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Preview - Lock On:
Modern Air Combat
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Back to the action!
We’re getting closer now…time
to get our war faces on!
 “Enfield…Fence
Check”! I tell my wingie to set up his aircraft for weapons
delivery. Even though we’ve briefed it, I’ll tell
him the game plan again (formation, attack type, roles, and
egress).
“Enfield, wedge right…shooter-cover…one,
shooter…egress south”.
Number 2 drops back into his cover
formation as I drive in to the bump point. I double-check
my switches…good picture in my Maverick TV monitor (TVM).
I love it when a plan comes together!
There’s the power line as I crosscheck my HUD info for
the bump point (waypoint 3, distance to go….4nm). The
power lines show up well in my TVM.
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I see the power lines running
to my 12 o’clock…they’ll lead right in
to the target area. There is some rising terrain just
before the town…I’ll bump up using this terrain
as cover. I check turn a little left to point into the
expected enemy area and start my climb.
As soon as I establish a clear
line of sight with the target area, I ease the nose
down and point the pipper into the expected target area. |
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Tally Ho! I see the line of enemy
vehicles just to the right of the pipper. I quickly check
the TVM…and there they be! All lined up, waiting
for the party to begin! |
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“Target’s are hot”!
We’re using the AGM-65D infrared version of the
Maverick… the seeker head sees temperature differentials…
and the targets are warmer than the surrounding terrain.
Hence, the targets show up as whitish (“hot”)
dots against the darker (“cooler”) ground.
I want my wingie to know this so he can have the info
for his attacks.
I quickly scan the targets for
some clues about threats. They seem to be in a march
formation…wait!! Somethin’s sitting off to
one side! Could it be AAA? |
Yes…my eyes narrow as they
focus in on that vehicle…a ZSU-23-4 Gundish! Whoa
doggy. He’s toast. He better be…or we’re
likely to be!
I hold the jet steady as I slew
the Maverick seeker head to the left of the line of
vehicles….there, I see the Gundish in the TVM!
I center the acquisition gate over the Gundish and mash
the acquisition button. |
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Zap! The TVM changes to narrow
field of view as the seeker locks on to the Gundish IR
return. I double-check that the four little dots of the
lock on symbol remain steady and fixed on the Gundish. |
| “Missile away…going
for a second shot”, I tell my wingie. We’re
still a pretty good distance away…nobody is shooting
at us yet…I have enough time for a second shot if
I’m quick about it. My first missile blasts away
and pitches up into its programmed climb. |
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