Shadow Flight

The Norfolk, Virginia — based carrier, powered by four Westinghouse steam turbines, cruised thirty miles southwest of Plantation Key, Florida. Her combined energy of 280,000 shaft horsepower propelled the mammoth ship through the pristine waters at twenty-nine knots. America could achieve thirty-three knots at flank speed.

The carrier and her battle group would rendezvous with an attack submarine, the Los Angeles — class USS Baton Rouge (SSN 689), sixty-five miles southwest of Key West, Florida.

The carrier air wing assigned to America had flown aboard five hours after the ship left home port. America, originally scheduled to depart the following day for a routine deployment, had her entire crew aboard.

Two F/A-18 Hornet squadrons, including the Silver Eagles of VMFA-1 15, were sharing CAP duties with two F-14D Tomcat squadrons. The marine fighter/attack pilots of VMFA-115 thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to hone their skills aboard the huge carrier.

Forty-five miles south of the ship, Marine Maj. Vince Cangemi, along with his wingman, Capt. Chuck Bellvue, orbited at 22,000 feet. The two fighter pilots had been assigned to Barrier Combat Air Patrol with two navy pilots flying F-14Ds. The Tomcat pilots were twenty miles west and two thousand feet higher than the Marine F/A-18 Hornets. The McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18s, powered by twin General Electric F404 afterburning turbofans, were capable of reaching speeds in excess of 1.8 Mach.

The combination fighter/attack aircraft sported the powerful liquid-cooled Hughes APG-65 radar, along with a nose-mounted 20mm M-61 cannon containing 570 rounds. The Hornets also had two advanced AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles slung under the wings and an AIM-9 mounted on each wing tip.

Cangemi was checking his three multifunction displays, which replaced most of the conventional cockpit instruments, when he heard the E-2C Hawkeye call.

"Animal flight, Phoenix," the airborne warning and control officer said. "We hold multiple bogies at your three o'clock, forty-five miles, climbing out of eight thousand."

"Roger the bogies," Cangemi radioed, squinting into the early morning sun. "Bullet flight, Animal."

The F-14D pilots, orbiting in a lazy circle, were on the same radio frequency. "Go, Animal," the navy flight leader replied.

Cangemi keyed his mike. "Care to come on down here?"

"We're comin' starboard," the deep voice responded. "Be there in a minute."

"Ah… negative, Bullets," Phoenix ordered. "You have three bogies thirty right for forty-seven. CAP aircraft Warning Yellow, Weapons Hold."

"Animals copy," Cangemi radioed at the same instant his Hughes radar locked onto the four aircraft approaching his flight. "I have four on the scope," Cangemi said. "Animals, go combat spread."

"Roger," Bellvue replied as he moved out to the right and up 1,000 feet.

"Bullet Two Oh Two has a lock," the navy flight leader reported. "Copy Yellow, Weapons Hold."

Both CAP flights attempted to maneuver to place themselves in advantageous positions. Each move was countered by the approaching Cuban MiGs. The Hawkeye controller, watching the four flights close on each other, ordered the Ready Two CAP pilots to launch from America. After the acknowledgment, Phoenix called the BARCAP fighter crews.

"They have good GCI [ground control intercept]. Countering every move you make. Bullets, come starboard sixty — we need more separation."

"Comin' right sixty," the VF-2 squadron executive officer replied, then called his wingman. "Barry, step up another three grand and cover me."

"Movin' up, boss."

Cangemi watched on the heads up display (HUD) the four radar targets rapidly approaching. The MiGs were straight off the Hornet's nose, closing at 700 knots. "Animals go burner, now," Cangemi ordered, shoving his twin throttles into afterburner.

"Two," Bellvue replied as he checked his radar. "I've got 'em locked."

Seven seconds later, Cangemi and his wingman saw the MiG-25 Foxbats silhouetted against a puffy cumulonimbus cloud. "Tally," Cangemi radioed. "They're Foxbats — State Iron Works twenty-fives."

"Bullet has a tally," the navy pilot radioed. "We've got three Foxbats, one o'clock low, comin' up."

Cangemi started to raise his F/A-18's nose when two of the MiGs launched missiles. "Hard port!" Cangemi shouted as he slammed the stick to the left. "They fired — MiGs launched missiles!" he gasped in the 8 1/2-g turn. He felt his tight g suit inflate, squeezing his legs and stomach in a vise grip.

"Weapons Hot!" the Hawkeye controller ordered. "CAP flights engage! Repeat, CAP flights engage!"

Bellvue reacted immediately, breaking hard left to get on the tail of the lead Foxbat. He snapped down his tinted helmet visor, selected heat, and waited a second for the lock-on tone. Cangemi saw a missile flash past his canopy, then snapped hard over to track the last MiG.

The Foxbats split into two sections, providing excellent coverage for each flight. It was obvious that the Cuban MiG-25s were being flown by well-trained fighter pilots.