March 24, 13:45 - couple F-14 "Tomcat" from the squadron "Fighting Diamondbacks" cross so called "line of death." The pair flew 4.5 km altitude with almost zero parameter to the position of the ADS. Discovered at (D = 160 km)at 13.50-a the pair of F-14's was fired by a missile from each channel with 8 seconds interval (L-115 km height -4.5 km). 30 seconds later, the F-14 lowered to 2.5 km. 95 seconds after the start, the two missile met the target (D -100 km). Analysis of data from the cabin recorder shows that from the moment of the discovering of the target till the moment of the launches of the missiles, Libyan crew did not eliminate the uncertainty by distance (using data from the CU or the mode for measuring the distance of the complex itself).
Aftermath:
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Some "first look" impressions:
As the range of the actual engagement was at 120-100 km, program II of the missile flight was loaded
Russian source claims that there where seen signs of detonations on scopes in both shootings. Here US source stated that missiles where "long-range, high-altitude flight before crashing into the sea"... - as we know, no SAM missile(except earliest mods, not simulated in SAM Sim) is intended to finish it's flight on the ground. So they shouldn't finished their flight in such way UNLESS they where confused by the mirror reflection from the surface:
as there's no such jammer where stationed behind the pair of "Tomcat's" - this is not the case. If the jammer was of the F-14 itself, the missiles would not overflown it like described above...
So, such flight profile is possible only if GSN losses the target (which could be a result of non using the FKM/Nonius from Libian crew), but it should finished with a self destruction, not scuba diving... Another possible option is that in this particular case, missiles locked the signal from the "Hawkeye", or RPN lost the track after U-turn of F-14's... It is strange that in this US book, nor in the russian source any data for U-turn prior to the detection of launches has commenced (only diving to the ground) Also, russian source claims that the signs of hitting the targets where observed on radars from RTV and ZRK itself...
