After returning to the carrier, both the F-14s received single FLOGGER ‘kill’ markings above the nose MODEX, although these were removed by the time the jets returned to Oceana on Jan. 31.
On January 4, 1989, VF-32 and the wider Tomcat community marked a historic milestone when the F-14 once again saw air combat, this time against the Libyan Arab Air Force (LAAF). As USS John F. Kennedy headed east for a scheduled port visit to Israel, four F-14As maintained combat air patrol (CAP) while the carrier transited past the Gulf of Sidra. As detailed by Mike Crutch in his book CVW: US Navy Carrier Air Wing Aircraft 1975–2015, callsigns CAMELOT 100 and 101 (BuNos 162700 and 162691) from VF-14 covered the western CAP station. To the east, VF-32 F-14As GYPSY 202 (BuNo 159437, crewed by pilot LT Hermon Cook and RIO LCDR Stephen Collins) and GYPSY 207 (BuNo 159610, flown by squadron CO CDR Joseph Connelly with ‘guest’ RIO CDR Leo Enright from the CVW-3 staff) held the eastern CAP position.
The on-station E-2C Hawkeye from VAW-126 (callsign CLOSEOUT) picked up two pairs of Libyan fighters taking off from Al Bumbah. GYPSY 207 then took the lead in the intercept, with Enright acquiring them on his own radar at bearing 175 degrees, 72 nautical miles away, at an altitude of 10,000 feet. As the Libyan aircraft—soon visually confirmed on the Tomcats’ TCS as fully armed Libyan MiG-23 FLOGGERs—pressed north, the F-14s executed a series of maneuvers to offset their opponents. Each time the Tomcats repositioned, the MiGs would also maneuver to regain a head-on, forward-quarter missile firing solution, clearly demonstrating hostile intent and meeting U.S. Rules of Engagement criteria for the F-14s to engage. To improve radar lock quality and minimize sea-surface ‘clutter,’ both Tomcats dropped below the MiGs’ altitude—eventually descending to 3,000 feet—as the two formations closed on each other.
The trailing pair of FLOGGERs turned northwest, apparently aiming to engage the VF-14 Tomcats (though no actual contact occurred), while the lead pair pressed on toward the VF-32 jets. When the opposing formations were about 35 nautical miles apart, the Kennedy Battle Group commander authorized self-defense weapons release. That clearance came just before the lead MiG turned toward GYPSY 207 for the sixth time, closing to within 20 miles. At ranges of twelve and then ten miles, GYPSY 207 fired single AIM-7 Sparrows at the lead FLOGGER, but both missiles failed to gain a lock. GYPSY 202 then engaged more effectively, destroying a MiG-23 with an AIM-7 at a distance of five miles. With one adversary down, GYPSY 207 switched to an AIM-9 Sidewinder at one mile and scored a direct hit on the remaining FLOGGER.
After the F-14s returned to the carrier, each jet was briefly adorned with a single FLOGGER kill marking above its nose MODEX, but these emblems were removed before the aircraft flew back to Oceana on January 31. USS John F. Kennedy pulled into Norfolk the following day. The commanding officer’s jet, GYPSY 201 (BuNo 162694), did, however, arrive back at Oceana displaying Libyan flags painted beside the names of Connelly and Collins on the canopy rail—a detail that later led some authors to mistakenly conclude the two had flown together in the actual shootdown. As more information about the encounter was slowly declassified, twin MiG-23 silhouettes were eventually added to the full-color paint schemes worn by both the CAG and CO aircraft at the end of 1989.
applied to one of the F-14As involved in the MiG-23
engagement on 4 January 1989, though removed before
returning to the USA. Here, BuNo 159437 proudly wears her
marking above the MODEX and was seen for a fraction of a
second in the 1989 Fighter Fling video produced for that year’s
Tomcat Ball at Oceana (USN/FITWINGONE)
Below is the engagement transcript (along with the accompanying dogfight footage). As recounted by Craig Brown in his book Debrief: A Complete History of U.S. Aerial Engagements from 1981 to the Present, inter-cockpit conversations are noted separately, while all other dialogue represents actual radio transmissions. The participants are as follows:
207 Pilot — Lead pilot
207 RIO — Lead RIO
202 Pilot — Dash-2 (or wingman) pilot,ncall-sign “Munster”
202 RIO — Dash-2 RIO
CLOSEOUT — E-2C Hawkeye
ALPHA BRAVO — Battle Group Commander aboard JOHN F. KENNEDY
Tape begins.
207 RIO- “GYPSY 207 contact at 175, 72nmiles, looks like a flight of two, Angels 10.”
CLOSEOUT- “Closeout concurs, showing 78 miles.”
202 RIO- (inter-cockpit) “Throttlenback just a little bit here.”
CLOSEOUT- “Closeout shows 25-mile separation for an inbound.”
207 RIO- “Contacts appear to be heading, ah, 315 now, speed 430, Angels approximately 8,000.”
CLOSEOUT- “Roger ACE, take it north.”n(ACE was the call-sign for USS Kennedy A-6 Intruder aircraft)
207 Pilot- (inter-cockpit) “Looks likenwe’ll have to make a quick loop here.”
202 RIO- “Come starboard, ah, I need to give ya collision here. Yeah, come starboard about 40.”
(The MiGs are south of the Tomcats for 72 miles heading 315 degrees (northwest) at 8000 feet. The F-14s turn right about 40 degrees to create a cut-off.)
207 RIO- “207 ah, 61 miles now, bearing 180, Angels 8. heading 330.”
207 RIO- “Steady up.”
CLOSEOUT- “Alpha Bravo, this is Closeout.”
207 RIO- “Come backport, ah, 20 degrees here, he’s jinkin’ (or turning hard) now.”
207 RIO- “Bogies appear to be coming,nah, jinking to the right now, heading north, speed 430, ah, angels 5,000 now in the descent. So let’s take her down now, we’re gain’ down.”
202 Pilot- “Concur.”
207 RIO- “Closeout, 53 miles now. Bogies appear to be heading directly at us. I’m coming towards. Steady up 150 for 33 offset, 50 miles, 49 miles now, speed 450, Angels 9, I’m goin’ down to 3.”
(The look-down capability of the MiGs’ radar and weapons is nowhere near as good as the F-14’s; hence, the Tomcats wanted to get below the MiGs’ altitude.)
202 Pilot- “I am crossing back over.”
207 Pilot- “Roger.”
207 RIO- “Roger that, 30-degree offset now. Bogies heading 340, speed 500, let’s accelerate.”
207 Pilot- “Okay, it looks like they’re at 9,000 feet now.”
207 RIO- “Roger, bogies have jinked back into us now; now let’s come starboard 30 degrees to the other side.”
202 Pilot- “Coming starboard, say their Angels.”
– “(unintelligible) VF-14 Camelot aircraft setting up station.”
207 RIO- “Roger, Angels now 11, steady up.”
ALPHA BRAVO- “Closeout, ah, Warningnyellow, weapons hold, repeat, warning yellow, weapons hold. Alpha Bravonout.”
CLOSEOUT- “Roger, Gypsies, passing up, Alpha Bravo directs warning yellow, weapons hold.”
207 Pilot- “35 miles here.”
207 RIO- “Roger that. Bogies have jinked back into me now for the third time. Noses is on at 35 miles, Angels 7.”
CLOSEOUT- “Alpha Bravo, Closeout, did you copy?”
207 RIO- “Okay, I am taking another offset, starboard, starboard. ah, 210.”
202 RIO- “The guy, I’m locked up here 30 miles, Angels 13,000, he’s the trailer.”
207 RIO- “Roger that, level off here, bogie jinked back into me for the 4th time. I’m coming back starboard. I’m back port now. Port 27 miles, bogie is at 7,000 feet.”
207 Pilot- “We’re at 5.”
Camelot CAP- “(garbled) bogies 135-50, Angels 16, heading 340.”
Unknown- “Okay.”
CLOSEOUT- “Roger, same bogies.”
207 Pilot- “Okay, you’re in collision now, steering.”
207 RIO- “Okay, bogies have jinked back at me again for the fifth time. They’re on my nose now. Inside of 20 miles.”
(207 internal comms – Radar altimeter tone sounds at passing preset altitude of 5000 ft MSL.)
207 RIO- “Master arm on, master arm on.”
202 Pilot- “Okay, good light.”
207 Pilot- “Good Light.”
207 RIO- “Okay. centering up the T, bogie has jinked back into me again, 16 miles, center of the dot.”
202 Pilot- “Say your Angels.”
207 RIO- “I’m at Angels 5, nose up.”
202 Pilot- “No, his Angels.”
207 Pilot- (inter-cockpit) “Now, wait a minute.”
207 RIO- “Angels are at 9!”
207 Pilot- “Alpha Bravo from 207.”
207 RIO- “13 miles. Fox 1! Foxn1!”
207 Pilot- (inter-cockpit) “AhnJesus!”
202 Pilot- “Jinking right.”
207 RIO- “Roger that, 10 miles, he’s back on my nose. Fox 1 again!”
207 Pilot- “Watching ’em up.”
207 RIO- “6 miles, 6 miles.”
202 Pilot- “Tally 2, Tally 2! Turning into me.”
207 RIO- “Roger that, 5 miles… 4 miles.”
207 Pilot- “Okay, he’s got a missile off.” (207’s pilot sees his wingman firing an AIM-7.)
202 Pilot- “Breakin’ right.”
207 Pilot- “Good hit, good hit on one!” (This is 202’s AIM-7 hitting the first MiG-23.)
207 RIO- “Roger that, good kill, good kill!”
207 Pilot- “I’ve got the other one.”
207 RIO- “Select Fox 2, select Fox 2!!”
207 Pilot- “I’ve got Fox 2.”
Garbled- ” …the trailer.”
202 Pilot- `Comin’ hard starboard.”
202 Pilot- “…f**kin’!”
207 RIO- “Shoot him!”
207 Pilot- “I don’t got a tone.”
202 Pilot- “I’ve got the second one.”
207 Pilot- “I’ve got the second one on my nose right now.”
202 Pilot- “Okay, I am high cover on you.”
207 Pilot- “Get a Fox, get a, lock him up! Lock him up.”
207 RIO- “There! Shoot him, Fox 2!”
207 Pilot- “I can’t! I don’t have a f’*king tone!”
207 Pilot- “Tone’s up!”
– (AIM-9 Sidewinder lock-on tone heard on inter-cockpit comms)
207 Pilot- “Fox 2.”
207 Pilot- “Good kill! Good kill!”
202 Pilot- “Okay. good kill.”
207 RIO- “Pilot ejected.”
Garbled- “The pilot’s ejected out of the second one.”
207 Pilot- “Okay ‘Munster; let’s head north, head north.”
202 Pilot- “Okay. Port side high. comin’ down hard.”
207 RIO- “Roger.”
207 RIO- “Roger that. Let’s revert. Blow in’ north, let’s go down low, on the deck, unload, 500 knots, let’s get out of here.”
202 Pilot- “Okay. two good chutes.”
202 RIO- “We’re showin’ two good chutes in the air here, from ‘Munster.’”
207 RIO- “Roger that. I see the, ah–.”
207 Pilot- “I’ve got the splash. One splash.”
207 RIO- “One splash.”
207 Pilot- “Take that down to, ah, 3.000 here ‘Munster.’”
202 Pilot- “The, ah, splash 160 at 96.”
207 RIO- “Let’s go. ‘Munster.’ down to 3,000 and let’s get outta here.”
202 Pilot- “Running North, on your right side.”
207 Pilot- “Roger. The other chute is high up, just to the right of the first splash….”
Tape ends.
Debrief: a complete history of U.S. aerial engagements from 1981 to the present is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo by LCdr. Parsons / U.S. Navy
