GSA B129- RDOD 04018062-070 Fdr- Point Paper- NORAD Re Interceptors Flew Slow 767

P O IN T

P A P E R

O N

N O R A DR e s p o n s et o W ire S to ry " A ir F o rc e S a y s9 1 1 In te rc e p to rs

F le w S lo w "

P U R P O S E .

T ore s p o n d to th ea lle g a tio nth a t N O R A D

in te rc e p to rs fle wto o s lo w ly d u rin g

9 /1 1a irs o v e re ig n ty o p e ra tio n s .

B O TTO M

L IN E .

N O R A Dfig h te rsd id n o t flys lo w ly o n9 /1 1 . T o th e c o n tra ry , th e yfle wa s fa s t

a so p e r a tio n a l s a fe tya n d c a p a b ility a llo w e d .

P rio rt o9 /1 1 , N O R A D a s s e ts w e ren o t fo c u s e d

tod e fe a ta n a s y m m e tric te rro ris t th re a t o rig in a tin g w ith ino u r b o rd e rs .

O n 9 /1 1N O R A D

fig h te rsfle win a s p e e d re g im e c o n s is te n t w ith s a fe tya n d e x p e d ie n c e , d e s p itele s s -th a n

o p tim u m

g e o g r a p h ic p la c e m e n t.

N O R A Dh a s s in c e re to o le d , fo c u s in g s u c c in c tlyo n th e

a s y m m e tricte rro ris t th re a ti n a d d itio nt o tra d itio n a l e x te rn a l th re a ts to the c o n tin e n t.

D IS C U S S IO N :

B e lo w are a s e rie so f o b s e rv a tio n sa n d re b u tta ls to the P R N e w s w ire E u ro p e

s to ryd a te lin e M o n d a y1 7 N o v e m b e r2 0 0 3 , 2 3 :2 7 G M T .

As u m m a ry o f th ein fo rm a tio n in

p a ra g ra p hfo r mfo llo w sth e b u lle ts .

T h e F a c ts :

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R a d a r d a ta s h o w sth eF - 1 5 's fro m

O tisA N G

b a s e a v e ra g e d5 2 6 k n o ts tru e a irs p e e d (6 0 6

m pho r .8 6 M ach) a t a na ltitu d e o f 2 0 ,0 0 0fe e ta b o v e m ean s e ale v e l

-

R a d a r d a ta s h o w sth eF - 1 6 's fro m

L a n g le yA F B a v e ra g e d6 2 3 k n o ts(7 1 7m p h o r .9 9

M ach)at an a ltitu d e of 2 0 ,0 0 0 fe e t a b o v e m e a n seale v e l

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S u p e r s o n ic flig h t o v e r p o p u la te d

a re a sa n d m o d e ra te

a ltitu d e s r e s u ltsi n w id e - s p r e a d

dam age tos tru c tu re s , in ju rie s , a n de v e n p o te n tia l fa ta litie s

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S u p e rs o n ic flig h t in c r e a s e s fu e l c o n s u m p tio n m a k in gi t im p ra c tic a li n m a n y in te rc e p t

s c e n a rio s

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T h em a x im u m o p e ra tio n a l s p e e d o f th ea le r tc o n fig u re dF -1 5 A E a g le s a t O tis o n9 /1 1 w a s

a p p ro x im a te ly7 5 0k n o ts tru e a irs p e e d

(8 6 3 m ph or 1 .3 M a c h )a t 4 0 ,0 0 0 fe e t

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T h em a x im u m o p e ra tio n a l s p e e d o f th ea le rt c o n fig u re d

F - 1 6 A 's at L a n g le y was 802k n o ts

tru e a irs p e e d (9 2 4 m ph or 1 .4 M a c h )a t 4 0 ,0 0 0fe e t

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E v e nif th efig h te rs h a dflo w n a tm a x im u m o p e r a tio n a l s p e e d s , th e y c o u ld n o th a v e

in te rc e p te dth eh ija c k e d a ir lin e r s p rio r toim p a c t

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N O R A Di s fo c u s e dlik ea la s e ro n th ea irb o rn eth re a t to o u rc o n tin e n t.

If ith a p p e n s a g a in ,

th e rew illb efig h te rs o n th ew in g o f th eh ija c k e d a ir c r a ft

E rro rsin th e P RN e w s w ire s to ry :

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T h ew rite rm is u n d e rs ta n d s th ed iffe re n c e b e tw e e n "m a x im u m

a d v e rtis e d c a p a b ility "a n d

a c tu a l o p e ra tio n of a fig h te r.

T h ew rite r q u o te s a"to p s p e e d " th a t is a "m axim um

a d v e rtis e ds p e e d "n o t p o s s ib lei n fig h te r s c o n fig u re dfo r th e a ir d e fe n s e

ro le

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T h ew rite rm is u n d e rs ta n d s th ec o n v e r s io n o fa e ro n a u tic a ls p e e d a n dd is ta n c e ,c o n fu s in g

" n a u tic a l"a n d" s ta tu te " m ile s a sw e ll a s th ea ltitu d e a n dte m p e ra tu re re la tio n s h ip to

"s o u n db a rrie r" (M a c h s p e e d ).

C o n s e q u e n tly ,h is m a thi s o ff.

R a d a r d a ta p ro v e s th a t th e

fig h te rsd id n o t fly "le is u re ly "b u t q u ite fa s t,p a rtic u la rlyth eL a n g le y F -1 6 'si nre s p o n s e t o

th eP e n ta g o n a tta c k

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T h ew r ite r in c o r r e c tly id e n tifie s th eO tis fig h te rs a s" s trik e e a g le s "(F -1 5 E ) w h e n th e y a re

infa c t F -1 5 A E a g le a irc ra ft,a n a lto g e th e r d iffe re n t m a c h in e

C a p t. ReaN J 3 3 /4 -1 5 1 2 /c a r/1 6 Dec 03

N C T 0072605

r

T h e w ri t e r i n c o rre c t l y a s s u m e s t h a t b e c a u s et h e reis afig h te r b a s e n e a r W a s h i n g t o nD C

( A n d re w sA F B , M D ) th a t it h a sf i g h t e rs c o n f i g u re d a n da l e rt fo r a ir d e f e n s e i n t e rc e p t s . In

re a l i t y ,th e rea re h u n d re d so f fig h te rs a ll a c ro s sth e U n ite d S ta te sa n d C a n a d a ,b u t o n ly

id e n tifie du n itsw e re a v a ila b lefo r a ir s o v e re ig n ty o p e ra tio n s

S U M M A R Y :

InaN ew sR e le a s e fro m

P RN e w s w ire d a te lin e M o n d a y 17 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 3 , 2 3 :2 7

G M T,th ea u th o r a lle g e sth a t th e" A i rF o rc e S a y s9 1 1 I n t e rc e p t o rs F l e w S l o w . "

N O R A D f i g h t e rsd id n o t fly s l o w l yo n9 /1 1 . T o th e c o n t ra ry ,th e y f l e wa s f a s ta s th e

b o u n d so f o p e ra t i o n a l s a f e t y a n dc a p a b ility a llo w e d .

W h ilet h e re w e re o p e ra t i o n a la n d p h y s i c a l c o n s t ra i n t s t h a t c o m p o u n d e dt o p re v e n ta

s u c c e s s fu l f i g h t e rin te rc e p to n 9 /1 1 , t h o s e c o n s t ra i n t s h a v e b e e n e f f e c t i v e l y re m o v e da s

N O R A Dre t o o l e dt o f o c u so n th e a s y m m e t ri c t h re a t in th e w a k eo f th e h o rri f i c t e rro ri s t a t t a c k s .

T h e a u t h o r m a k e s n u m e ro u s m i s t a k e s c o m m o nt o t h o s e u n f a m i l i a r w i t h f i g h t e r

o p e ra t i o n s .T h e s e e rro rs in c lu d e m a th e m a tic a l c o n v e rs io n fro m

" t ru e n a u t i c a l m i l e sp e r h o u r"

to" s ta tu te m ile sp e r h o u r, "m is ta k in g " m a x im u m

a d v e rt i s e dc a p a b ility " w ithtru e" o p e ra t i o n a l "

c a p a b ility ,am i s p e rc e p t i o n t h a t f i g h t e rs c a n fly a ts u p e rs o n i c s p e e d s w i l l y - n i l l y a n ytim e th e y

c h o o s e , a n dth a t a n ym i l i t a ry f i g h t e r isa v a ila b le fo r i n t e rc e p t o ro p e ra tio n s .

Inf a c t ,th e i n t e rc e p t f i g h t e rso n 9 /1 1 f l e w q u i t e f a s t .T h ee v id e n c e d o e sn o t s u p p o rt

th ea u t h o r' s s u p p o s i t i o n t h a tth efig h te rs f l e w " l e i s u re l y "a t"4 1 0 to 5 5 0m p h ". T o th e c o n t ra ry ,

ra d a rd a tas h o w s a v e ra g e s p e e d so f 6 0 6 to7 1 7 s ta tu te m ile sp e r h o u r, w h ic h is in th e h ig h

s u b s o n icre g i m e ( 0 . 8 6M acht o 0 . 9 9 M a c h ) .T h e ro o to f th e a u t h o r' s p ro b l e m

a p p e a rs to b e a

m a th e m a tic a l e rro r in th e c o n v e rs i o n b e t w e e n t ru e n a u t i c a l m i l e sp e r h o u r, s t a t u t em ile sp e r

h o u r,a n d m achs p e e d .

Inf a c t ,th e i n t e rc e p t f i g h t e rso n 9 /1 1 f l e wa t th e h i g h end of n o rm a lo p e ra tin g s p e e d s .

T h e a u t h o r e rro n e o u s l y q u o t e sa " m a x i m u m a d v e rt i s e d c a p a b i l i t y "a n d c o m p a re s t h a t w i t hth e

s p e e d s flo w no n 9 /1 1 .

U n f o rt u n a t e l y ,th e " m a x i m u m

a d v e rt i s e d c a p a b i l i t y "is n o t a s p e e d

re g im ea v a i l a b l eto th efig h te rsc o n fig u re d fo r th e " o p e ra t i o n a l "a ir d e f e n s e m i s s i o n .

S u c h

s p e e d s a re n o t" o p e ra t i o n a l l y " f e a s i b l e d u e t o t h ec o n f i g u ra t i o n o f t h ea l e rta i rc ra f t , t h efu e l

c o n s u m p tio na n dp o te n tia l fo rshock-wave dam age to th eu rb a n p o p u la tio n b e lo w . T h is e rro r

le dth ea u th o r toc o n c lu d e th a t th ef i g h t e rs f l e w to os lo w ly , w h e n infa c t th e y fle w q u ite fa s t.

T h ei n t e rc e p t f i g h t e rso n 9 /1 1fle w a t h ig h s u b s o n i c a i rs p e e d s ,w h ic hi s c o n s i s t e n tfo r

s a feo p e ra tio n o v e ra n u rb a n a re a .T h e a u th o r s u p p o s e sth e fig h te rs c o u ld fly a s fa s ta s th e ir

m a c h in e sw o u ld a llo w w ith o u t re p e rc u s s io n . W h ileit is tru e th a tth eF - 1 5 's a n dF -1 6 s w e re

o p e ra tio n a llyc a p a b l eo f f l y i n ga t s u p e rs o n i c s p e e d s ( f a s t e r t h a n1 .0 M a c h ) , it is e rro n e o u st o

assum e th a t th e y w o u ld .

F ly in ga t s u p e rs o n ic s p e e d c a u s e s s e v e ra lp ro b le m s .

I na d d itio n t o

m a s s iv e lyi n c re a s i n g f u e l c o n s u m p t i o n ,i t p ro d u c e sa s h o c k w a v e c a p a b l eo f b re a k i n g

w in d o w sa n d c a u s in g s e rio u s in ju rie s .

S u c ha m a n e u v e r w o u l d n e v e rb e p e rf o rm e d

c a re le s s lyo v e r f ri e n d l yo r e v e n e n e m y t e rri t o ry .

T h ef i g h t e rs f l e w a t th eu p p e r e d g e o f

o p e ra tio n a l lim its .

A d d itio n a lly , th efig h te rs a t A n d re w s A F B , M Dw e re n o t o n A ir S o v e re ig n ty A le rt o n

9 /1 1a n dc o u ld n o t have been used fo r i n t e rc e p t o r o p e ra t i o n s .

T h ea u t h o r i n c o rre c t l y

assum es t h a ta n y m i l i t a ry f i g h t e r c o u l db e u s e dfo r i n t e rc e p t o r o p e ra t i o n s , i n c l u d i n gth e e n t i re

s q u a d ro no fre s e rv efig h te rs a t A n d re w sA F B , M D .B e c a u s e o f th ei n h e re n td a n g e r,a i rc ra f t

a ren o tro u t i n e l y l o a d e d w i t h l i v e ( e x p l o s i v e ) o rd n a n c e u n l e s s t h e y a rep e rf o rm i n g a na c tu a l a ir s o v e re ig n t y m is s io n . A n d re w s was not on a le rto n th e m o rn in go f 9 /1 1 . T h e id e a l lo c a tio n o f A n d re w sfo r th ea s y m m e t ri c d e f e n s e o f W a s h in g to n D C ise x a c tly w h yth e y a re o n A ir