MiGs Should Avoid Showers

The following is from another F-15C MiG Kill, and was published in the Air Force Magazine, published by the United States Air Force.

Nellis hero receives Distinguished Flying Cross- Air Force Air Combat Command News Service Feb 29, 2000

By Staff Sgt. Ed Scott

Air Warfare Center Public Affairs

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (ACCNS) -- An U.S. Air Force Weapons School captain recently received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts in Operation Allied Force over the former Republic of Yugoslavia March 24 during the first offensive action in North Atlantic Treaty Organization's history.

Operation Allied Force was a 79-day air campaign carried out in response to what President Clinton called Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milosevic's "brutal repression in Kosovo."

Capt. Mike Shower, flying an F-15C, was escorting the first of two strike packages - one package flew into southern Serbia while Shower's package went north over Belgrade. The strike packages were made up of 10 F-117s and two B-2 bombers with escort coming from a total of eight F-15Cs and F-16CJs.

"It was (a) crystal clear and dark (night), with about a 50 percent moon," Shower said. "The Serbs left all their lights on - it looked like you were flying over Disneyland."

Shower said he was scared when the strike package first crossed the line, especially since his package was the first in and last out.

"I've been to Iraq on three different trips in the no fly zone," he said.

"But when we crossed that line it was like - wow - this is a real conflict, a full-up war," he said. "They're going to fight and try to defend themselves. This hit me pretty hard because I'd never been in this before."

Approximately four minutes into the mission, Shower said they heard a "Splash one MiG-29" (a MiG-29 has been shot down) call from Airborne Warning and Control System from the south strike package. We got a little excited at that point since there was no doubt the Serbians were going to launch their aircraft. Six minutes into the mission, the captain's radar picture was complicated by an unidentified aircraft taking off from Batajinica Airfield, a MiG-29 base in northern Belgrade.

"From that point I went from being afraid and looking outside the airplane for surface-to-air missiles launching to being physically afraid, something like paralysis," he said.

Shower said, once the aircraft call had been made training took over and the fear went away in just a few seconds.

"I went from being afraid to watching the radar and into more of an adrenaline mode and I have to protect the package," he said.

At that moment, the strike package faced another challenge - protecting aircraft the escorts could not see nor had any idea as to their location. The F-117s work independently and have their own flying lines and timing.

"It's not like a typical package that is all together and you can be a shepherd," he said. "You can't see them on radar. It's dark so you can't see them visibly. You really don't know where they're at, so altitude really becomes important."

Shower relayed the information stating the MiG-29 posed a serious threat. One minute later, after ensuring a clear field of fire and a positive identification, he launched two AIM-120C Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles. Missing with his first shots, he pressed that attack well within range of the MiG-29's own missile line of fire.

"Under normal circumstances I could have fired my missiles, turned and ran away," he said. "You don't know where they are (F-117s) so I didn't think I had a choice of turning around and running away. You've got a MiG-29 running around in the area and there is a chance he could get lucky and find a stealth."

The chance the MiG-29 could have found a friendly made the situation risk factor high so Shower said, "we had to get in there and get the guy."

While shooting at the MiG-29, there was a F-117 between Shower's F-15C and the MiG-29. The next night, the F-117 pilot told Shower the first time he knew he was in an engagement with the MiG-29 was when he saw the first two missiles come across the top of his aircraft.

"He (the MiG-29) was about six miles away and I'm up pretty high pointing at him when I took my last shot," Shower said.

The captain said the final shot illuminated his aircraft from the rocket plume so the F-117 pilot could tell the two aircraft were approximately 2,000 feet from each other. The missile went right across the front of his aircraft down to the MiG-29 which blew up about 7,000 feet underneath the F-117. The MiG-29 crashed within 25 nautical miles of Batajinica Airfield.

"If it had been daytime, there might have been a whole different ending to the story," Shower said.

Four minutes after this engagement another MiG-29 took off from the airfield and once again Shower committed his flight to the engagement.

"You're thinking you might get one of these (MiG-29) in a night and here we are getting another one 11 minutes into the mission," he said. The mission called for them to have an hour in-country.

"Here he is in the beam (radar missile sites) and I knew he was the bad guy, but we can't get a full ID (identification) on him," he said. "We were lacking one piece of information - there was no doubt, but I couldn't shoot."

Not being able to identify the aircraft, Shower had to break off the intercept turning away from the MiG-29. The MiG-29 continued north apparently chasing a part of the strike package, later turning back south. In the meantime, Shower turned his element south after AWACS called out three other MiGs south of his position.

"We're quite concerned and excited with the call of three MiGs south of us over Belgrade," he said.

"I drive over Belgrade to the edge of the SAM rings and there's nothing there," he said. About that time the other MiG-29 in the north turned around, called by the F-16's. Shower turned his element north and ran a final intercept, achieving a lock and ID as a hostile MiG-29. He took a single shot at 5 miles but observed no fireball and was unable to pull in behind the MiG-29 for a second shot due to the close range and nighttime considerations. After maneuvering his aircraft, he was able to achieve another lock on, but could not get close enough to the MiG-29 to fire before reaching the SAM rings around Belgrade.

"I'd had enough for one night and I was glad it was time to return home," he said.

During the 50-minute flight back, Shower said he started sitting down lower in his seat - "sorta becoming jello." Returning home, he started hearing the radio calls: "one kill, possibly two along with the other package possibly getting one." He said the adrenaline started kicking in again. By the time he landed, he said the parking area was filled with people wanting to see the aircraft and hear the stories.

"I had shot four missiles in one night and punched off the wing tanks, so I had the only plane that looked empty," he said. "Everybody was shaking hands."

Prior to the flight, a maintenance troop had approached Shower and handed him a baseball that had been designated as the squadron's "Grim Reaper Ball."

"The maintenance man told me he felt like I was going to do something tonight and asked me to take the ball up with me," Shower said. The captain stuck the ball in his helmet bag and loaded it into his map case.

"Sure enough, this reaper ball for the squadron is with me on the first mission when I get a kill," he said. "I thought that was pretty cool and when I held it up everybody started cheering."

Shower said everything was really exciting for the next few hours - "basically, I didn't sleep until the next day."