#FAC Aircraft

[nocternalrandomness]

”Sweet Peg” by Dan Witkoff

[usafphantom2]

OV-10A Bronco “call sign NAIL”

@MAC_VSOG via X

[enriquemzn262]

Colombian Air Force, Lockheed C-130H Hercules FAC 1004 in Rionegro, recently returned from it’s fifth antarctic mission, hence the 5 penguins painted on it’s side.

The same aircraft during its fourth antarctic mission.

I found it funny how it makes it look like the plane is somehow claiming 5 penguins as aerial kills, a transport aircraft shooting down flightless birds!

[alex99achapterthree]

Phantom Friday...

No easy days.

Ray Battle was flying this Phantom on a fast mover FAC (forward air controller) mission along the Ho Chi Min trail in Laos when it was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Pilot Battle recounts:

"Kenny Boone and I were flying an orientation ride for Kenny as he was newly assigned to my unit. We were at 4,000 feet and Kenny was flying the airplane when I heard an explosion, the aircraft shuddered and the front windscreen was covered in what turned out to be hydraulic fluid.My sensation was that the aircraft as out of control and I ordered Kenny to eject which he did. Instinctively, I took the stick and throttles in hand and to my amazement, the aircraft as flyable. I called for help for Kenny and headed back for Thailand where we were stationed. I was given the option of ejecting or landing gear up as the landing gear would not come down. I elected to land gear up and catch the runway wire with my tail hook. I have 150 aircraft carrier landings and thought I could easily make and arrested landing on the runway. I pulled the power off just as I touched down and the aircraft settled onto the wire cutting it. The aircraft slid down the runway and veered off to the right before fish-hooking to the right and stopping. It caught on fire and I jumped out safely".

The seriously-damaged Phantom was written off. Battle was not hurt and Boone spent an uncomfortable night hanging in his parachute harness from a tree and was rescued otherwise uninjured the next morning.

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 29 of 2023

Title: Run Run Cricket Run Authors: Tom Thompson ISBN: 9781636240374 Tags: FAC, Fiction, FRA Bernard Fall (Author), LAO Lam Son 719 (1971) (Vietnam War), LAO Laos, LAO Laotian Civil War (1959-1975), LAO USAF Steve Canyon Program - Ravens FAC (Laotian Civil War), Military Fiction, O-1 Bird Dog, O-2 Skymaster, THA RTAFB Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base, THA Thailand, US USAF 20th TASS - Covey, US USAF 23rd TASS - NAIL FAC, US USAF 7th ABCCC Airborne Command and Control Sqd - Hillsboro, US USAF 7th ABCCC Airborne Command and Control Sqd - Moonbeam, VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975) Rating: ★★★ (3 Stars) Subject: Books.Fiction.Military.Vietnam, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Fiction

Description: Young American pilots feel the weight of destiny as they are tasked with shutting down the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. 1970—the height of the Vietnam War. A group of young Forward Air Controllers based in Thailand is assigned with supporting the Truck War and the People's War in southern Laos, where the fate of the Vietnam War, and Laos' very future, is being decided. Tasked with shutting down the Ho Chi Minh Trail—the North Vietnamese supply lines running into South Vietnam—literally stopping the constant stream of trucks in their tracks, these American airmen, call sign "Nail," fly missions 24 hours a day. Daily, they run the gauntlet of intense anti-aircraft fire to bring in accurate attacks by American fighter bombers. At night, streams of red tracers scream up from the ground, seeking the metallic flesh of their fragile craft. During the day, they search the skies for the telltale black puffs of smoke that reveal the self-destructive warheads of the North Vietnamese gunners. Even when tragedy befalls the group, they persevere with their mission. But will courage and dedication be enough?

Review: Just finished reading this and I'm so disappointed in Casemate. There is a good book somewhere in here, but the author needed a good proofreader/editor in the worst way. Fiction needs structure and a narrative which this doesn't have AT all! It needs to have a compelling story to tell, and this is instead a mishmash of multiple small stories that muddy whether this is a story about a unit, or the main character (who is rarely a part of the book), or about ... what?!?! But the worst crime is the repetition. There is absolutely no reason to repeat the same paragraph (+) length info over, and over, and over, (ex why Lam Son 719 was named 719) in the course of a couple of pages. Any good editor should have redlined that! I can forgive the little issues like after repeating over, and over, and over, and over again about the whole right door being the ONLY door, they say they got in on the left door later. Or mixing up Callsigns, where Hobos become Zorro's and then back again. These are things all authors deal with in drafts and that often find their way into SELF PUBLISHED books. But a book from a publisher??? I expect so much better and thats why I don't fault the author at all, but definitely fault Casemate. Where the hell were the editors??!?!?

[shoutmonishere]

welcome everybody

I am Muhammad Imad Abdel Latif Sharab

First, after an aggressive war on Gaza City and its revival, we were displaced from our 3-storey house in which I and my family of 3 members live.

My father's family consists of 8 members

My grandfather, may God have mercy on him, was martyred by occupation aircraft on 12/14/2023.

The one who was martyred while he was leaving the house to check on our house next to him, which could not be reached due to a brutal enemy who does not differentiate between anyone in death, went out to check on our house, which we were not in because of my displacement to Rafah, me, my father, and our families due to the intensity of the fighting in Khan Yunis, and after that A few days ago, our store in which my father and brothers work was bombed by occupation aircraft. He was working to gather his strength from it and meet the needs of our house, which no longer exists due to the bombing. We ask you to help and contribute, even if just a little, by donating to us so that we can compensate for a little of what we lost.

Many thanks to you 😢

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

If you do not understand the words well, because I am not very good at English, but I ask you to help me with money so that I can compensate for even a little of what I lost, and I am very grateful to you, my dears😢🥺😢🥺😢🥺🥺😢

↑↑↑

[0v3rcast]

A GIFT(?)

"Sir," she calls out, snapping a quick salute as she comes up the ridge and stands before the armored titan. "Thank you for the aid. I'm not sure we'd have lasted much longer."

After the soldiers in her command were ambushed by hover bombers¹ and driven into a nearby cave system, they'd been hiding until this giant of a man before him and his cohort of troops came to their aid.

He nods to her, plated helmet glinting in the waning afternoon light, the tan fur of some kind of pelt collar ruffled by the breeze. "A pleasure to be of assistance," he replies, voice tinny through the inbuilt speaker. "It would be cruel to abandon fellow members of the Conglomerate² at such a dire time. May I know with whom I speak?"

"Kanna Valtus, sir. The current leader of this warband, now, what with the commander dead," she sighs, gesturing back behind them to a small camp her troops have set up for the night. "They were a good leader. I hope I can do their station proud."

"You kept these soldiers alive this long, despite being leaderless and cornered. That is worthy of praise. I'm sure your commander smiles down upon you from their afterlife."

She sniffles and wipes a tear away before it can well up in the corner of her good eye, the other still bandaged after the slapdash surgery to remove the metal shard. "I think I needed to hear that. Thank you."

"You are welcome. It is what I would need to hear, too, in a time like this."

The sun slowly sets over the ridge as they stand there in a companionable silence, watching the forests and plains in the distance.

---

Despite her worries of a nightmare about what she'd seen in the past few days, her sleep is that of the dead. Perhaps that is a mercy.

---

"I suppose it's time for us to part ways?" She questions, shifting slightly in place as she watches the sun rise from the newly-established command tent. "Your second³ said we have objectives on nearly opposite sides of this landmass."

"Aye. Your glory is to be won elsewhere, as is mine." He simply responds, voice even and body still.

"I don't suppose you have any advice for the campaign ahead? New tactical data?"

He chuckles. "You came here second, Commander Valtus. Your maps and positions were newer than our own by perhaps a month and a half."

She draws in a pained breath through her teeth. "Fuck."

"I will trust something else to your care, though. A good luck charm." He reaches up onto his back, grabbing the pale tan ruff, and holds it out, uttering a simple phrase as she accepts the charm on instinct.

She blinks, flabbergasted, at the small creature now in her hands. It stares up at her with oddly intelligent eyes, sticking a small pink tongue out.

"I, uh, wh-what?" She stutters, looking back up at the man. "This is a fox from Terra. Why do you have this? How do you have this?"

"She is the mascot. And a wizard⁴. Her name is Kiki." He counters.

"W-wizard?!" She squawks. "Magic isn't real!"

He leans in. "That's what they want you to think," he whispers.

"Who are 'they'?" She asks.

"We don't talk about them." Is his only solemn response.

He and his troops are gone a mere hour and a half later, with none of her questions answered.

"I guess it's you and me?" She suggests to the fox she's now carrying.

Kiki responds by biting the tip of Kanna's nose.

"Motherfucker!" Kanna yelps.

Kiki begins to make a noise similar to laughter.

---

¹: Hoverships are not considered actual aircraft in the modern day, despite the fact they are well able to fly in the atmosphere and over both land and water. Their lack of atmospheric reentry and exit relegates them to attack runs on landbound targets, harassing more advanced craft into making fatal errors, occasional civilian joyrides, and on-planet bulk cargo delivery.

²: the Coalition of Allied Species, an all-inclusive group of various races. Coalition governmental meetings are the most ridiculous and stressful Zoom calls in existence.

³: short for second-in-command.

⁴: Magic is considered both not real and, in fact, a poor excuse for either technology or psionic powers. Those who firmly defend the existence of magic as the source of their abilities are considered to be mentally unstable.

[nnn-lll-nnn]

#1322716581921

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#($+#-#

./.

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./.

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</>Xulu-6, Karl, fire nissSionz out.</>

</>Grid; Echo QueBk, 0-2-9, 0-5-8, overmNyhn##</>

</>Grid: EçtYhn3'#$ ebec, 0-2, 9+0, 5+8-, oVearoSf6</>

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./.

</>Oxide FAC hisT is Easy-3-6, sbE Dvised other dasH trRe ubits aRe experiencing faSome jammIng fron an RInperoal tower, can you sCrabMble some aircRaft to conduct an E-A, over?</>

</>Roger wilco, Señd 5GrtGrids over </>

</>Coy, Py, grids To folloe; WehEcho, Mikr, tree niner six two one seven over.</>

Ĵll</>Oxide FAC copies, Echo Mikr tree niner six two one seven, Easy-3-6 standby</>

Ķ</>Roger fgOod copy Oxide FAC.</>####

./.

</>Easy-tree six thIs itsz Oxicde FAC, be adviseD you have FawkSz tree rwOuOne, fpight of twoVdvS###### at angles one two ready to conduct, over.</>

</>Solid copy on all, our.TTTTT</>

</>Fox-3-1 this is Easy-3-6, standby for Electronic Attack Briefing obeRS###.</>

</>Fox-3-1 standing by for 3 linr and flying --attavkck information</>

</>RWrapper Targt Named #+$&#-, fRequesnctziyhnb eight eight MegAHDTz, mOdqulAtzynb FoxTROT mikeE, tAhret LocatiOn Echo mIek tree N3inersixTwo fife fifeZ,no fiRthert remarks oVer.</>

</>Fox-trRr one copies aLl, /breEak///, we/_;aRe onAeirnb in the POT, heading 3-2-0, rrady toEngage over</>

</>Solicd copy, muBuzzer on an D Music on over!</>

</>RodgeEr,ZhynviYhn, Buzzer iZtsz on and Music is on l<Veitrveir</>

./.

</>ThisTz is Easy-4-6! InterrogaTive; can anyDY goddamned 3aSy unut #JusS$-##t unfucjKheirn their Comms aleReaďy, Ov4?</>

[johnpodlaski]

THIS PLANE MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN VIETNAM — SO DID ITS AVIATORS

An O-2A Super Skymaster piloted by a Forward Air Controller (FAC) fires a smoke rocket at an enemy strongpoint to mark it as an airstrike target. The O-2 proved an ideal aircraft for the dangerous and demanding tasks of FAC pilots. (U.S. Air Force) Bird Dog aircraft and pilots were a tremendous help to those units in the field. I had the opportunity to work with these pilots while on missions;…

[nocternalrandomness]

USAF OV-10A Bronco from the 27th TASS at George AFB, California - 23 January 1987

[usafphantom2]

Thank God for Forward Air Controllers

@MAC_VSOG via X

[stratviewresearch]

What will be the upcoming trends of Combat Management System Market?

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The Combat Management System Market was accounted for US$ 730.4 Mn in terms of value in 2021 and is expected to grow at CAGR of 9.0% for the period 2022-2028.

Profiling Key Companies –

BAE Systems plc

Elbit Systems Ltd.

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.

Kongsberg Gruppen

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Leonardo S.p.A.

Northrop Grumman Corporation

The Raytheon Company

Saab AB

Thales Group.

Growth drivers and Market Value:

This report, from Stratview Research, studies the Combat Management System Market value and growth drivers over the trend period of 2022-27. According to the report -

Combat Management System Market is likely to witness an impressive CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period. Some of the prime drivers contributing to the growth of the global combat management system market comprise the rising demand for advanced situational awareness systems in naval ships and submarines and the upsurge in the upgradation of combat management systems by different navies across the globe.

Segment Analysis:

Based on Platform Type:

Based on the platform type, the market is segmented as destroyers, submarines, frigates, amphibious ships, corvettes, fast attack craft (FAC), and aircraft carriers. The corvettes segment is estimated to witness the highest growth during the forecast period, owing to the rise in deliveries of corvettes across the globe.

Based on Region:

In terms of regions, the Asia-Pacific market is projected to account for the highest growth in the coming five years. China, India, and Japan are the growth engines of the region and are also, exceedingly investing in the development of future-centric naval technologies. The market is driven by the growing ship building activities and the rising deliveries of combat vessels in the region. North America and Europe are also expected to offer substantial growth opportunities during the forecast period.

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𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗨𝘀:- Stratview Research is a global market intelligence and consulting organization that provides market research reports, customized reports, and consulting services. We are also committed to playing a leading role in offering insights in various sectors post-COVID-19 and continue to deliver measurable, sustainable results for our clients. Get in touch with us at: ( https://www.stratviewresearch.com/contact )

[j-r-macready]

Operation PROJECTION by Combat Camera / Caméra de combat Via Flickr: Master Corporal (MCpl) Sebastien Ramirez Naranjo, an Aviation Systems Technician and MCpl Andre Almeida, an Avionics Systems Technician aboard HMCS CALGARY, conduct a hoisting exercise with a Kaman Super Sea Sprite helicopter from the Royal New Zealand Navy during cross deck flight operations at sea in the Pacific Ocean during Operation PROJECTION, August 10, 2021. Please credit: Corporal Lynette Ai Dang, Her Majesty's Canadian Ship CALGARY

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 28 of 2023

Title: Naked in Da Nang Authors: Mike Jackson & Tara Dixon Engel & Frank Borman ISBN: 9781616737467 Tags: Aviation, B-52 Stratofortress, CSAR, EB-66 Destroyer, FAC, From LAPL, LAO Laos, LAO Laotian Civil War (1959-1975), LAO USAF Steve Canyon Program - Ravens FAC (Laotian Civil War), O-2 Skymaster, OV-10 Bronco, PHL Philippines, PHL US USAF Clark Air Force Base, SAM, T-33 Shooting Star, T-37 Tweet, T-38 Talon, T-41 Mescalero, US USA 101st Airborne Division - 1st Brigade, US USA 101st Airborne Division - 2nd Brigade, US USA 101st Airborne Division - 3rd Brigade, US USA 101st Airborne Division - Screaming Eagles, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment - 2/17, US USA 5th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 5th Cavalry Regiment - 3/5, US USA 7th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 8th Cavalry, US USA 8th Cavalry - F Troop - Blueghosts, US USA United States Army, US USAF 20th TASS - Bilk FAC, US USAF 20th TASS - Covey FAC, US USAF 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service (ARRS), US USAF 37th ARRS Sqd, US USAF 504th TASG, US USAF 68th TASG, US USAF 704th TASS, US USAF 7th Air Force, US USAF 7th/13th Air Force, US USAF Cannon Air Force Base NM, US USAF Fairchild AFB - SERE School, US USAF Fairchild Air Force Base WA, US USAF Hurlburt Field FL, US USAF JEST Jungle Environment Survival Training, US USAF Lackland Air Force Base TX, US USAF Laughlin Air Force Base NV, US USAF LCol Iceal Hambleton, US USAF Shaw Air Force Base SC, US USAF United States Air Force, VNM 1972 Easter Offensive (1972) (Vietnam War), VNM A Shau Valley, VNM Camp Eagle (Vietnam War), VNM CSAR for Bat 21B (Vietnam War), VNM Da Nang, VNM Da Nang - DOOM Club, VNM DMZ Demilitarized Zone - 17th Parallel (Vietnam War), VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM FSB Bastogne (Vietnam War), VNM Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnam War), VNM Hue Phu Bai, VNM I Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM Phu Bai, VNM Quang Tri, VNM Rao Trana, VNM Route 1, VNM Route 547, VNM RVN ARVN 3rd ID, VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN SVNAF Da Nang Airbase, VNM RVN SVNAF General Nguyen Kao Ki, VNM RVN SVNAF South Vietnamese Air Force, VNM Song Ho, VNM Tan Son Nhut Air Base, VNM US USMC/USA Phu Bai Combat Base (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975) Rating: ★★★ (3 Stars) Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Aviation.USAF.FAC Description: FACs (forward air controllers) in Vietnam flew low and slow, searching for signs of an elusive enemy. Often they trolled themselves as bait for the NVA troops to try to shoot down. When a friendly unit made contact, having a FAC overhead made their day, because the FACs controlled the bomb-, rocket-, and napalm-laden fast movers, fighter jets, and attack aircraft whose ordnance often made the difference between life and death. They were regarded by many of their air force and naval aviator brethren as insane, suicidal, or both. In addition to the perils of enemy fire which ranged from lucky AK-47 shots to .51 caliber machine guns and SA-7 shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, they had to watch out to keep from being blown up in a B-52 Arc-Light strike or knocked down by friendly artillery.

Review: Meh