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History of the Engagement
While on a sortie over Bosnia on March 26th, 1999 during Operation Allied Force, Captain Jeffrey C. J. Hwang identified two aircraft in violation of Bosnian airspace and NATO peace-keeping directives. After spotting the aircraft on radar, Hwang and his wingman, Captain J. “Boomer” McMurray, turned deeper into Bosnian airspace and assumed a position of disadvantage both to determine the intent of the other pilots and to avoid a confrontation along the border. But the Serbian aircraft continued to close in on the F-15Cs and NATO forces on the ground.
The F-15 pilot’s training then took over as he maneuvered to take a shot at the rapidly approaching aircraft.
Both Hwang (flying a Lakenheath AFB (LN) F-15C S/N 86-0156) and his wingman (flying a Lakenheath AFB (LN) F-15C S/N 84-0014) fired AIM-120 missiles. Later investigation revealed only Hwang’s two missiles had reached and destroyed the targets – two MiG-29s from the Serbian Air Force (one piloted by Major Slobodon Peric, who ejected safely; the other piloted by Captain First Class Radosavljevic, who was killed in action as a result).
Captain Hwang became the first pilot in combat aviation history to single-handedly and simultaneously destroy two enemy aircraft during a single intercept using radar-guided missiles. In recognition to his achievement, he was awarded the Mackay Trophy on September 14th, 2001 in Washington, D.C.
The aircraft flying as Hwang’s wingman during the shootdown (84-0014) later scored a kill during Operation Desert Storm. On March 20th, 1991, Captain John T. Donesky was credited with one Iraqi SU-22 kill with the same F-15 involved in this recording.
Dirk One (F-15C, Serial 86-0156)
– Pilot: Captain Jeffrey C. J. Hwang (Dirk1)
Dirk Two (F-15C, Serial 84-0014- Wingman
– Pilot: Captain J. “Boomer” McMurray (Dirk2)
Magic Seven-seven
– AWACs E-3 Sentry (Magic77)
Terms
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Bogey/Bandit- Enemy aircraft
Bullseye- Secret code for aircraft location
Given in a heading from center of bullseye, distance from center, altitude, and direction of flight
EX: 254 (heading), 45 (miles), 23 Thousand (altitude), Westbound (direction)
Fox Three- Announcement that an AIM-120 missile has been launched
Picture- Current situation (any threats around)
Splash- Enemy kill + the number (ex. Splash Two mean two enemy kills)
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Magic77- “All clean, Magic Seven-seven, Magic, clean, bulls, zero-three-zero, forty-five.
Magic77- “Magic break break. All clean. Magic, picture, bogey bulls zero-two-zero, forty-five, westbound, twenty thousand, radar track.”
Dirk1- “Verify contact there. Arm hot. Magic, Dirk, request purple onion.”
Magic77- “Standby.”
Dirk2- “Contact there.”
Dirk1- “(? walked on) two MiG-29’s.”
Dirk2- “One-four, forty-five, twenty-three thousand!”
Magic77- “Magic, the same contact, bogey, radar, twenty-two thousand.”
Dirk1- “Dirk Two, Threat hostile, hostile. Dirk Two, engage there. Bogey, bandit maneuvring northbound.”
Dirk2- “Two show’s same. Two’s engaged.”
Dirk1- “Press.”
Dirk2- “Zero-five-five, twenty-four BRA, twenty thousand.”
Dirk1- “Dirk come back in.”
Magic77- “Maneuvring north, twenty-four thousand. Magic has two contact.”
Dirk1- “Copy, two contacts there.”
Dirk2- “Fox Three!”
Magic??- “I have, ah, Frank Three-five up. That’s about it. It’s all yours. Ahw, he’s descending to two-three-zero, if he’s not there already.” (extranious comm, not related to incident. It is from an AWACs flight, a combat air controller is switching shifts, and his relief is giving him the picture. The recorder of this comm might have switched frequencies, and in the mean time, Dirk1 probably launched his 2 AIM-120s, since there is no mention of this till “Splash 2!”)
Magic77- “One bandit is turning hot. (?) Forty-one.”
Dirk2- “Eighteen thousand, nose eight miles.”
Dirk1- “Dirk One, tally one nose.”
Magic77- “He’s at, twenty-four thousand, southbound.”
Dirk1- “Splash Two! Splash Two! MiG-29! Bullseye, three-six-zero, thirty-six! ? radar.”
Magic77- “You copied the Splash Two?”
Dirk1- “A-firm, Splash Two!”
Magic77- “Eighty-five, picture clean, picture clean. Clean, give me the bogey’s position. Magic, roger, bulls zero-zero-five, thirty-five east bound.”
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