The Gulf of Sidra Incident 1981

This is audio of the first Gulf of Sidra Incident (1981), in which two Su-22 Fitters were downed after one of them fired on an F-14 Tomcat. This audio is further available here:

Various photos\art from the web have been included for context. Below is the transcript of the engagement:

00:07 102 Going to [garbled] right now, I'll stay in[garbled]scan.
00:11 Bare Ace
(Air Intercept Controller) And 102 [garbled] 226 36
00:19 102 Tweny miles for 102. Twenty thousand feet.
00:23 Bare Ace 225 at 33 102.
00:28 Bare Ace And what's your [garbled something about the contact]?
00:31 102 102's got one 214 16 miles out, that's all I've got.
00:35 102 He appears to be turning a little bit left giving us a left aspect. I'm in single target track.
00:42 102 14 miles 21,000.
00:48 Bare Ace 113 say your heading.
00:52 113 113s heading 070
00:58 102 10 miles
00:58 102 102. The bogeys got us on his nose now 8 miles.
01:07 102 We're at altitude, we're twenty thousand feet 6 miles.
01:10 Bare Ace 103, 113 your vector 100.
01:29 Bare Ace 103 state.
01:35 107 Two fitters have shot at my leader.
01:39 102 [garbled]... this is 102, we've been fired on!
01:50 Bare Ace And 102.
01:54 Bare Ace OK copy.
01:55 unknown Did you copy that Bare Ace?
01:56 Bare Ace Negative, what did one of them say?
01:58 102, 107 [garbled]...defensive east. I've got a visual on you.
02:07 unknown Bare Ace, did you just copy 103?
02:09 Bare Ace That's negative.
02:09 unknown Because Ok, they said they've just been fired upon, that's what they transmitted.
02:19 Bare Ace 103 confirm you've been shot at, over.
02:22 unknown relay [garbled]confirm you've been shot at.
02:25 102 amongst interference Affimative.[garbled] shot one of them down.
02:30 unknown relay Did you shoot one of them down?
02:33 102 It was a clean target.
02:38 107 [garbled]Want me shoot my guy down?
02:39 102 That's affirm, shoot him!! Shoot him down!
02:49 Bare Ace 205, 223 vector inbound at this time.
02:53 223 223 inbound
02:57 107 Fox 2 kill from Music. Fox 2 kill.
03:00 102 [name] did you get him?
03:02 107 Yes sir, I did kill him.[garbled several seconds]
03:09 107 Fox 2 kill. His chute is NOT deploying. He's falling free.
03:12 102 OK, roger that.
03:15 Bare Ace 106 Reset CAP 5. 106, 110 reset cap 5.
03:18 107 [garbled]123 DME on the 180. And my state ten two, ten two.
03:31 102 OK I'm nine five.
03:33 Nimitz 102 107, you are clear to defend yourself.
03:35 Bare Ace 102 107, you are clear to defend yourself. Pass from the ship.
03:39 102 And this is 102 107, ah two enemy kills.
03:44 Bare Ace Say again?
03:45 102 Two enemy kills. Two MIG-23s killed.
03:49 unknown relay Two MIG-23s. You copy Bare Ace?
03:52 Bare Ace Roger.[garbled]
03:56 107 Mine was a Fitter, a Fitter.
04:03 Bare Ace 102 107 You copy? That's vector north.
04:45 Bare Ace 107, Bare Ace.
04:48 102 This is 102 go ahead.
04:51 Bare Ace [garbled] Were one or two hit?
04:59 102 102 and 107 are fine. We're both headed north. And there are two...
05:02 Bare Ace Roger that. And confirm you've got two MIG-23 kills?
05:07 102 OK one was a Fitter and they're probably both Fitters. And there are two kills.
05:11 unknown relay Bare Ace you copy? There are two kills. Either Fitters or Floggers.

[dberry]

I was onboard The USS Nimitz when this happened, it turns out that "Music" (LT Lawrence 'Music' Muczynski) had attended junior high school together, in the same Art Class. After the incident, I saw his name and photo in Stars and Stripes, and realized who he was. I went over to him one morning in the Wardroom and he remembered me and we talked about Jane Long Junior High in Houston Texas. ..nothing about the incident..Just part of business being a F-14 pilot. I was a Aerospace Maintenance Officer at the time in A-7E Attack Squadron 82, the Marauders. The night of this incident, two Marine -F-4 Phantoms from the USS Forrestal battle group made a run on the Nimitz at wave height, General quaters was called and the words" this is not a drill"..I never saw people move that fast for a GQ drill...When the ship finally got a good IFF ident on them, we secured from GQ...Scared the living shit outta everyone who though, Well, MOMMAR has sent his air force out to sink us...

[HDDP]

Recorded in CIC of the USS Biddle (CG-34) while they were screening for the Nimitz. I was aboard the USS Josephus Daniels (CG-27) which was being used as bait inside the "Line of Death" to draw the Libyan AF out. They eventually launched 70 aircraft to try and attack task force Six Zero which was a dual carrier Battle Group holding "Freedom of Navigation Exercises" in the Gulf of Sidra. We made contact with at least two bogie submarines and a soviet AGI which we sent 5 warning shots over her bow while she was attempting to discourage us. GQ lasted more than 8 hours...

[pbr]

I like how the ship notified the two Tomcats that they're "Clear to defend themselves", after the two MIGs had already been shot down.  A day late and a dollar short...

[pontiacGXPfan]

i was looking for this ever since i heard the audio from the incident in 1989

[beerten]

this is the full radio transmission between the awacs bear ace, the 2 pilots fast eagle 102 and 107, and the carrier nimitz if anyone wonders and what they are saying


fast eagle 102: go STT right now, i'll stay in track while scan.

bear ace: and 102 ill stay in touch 226 36

102: 20 miles from 102. 20 thousand feet.

bear ace: 225 at 33 102
and what is your [garbeld something about the contact]

102: 102's got one 214 16 miles out, thats all ive got.
he appears to be turning little bit left givings us a left aspect. im in single target track. 14 miles 21, 000

bear ace: 113 say your heading

113: 113s heading 070.

102: 10 miles (distance between fitters)
102. the bogeys got us on his nose now 8 miles. we're at altitude, 20, 000 6 miles

bear ace: 103, 113 your vector 100.

*SU-22 opens fire*

bear ace: 103 state

fast eagle 107: two fitters just shot at my leader (fast eagle 102)

unknown: say again?

102: [unknown callsign] this is 102 we've been fired upon!

bear ace: ok copy

unknown: you copy bear ace?

bear ace: negative what did one of them say?

102 ore 107: [unknown but something of one of them is heading back east cant tell if he is running]

unknown: bear ace, did you just copy 103

bear ace: thats a negative

unknown: because they said they've just been fired upon, thats what they have transmitted.

unknown but high chance of it being 102: [garbeld but from what i can gather] i've got a lock im right at his six
*shot one of the fitters down*

bear ace: 103 confirm you've been shot at, over

unknown relay: confirm you've been shot at

102: affermative
shot one of them down.

unknown: did you shoot one of them down?

102: it was a clean target

107: hank you want me to shoot my guy down?

102: THATS AFFIRM, SHOOT HIM! shoot him down.
*107 shoots the second fitter down*

bear ace: 205, 223 vector inbound at this time.

223: 223 inbound

bear ace: roger that

107: fox 2 kill from music fox 2 kill

102: [name] did you get him?

107: yes sir i did kill him.
fox 2 kill. his chute is NOT deploying he's falling free.

102: roger that

bear ace: 106 reset CAP 5, 106, 110 reset CAP 5.

107: [garbeld] 123 DME on the 180. and my state 10 2, 10 2.

102: oke i'm 9 5.

USS nimitz: 102 107, you are clear to defend yourself

bear ace: 102 107, you are clear to defend yourself pass from the ship

102: and this is 102 107 ah 2 enemy kills.

bear ace: say again?

102: 2 enemy killed, 2 MIG-23s killed.

unknown relay: 2 MIG-23 killed you copy bear ace?

bear ace: roger

USS nimitz ore bear ace: [garbeld] something about "copy that danger over lets vector north"

107: mine was a fitter, a fitter *cough*

could be the USS nimitz ore bear ace: 102 107 you copy? thats vector north

[garbeld for serveral seconds but from what i can hear is that theire resetting CAPS to other planes and getting something for them ASAP]
*the following is reporting of the kills practically end of transmission*

bear ace: 107, bear ace.

102: this is 102 go ahead.

bear ace: [garbeld something about reporting the kills] was it 1 ore 2 hit?

102: 102 and 107 are fine. we're both headed north. and there are 2...

bear ace: roger that, and confirm you have got 2 MIG-23 kills.

102: OK 1 was a fitter and theire probably both fitters. and there are 2 kills

unknown relay: bear ace you copy? there are 2 kills. either a fitter (SU-22) ore a flogger (MIG-23).

the rest is garbeld but from what i can hear

bear ace: roger and update your state

unknown: im good [garbeld] a fitter.

END TRANSMISSION

[jh]

The first transmission is from the leader 102 giving radar mode instructions to 107. Go STT (single target track lock on radar mode) right now I’ll stay in Track While Scan (so he can monitor both targets while giving the wingman the lock for a sparrow shot if need be). It didn’t work out like that, 107 had a malfunction and couldn’t use their radar guided missiles as per the pilot. Wish one of them shared their actual recordings and not just the radio transmissions, it’d be interesting to see how much exactly was missed in the clutter of a bunch of people talking over the 2 jets engaged in life or death combat.

[arrowjsmith]

You are cleared to defend yourself. Love it.

[LtLysander]

CDR Henry 'Hank' Kleemann with his RIO LT David 'DJ' Venlet and LT Lawrence 'Music' Muczynski with his RIO LTJG James 'Amos' Anderson flying Fast Eagle 102 and Fast Eagle 107. Fuck Yea!!!!

[maxnav]

That's "Bear Ace" not Bare Ace. VAW 124 Bear Aces.

[RightCenterBack]

02:49 Bare Ace 205, 223 vector inbound at this time.

I'm guessing these are Tomcats from VF-84 being vectored as back-up?

[skoVBA]

wouldve taken 30secs to find Libyan SU22 pictures, instead of using Polish ones.

[kevinmccorkle]

Could you please replace the pic of VF-84 with the real fighter squadron? VF-41 Black Aces Baby!

[BloodlMagic]

What does "106 reset cap 5 106 110 reset cap 5" mean?