Chapter 106 – Radar Lock
Under such sea conditions, the flight performance of early warning aircraft with large rotating domes becomes increasingly unstable, and landing risks rise significantly. Because of this, and due to the Tomcat's own powerful radar systems, Colonel Ted, the flight wing commander, chose to launch only two Tomcats.
It was a straightforward mission: deploy two high-performance Tomcats to intercept a slow-moving Soviet Tu-95 reconnaissance aircraft. And if the Navy boys got a bit creative along the way, Ted and the others wouldn't mind. After all, the carrier's true might lay in its aircraft. The Tomcats were in their element.
The Tomcat's signature weapon was the Phoenix missile—a massive 3.96-meter-long, 380-mm-diameter, half-ton projectile. It featured a conventional aerodynamic design with four fixed mid-body fins and four rectangular control surfaces near the tail. Its range exceeded 100 kilometers.
However, the Phoenix missile's sheer size came with a drawback. A Tomcat could carry up to six for long-range missions, but doing so seriously hampered maneuverability. Worse, if the pilot didn't fire them during a mission, two missiles had to be jettisoned before landing, as the aircraft couldn't safely return with a full Phoenix load. As a result, Tomcats rarely flew with six missiles. Today's pair carried two Phoenixes each, along with two AIM-7 Sparrows and two AIM-9 Sidewinders.
Now airborne, their afterburners roared as the wings swept back, the aircraft sprinting toward their intercept point.
Hundreds of kilometers away, a large bright spot continued moving toward the U.S. carrier's exercise zone. These Cold War confrontations were nothing new. Both sides regularly harassed each other during exercises. Soviet warships in the Baltic, for example, often found themselves squeezed for space as U.S. ships loitered nearby.
In the two Tomcats, the pilots followed vector directions from the Hokkaido radar station. In the rear cockpit, the radar intercept officers (RIOs) calmly operated the AWG-9 radar and weapons system.
Because Phoenix missile deployment required significant input, the Tomcat was built as a two-seater: pilot up front, RIO in the back managing radar and weapons. The AWG-9 radar, switched to Pulse Doppler Search (PDS) mode, began scanning the forward airspace. At the same time, the Phoenix missiles were pre-powered to reduce launch prep time if needed.
Soon, radar returns appeared.
The AWG-9 radar system, weighing about 500 kilograms in total, relied on a flat slot antenna that reduced side lobes, increased scanning frequency, and improved efficiency. It featured solid-state components, including crystal filters and low-noise amplifiers, plus a flexible high-capacity onboard computer based on the Intel 8080 processor—cutting-edge technology at the time. Written in assembly language, its software enabled seven radar modes.
Though the radar's max output was only 8 kilowatts—compared to 600 kilowatts from the Soviet Smerch-A—it was far more efficient. The Smerch-A's raw power mostly turned to heat, whereas the AWG-9 used energy more effectively.
In PDS mode, it could detect large aircraft like bombers from 300 kilometers out. It wasn't accurate enough for a missile lock but was ideal for long-range surveillance. That's exactly what they needed now.
"Target acquired, twelve o'clock, range approximately 300 kilometers," the RIO reported.
PDS mode was great for scanning, like shining a flashlight across a 65-degree field. It provided target bearings, but not altitude, speed, or missile guidance data.
After several seconds of steady tracking, the RIO gave the next command: "Prepare to switch to PDSTT mode."
PDSTT stood for Pulse Doppler Single Target Track. It narrowed the radar beam to focus on a single target. Once engaged, the antenna stopped sweeping, concentrating energy on a precise point. It was like adding a magnifying lens to the flashlight, turning it into a laser beam.
As the radar beam remained fixed, the fire control system rapidly processed return data.
"Range 200 kilometers, altitude 16,000 meters, speed 800," the RIO reported.
With that data, they had everything they needed for a missile lock. PDSTT mode enabled the longest engagement range of the AWG-9/AIM-54 system. For large aircraft like Tu-95s or B-52s, a 200-kilometer lock was normal. Against fighters like the MiG-25, PDSTT was still effective at up to 150 kilometers—just within the Phoenix's maximum range.
If the MiG-25 had this system, Andrei would be ecstatic.
But now George, the pilot in the lead Tomcat, raised a brow. Sixteen thousand meters? If it really was a Tu-95, that seemed off. Tu-95s, being prop-driven, typically cruised no higher than 12,000 meters. This was unusual.
"Altitude eighteen thousand, speed 900," the RIO updated again, voice now tinged with concern.
Something wasn't right.