USA TODAY February 19, 2003
Fighter jet's critical component sits in cockpit
By Steven Komarow
SPANGDAHLEM, Germany -- The headquarters of the U.S. Air Force's 22nd Fighter Squadron is a nondescript beige building behind a chain-link fence. Inside, in a long room with theater seats and a projector for PowerPoint presentations, Lt. Col. Hank Reed gathers his pilots for a pre-deployment chat.
"I want you to be awake, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and full up" for the flight to the Persian Gulf, he says. "Complacency kills."
It may seem ridiculous for anyone to think these pilots could be complacent. In a few weeks, they may be dodging flak and dropping bombs over Iraq. But flying a supersonic jet is just one part of the modern pilot's job.
In the age of precision weapons, electronic countermeasures and real-time intelligence updates, pilots today must be multitaskers as never before. Alone in their cockpits, they must simultaneously pilot the jet, find targets, launch bombs or missiles and evade anti-aircraft fire. Then, without landing, they refuel, get new target assignments over digital links and do it all again. A mission might last six intense hours or more.
Three pilots from Spangdahlem have died in training accidents in the past year. Two cases were ruled pilot error; the third remains under investigation. In the year that ended Sept. 30, there were seven major accidents involving F-16s.
"This is a really high-risk business, even in peacetime," says Col. Stephen Mueller, commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing. The wing has two squadrons of F-16 fighters -- including the 22nd Squadron -- and one squadron of A-10 ground-support attack aircraft.
The Air Force no longer looks for and trains daredevils first, brainiacs second. There's too much at stake. Precision bombs have raised expectations and removed excuses for accidents, such as killing civilians or hitting friendly forces. In combat, pilots are called upon to exercise judgment as never before.
'I'm ultimately responsible'
As he gets ready for a potential war, Capt. Derek O'Malley is all business. With precision, he describes both his mission and the extraordinary steps taken by the Air Force to make sure he and the other pilots stay sharp.
On the ground, everything from their sleep to their meals, from their clothes to their video games, is monitored or provided by the Air Force. When they're airborne, these pilots become part of their jets. It's not just an expression. The jets help them fly and, when necessary, even help them breathe with pressured oxygen so that, during extreme maneuvers, they won't get too fatigued.
O'Malley, 28, welcomes all help. "After all," he says, "I'm ultimately responsible." Because of the specialty of the 22nd Squadron, its pilots are responsible in wartime for a lot more than their own lives, which are put at considerable risk.
The fighters at Spangdahlem are the F-16CJ. The designation means the pilots are trained and the jets are outfitted for what the Pentagon calls SEAD: suppression of enemy air defenses. Over Iraq, "it's a cat-and-mouse game," Mueller says. The Iraqis have learned to turn off their radar to lure U.S. jets closer. In turn, O'Malley and his colleagues need to dare the Iraqis to fire so they know where to hit the enemy.
While that is going on, the F-16s accomplish a more important task. Like clowns at a rodeo, they distract the enemy so other warplanes can slip by and deliver laser-guided bombs, missiles, cluster bombs or other munitions.
The F-16s are armed with the latest version of the HARM missile, which homes in on radar emitted by Iraq's Soviet-built launchers for anti-aircraft surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). Pilots must sometimes make quick judgments. For example, there are "ambiguities." That's when friendly radar signatures can be mistaken for the enemy's. After 12 years of enforcing no-fly zones -- areas in southern and northern Iraq where Iraqi military flights and anti-aircraft systems are banned under United Nations resolutions -- U.S. pilots have become expert at identifying Iraqi anti-aircraft systems. But a war would mean confusion and increased risk of error.
Precision weapons also mean that pilots who accidentally strike civilian targets or friendly forces face tough scrutiny. A pair of F-16 pilots might be court-martialed for accidentally bombing Canadian troops in Afghanistan.
Danger all along the way
As Reed reminds his pilots, the danger doesn't begin with combat. The flight to the Persian Gulf means they will spend several hours in their ejector seats. It could get boring and uncomfortable.
Reed takes away as many burdens and tasks as possible so pilots can focus on a safe flight. He has them toss away manuals and maps they won't need. To help them stay focused, he orders them to forget undone paperwork.
Go home and rest, he orders. Nobody is supposed to come in early the next day. The rule: 12 hours off, including eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Inattentive pilots can get "the leans." Flying at night or in clouds, normal "seat of the pants" signals get warped. A tired pilot might ignore instruments and begin flying at a slant, thinking he or she is level. Eventually, the jet could lose lift and plunge into a deadly dive.
O'Malley is typical of the modern pilot. The Albuquerque native is part electronics geek, part Top Gun pilot. He swaggers and boasts of wooing his wife long-distance between training missions.
Fellow pilots awarded his call sign, "Maestro," after he led a Florida orchestra in concert in a composition penned by his twin brother, Colin. Former president George Bush was in the audience. O'Malley danced a jig on stage.
O'Malley is calm as he prepares to leave. He has flown over Iraq before, helping enforce the northern no-fly zone.
In combat, the defenses that pilots have at their disposal include jammers, flares, chaff and decoys. But sooner or later, pilots expect the odds will catch up. A piece of enemy metal -- perhaps flak from a SAM or a bullet from an anti-aircraft gun -- will meet a U.S. pilot at high speed. They have a name for it: "The Golden BB." O'Malley says he's too busy for fear. But when he has time to reflect, the enormity hits him. "This, it feels more real," he says. "Potentially, there will be people on our team who will be getting hurt."
For the flight to the Gulf, O'Malley dons combat garb. The 9mm pistol on his survival vest is loaded.
In the cramped cockpit, he fastens wires and tubes that will sustain him. These include "Combat Edge," a system that pulls his mask tight and forces air into his lungs under high G-forces. It's so powerful that the kit includes a tight vest to make sure lungs don't burst.
Some observers say fighter pilots will soon be obsolete, now that robot planes are sharing the sky. But O'Malley says his career is secure because robot planes lack a critical element: judgment. "I don't think that we'll ever completely replace the fighter pilot."
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Versatile 'Fighting Falcon' was frequent flier in '91 Gulf War
The F-16 "Fighting Falcon" is a compact fighter with multiple roles. Its maneuverability makes it effective in air-to-air combat. It also is used in attacks on ground forces.
Fuselage: Can withstand up to nine times the force of gravity, enabling the jet to make tight, high-speed turns.
Cockpit: Single-piece bubble canopy for unobstructed vision forward and above.
Armaments: Carries a variety of missles or bombs.
Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches
Length: 49 feet, 5 inches
Pilot: Seats recline 30 degrees rather than the normal 13 degrees. This increases pilot's tolerance to high-gravity forces. Positive-pressure breathing system pushes air into the pilot's lungs when pilot is undergoing high-gravity forces.
One 20mm multibarrel cannon (cutaway): Fires 100 incendiary rounds per second.
Electronic jamming pod: Confuses enemy radar and prevents lock-on of some surface-to-air missiles.
Flight range: More than 2,000 miles. Various types of external fuel tanks carrying up to 1,040 gallons can be attached to jet to increase range.
Armaments: The F-16 can carry a variety of weaponry, depending on its mission. Here are three in its arsenal:
Sidewinder missile: For use against other aircraft. Infrared guidance system detects and locks onto light from the heat of target's engines. Range of up to 18 miles. Travels at 2.5 times the speed of sound.
Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AM-RAAM): For use against other aircraft. Its radar system lets pilot launch from 30 miles away and leave or search for other targets. Travels four times the speed of sound.
High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM): For use against ground air-defense systems. Homes in on radar emissions from target. Can be launched from 30 miles away. Travels twice the speed of sound.
Specifications
Speed: 1,500 mph
Operational flight ceiling: 50,000 feet
Cost: $ 18.8 million (1998 dollars)
Inventory: Nearly 1,400 in the Air Force, The Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard
GRAPHIC: GRAPHIC, B/W, Dave Merrill, USA TODAY; Reporting by Mark Pearson; Sources: U.S. Air Force, Federation of American Scientists Military Analysis Network, globalsecurity.org and Lockheed Martin (ILLUSTRATION); PHOTO, B/W, Hermann J. Knippertz for USA TODAY; Maestro": Capt. Derek O'Malley checks his F-16 before leaving Germany for the Gulf on Jan. 16.
Copyright © 2003, Copyright 2003 Gannett Company, Inc.
