own location) and that aircraft’s pilot replied that he was ready to defend himself. So if the Iranians attacked him, that would be his fault? How has all the past appeasement of Iran worked out, you simpering boob?
What a paranoid, morality-free cock you are. I hope George Brett puts some of his preparation H on your Christmas pastry.
Dec 13, 2008 - 2:07 am 11. vanderleun:Oh, Frank, Frank, Frank. Whatever are we to do with you?
Dec 13, 2008 - 8:28 am 12. vanderleun:I guess we shall endeavor to educate ….. Please see
http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthouse.asp
Dec 13, 2008 - 8:31 am 13. winston:Frank White, lighten up and then shut up plz. this is a joke!
Dec 13, 2008 - 7:58 pm 14. Michael Lonie:Well Frank, the USMC pilot said he was in Iraqi airspace, and he probably knew where he was better than the Iranians did. That’s quite apart from Iran trying to assert that part of Iraq is actually Iranian territory. So the Iranians sending fighters into Iraqi airspace to intercept a US aircraft would have been the Iranians starting the war.
We laugh because we are convinced that one US pilot could take on several Iranian ones, plus call in his buddies for help if he needed it. It would be like the Israelis versus the Syrians in an air battle. The last time that happened losses were 82-zilch in Israel’s favor. The reason for all this asymmetrical warfare, that kills so many civilians, is that our enemies know that they’d be beaten like a drum if they took us on in conventional warfare.
I suspect the story is not true, but it is an amusing one, and displays the confidence US troops have if Iran did decide to try conventional warfare against us. The Iranians know they’d be beaten too, which is why they emphasize terrorism that primarily attacks civilians. Tackling skilled American troops would ruin the Iranians’ whole day.
Dec 13, 2008 - 10:32 pm 15. Ran:Frank… FYI, WW-III was started, what, shortly before Reagan took office. Something about an embassy somewhere.
Michael L: Probably is true, and just one of dozens like it. Iranian air control is a bully. They knew where the plane was; just stupidly assumed it was unarmed. [Possibly was unarmed, given what we've been told of the flight plan.]
Reminds one of the k-nic-ht waiving his privat parts at your Antie, you wi-per of other peoples’, um… you’ve seen the skit.
Dec 16, 2008 - 9:22 pm 16. Mrs Gupta:I remember this story!
Except instead of an Iranian Air defence, it was another object:
No, Mr. all-powerful chest-thumping US marine! This is a Canadian lighthouse. YOU change YOUR course!”
But I think this silly li’l boy story has been told many times before.
Geez… how old are you guys?
Dec 17, 2008 - 12:54 pm