Natanz: The Final Notice

by Jason Kramer

  Chapter 14

  Day 5: 0630Z: RAF Mildenhall: UK

  RAF Mildenhall is located in the English countryside of Suffolk about ninety kilometers northeast of London. It is surrounded by farmland and is away from the scrutiny of the public and anyone interested in the activities of the United States and the British Royal Air Forces. It was opened in the 1930s and was used by RAF Bomber Command during World War Two. It became a Joint RAF and USAF base of operations in 1950 for the Strategic Air Command to station USAF B-29 Super fortresses to meet the Soviet threat during the “Cold War”. It is the perfect place to pre-position the stealth fighters and supporting aircraft before sending the aircraft on their assigned missions. The five AFSOC aircraft from the “Blackbirds”, 23rd Special Operations Squadron of CV-22B Ospreys and the MC-130P arrived yesterday morning and the crews have rested for their flight to Joint Base Balad, today.

  “Reach 41, taxi Runway 11, via taxiway Charlie, Alpha, holding point Runway 11,” says the US Air Force air traffic controller working the Ground Control frequency.

  “Reach 41, Charlie, Alpha, holding point to Runway 11,” replies the Captain Hart, aircraft commander of the flight of five CV-22s that are departing for Joint Base Balad.

  The MC-130P that is supporting the Ospreys is in line behind them. The Ospreys still have their auxiliary internal long range fuel tanks installed in their cargo area so they will only have to do one in flight refueling with the MC-130P. The Osprey tilts the twin proprotors slightly forward to begin taxiing to Runway 11.

  When the CV-22s reach the holding line for Runway 11, the Ground Controller says, “Reach 41, Contact the Tower: 118.9.”

  “Roger, 118.9,” replies Captain Hart.

  “Tower, Reach 41, ready for departure Runway 11,” advises Captain Hart.

  “Reach 41, cleared for take-off Runway 11, wind, 130 at 10,” says the Tower Controller.

  Each Osprey in turn rotate their rotors back to the vertical position and begin its ascent with their three bladed twin rotors in the helicopter mode. As the aircraft begin to climb they transition to the airplane/cruise mode by rotating their proprotors towards the front of the wing for cruise flight. Ten hours from now, they will be touching down at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

  1200Z: Natanz: Iran

  Flying at an altitude of forty-five thousand feet over the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper UAV is loitering. It was able to sneak into the Iranian airspace because it cannot be seen by the Iranian Air Traffic Controllers. The Iranians have boasted that their integrated air defense system can see the American drones but they have to turn on the detection/acquisition and guidance radar units that are associated with their anti-aircraft batteries.

  This particular MQ-9 Reaper has the Lynx ER, a newer version of the AN/APY-8 sensor payload and multifunction Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). It is sending the images of the Natanz facility and area back via a command and control satellite data link to the pilot and sensor operator in the Ground Control Station at Joint Base Balad. These images are also being relayed back to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada to be evaluated and then sent to Air Combat Command at Langley.

  The Ground Moving Target Indication mode is recording the troop buildup at Natanz and the positions of the fixed anti aircraft batteries. At this altitude using the “Strip” Mode, it was able to able to record the entire infiltration/extraction route that the CV-22 Ospreys will fly from Iraq. It flew the same route through the mountain valleys to get into position over Natanz. The Reaper was able to identify numerous anti-aircraft positions adjacent to this route. This information will also be helpful to the American and Israeli attackers. The Reaper is able to loiter for nine hours before it will have to return to Joint Base Balad for servicing.

  1830Z: RAF Mildenhall: UK

  The flight crews of the two KC-10A Extenders from the 305th Air Mobility Wing from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ have completed their preflight preparations for their flight to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. They have accompanied the 28th Fighter Squadron F/22A Raptor fighters of the 1st Fighter Wing and are transporting the 1st Aircraft Maintenance Rapid Deployment Squadron from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The KC-10s will depart about an hour and half before the F-22s to give the stealth fighters a night time departure. The US Air Force Air Combat Command does not need to advertise their movements to anyone that maybe watching the base.

  As the KC-10 tankers taxi out for the runway, the pilots are going through their pre-departure checklists. The KC-10 Extender flight crews have flown to Incirlik Air Base many times and are familiar with the route across Europe.

  These tanker crews have not been in combat with an enemy that has such an advanced integrated air defense system as the Iranians claim to have. The flight crews are a little nervous because they will be called upon to perform numerous night aerial refueling for the American and Israeli fighters, before and after their bombing missions. Other tanker aircraft from their wing at Joint Base McGuire will also be in the theater with other assigned aircraft to refuel.

  The crews try to put these thoughts out of their minds and get involved with their immediate task and that is to arrive at the Incirlik Air Base tonight. They will need to get some good rest before the coming battle. The first KC-10A is cleared to taxi into position for takeoff on Runway 11. When the Tower Controller clears it for takeoff, the gigantic KC-10, full of jet fuel, slowly begins its roll down the runway. It slowly rotates the nose up and a few seconds later lifts off the ground, retracts the landing gear and climbs to three thousand feet. The RAF Mildenhall Tower Controller instructs the crew to contact Suffolk Radar. The Extender flight crew checks in with Suffolk Radar and they are given an initial climb to Flight Level 150. Suffolk Radar clears the flight on the planned departure route towards the coast of Belgium. Fifteen minutes later, the second KC-10A departs RAF Mildenhall on the same flight planned route.

  1900Z: Pope Air Force Base: North Carolina

  A US Air Force C-21A, Learjet, touches down at Pope Air Force Base, adjacent to Fort Bragg in the foothills of North Carolina. General Matthews and the two Israeli commandos remained in Washington last night to work out the final details of their plan. They also wanted to personally get the latest intelligence reports from the CIA.

  They are met by Captain Stanley Ray of the US Army’s Delta Forces “B” Squadron. Introductions are brief so that Captain Ray and his team can get the Israelis prepared for their five thousand mile flight to the United States Naval Air Station at Sigonella, Sicily, tonight, in the 437th Operations Group C-17B Globemaster III. The giant C-17 just flew in from Joint Base Charleston. General Matthews had called his office at Fort Bragg and ordered the “B” Squadron to get ready to deploy immediately.

  Captain Ray and the “B” Squadron are just about ready to board the C-17 and are doing a final check of their equipment. General Matthews gives a final update and instructions.

  “Captain, you will meet up with the 8th Special Operations Squadron CV-22s at Joint Base Balad, the day after tomorrow. You will meet Colonel Raymond and his men when you stop at NAS Sigonella. He and his men should arrive there about two hours after your flight lands. These men, referring to the two Israeli commandos, will give you a full briefing on your flight tonight. They will help you identify Colonel Raymond’s men and Israeli hostages when you get to Natanz. I do not need to tell you how important this mission is, Captain. Do you have any questions?”

  “No Sir,” replies Captain Ray.

  “Good Luck!” says General Matthews.

  Captain Ray salutes General Matthews and walks up the rear loading ramp of the C-17 with the “B” Squadron and the Israelis. He performs one last check of his men and equipment and then informs the C-17 Loadmaster that he is ready to depart. The Loadmaster calls the pilots on the interphone and closes the loading ramp. The C-17 flight crew receives their clearance from Pope Ground Control and taxis out for departure. It’s going to be a very long night and a to
ugh, next few days.

  2000Z: Mildenhall: UK

  The 28th Fighter Squadron of F-22A Raptors is one of the oldest US Air Force fighter squadrons in the United States. It was the first operational squadrons to fly the stealth fighter/bomber. The squadron has been deployed for many secret missions that have been classified as this one will be. The 28th Fighter Squadron was the first choice for such a dangerous and important mission. The Iranian Air Defenses is believed to be one of the best in the Middle East and it has a large but old Air Force.

  The pilots of the 28th Fighter Squadron finish their squadron briefing from their Commanding Officer, Major Mike Tippets. Major Tippets was one of the first Air Force pilots to fly the F-22, Raptor.

  “Today’s flight will involve at least one night time aerial refueling as we transit European airspace. The squadron will spend forty-eight hours at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. We will brief our attack plans once we have received the final orders from the President. Our ground crews will be waiting for us when we arrive tonight. If we get the green light, after the first attack, we will be using Joint Base Balad, Iraq, for fuel and weapons replenishment. Maintain radio silence; I will be the only one speaking to the Euro Control and the Istanbul Air Traffic Controllers. Do you have any questions?”

  No one answers because they have operated together many times in the past. These men understand their duty and this mission.

  “OK, let’s get going.” The twelve pilots grab their gear and are taken to their aircraft on the flight line.

  2100Z: Hatzerim Air Base: Southern Israel

  In the Negev desert just west of the town of Be’er Sheba in southern Israel, the Israeli Air Force’s Hatzerim Airbase is the home to one F-16i Sufa (Storm) and three F-15i Ra’am (Thunder) fighter squadrons. It has a pair of three thousand meters parallel runways and another shorter runway for student aviator training. The elevation of the airport is approximately seven hundred feet mean sea level and the terrain around the Hatzerim Airbase is flat.

  The F-16i Sufa Storm is a two seat derivative of the highly successful Block 50/52 that has been a very important fighter aircraft in the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The most notable difference is the addition of the Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT) that is mounted on top of the wing close to the fuselage. These removable fuel tanks will extend the range of the F-16i Sufa by 50%. The additional centerline and wing tanks give the Sufa a combat radius of approximately eleven hundred nautical miles (2000km).

  The F-16i is powered by a Pratt and Whitney F-100- PW229 Increased Performance Engine. This increased powered engine and heavy duty landing gear has allowed an increase in the takeoff weight. Unlike any other F-16 from the General Dynamics Company, the Sufa is equipped with an advance avionics package that the Israeli company Elbit has developed. It also has the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-68(v) 9 multimode radar systems and an advanced weapons system hardware that will allow the Sufa to track and engage multiple air to air targets.

  The McDonnell Douglas F-15i is the most advanced version of the F-15 fighter jet that has ever been produced. It is a long range, all weather two seat fighter/bomber that is capable of low level altitude night time penetrations. The Ra’am is equipped with the advanced Hughes APG-70 Synthetic Aperture Radar. It can track ground targets in the day or night even in adverse weather. Like the F-16i, it has a Lantirn navigation and guidance pod with a FLIR and laser designator, a Kaiser holographic Heads-Up Display and the pilots wear the Elbit display and sight helmet (DASH) system. These particular F-15s have been specially modified with a centerline pylon mounting to accept the 7.6 meter long GBU-28 Bunker Buster. These fighters are equipped with a satellite communications system by Elta in addition to the Rafael UHF/VHF/HF radio package. They are able to maintain long range direct communications with their base operations for any updates.

  The F-16i Sufa and the F-15i Ra’am have some other very unique modifications that were added by the Israelis to enhance the aircraft’s performance and the pilots’ abilities to fight. They will need all these features to fly undetected into Iranian airspace and bomb the nuclear enrichment plants.

  Some say that the (i) stands for Iran but the IAF insists that it stands for Israel.

  Since their flight into Iran will involve transiting Iraqi and Saudi airspace, the US Air Force tankers will be conducting the aerial refueling. Most of the flight inside Iran to be flown at treetop level, so these aircraft will using more fuel and will have to refuel before entering and exiting Iranian airspace.

  But tonight, these eight aircraft are preparing to depart from Hatzerim Airbase for the United States Naval Air Station at Sigonella, Sicily to practice a nighttime aerial refueling with a US Air Force KC-10A over the Mediterranean Sea. The distance to United States Naval Air Station at Sigonella, Sicily is approximately the same distance that the Israeli F-16s and F-15s will have to fly from Israel to Natanz, Qom, Arak, Darkhovin and Isfahan. They are also planning to take delivery of six additional GBU-28s at NAS Sigonella and return to Hatzerim Airbase in the morning.

  Major Ira Levine is the Commander of the 68th Squadron at Hatzerim Airbase. He has been an IAF officer for twenty years and has flown most of the fighter aircraft that the Israeli Air Force has operated during his career. He has over five thousand flight hours and fifteen hundred hours in the F-16C/D and F-16i. Major Levine is the most experienced pilot flying the Sufa “Storm”.

  The flight that he and his wingman will make tonight is a mission that he is very familiar with. They will escort the six F-15i fighters tonight. His squadron’s F-16i are armed with two Rafael Python 5 air to air missiles, two AMRAAMS (AIM-120C) Radar guided missiles, a 20 mm multi barrel Vulcan cannon, the Itald (Improved tactical air launched decoy system) and an electronic warfare system. These pilots have practiced this operation many times over the past 3 years.

  Major Levine completes the briefing and the eight pilots and their eight weapons operators are driven out to their aircraft sitting in their protective concrete revetments on the ramp. The ground crew members have prepared their aircraft and are very proud of their airplanes as their pilots perform the preflight inspections. They line up and salute the pilots as each aircraft receives its clearance to taxi to the runway. The crews will wait for the fighters to return home in about seven hours. They have done this exercise many times before and these preparations have become almost a routine.

  The flight of eight IAF fighters taxi to Runway 12 Left, two at a time. Major Levine’s and his wingman are the first to taxi into position for take-off.

  When the two F-16 fighters are cleared for take-off, their afterburners light up, brakes are released and the two aircraft begin accelerating down the runway. Then the six F-15i aircraft are cleared to move onto the runway in a similar way.

  The flight departs Hatzerim Air Base to the north towards GITLA intersection to form up on Major Levine’s wing. The flight turns towards the northwest to intercept the airway: UM 872. They are using this route to avoid the Sinai Desert and the Egyptian airspace. They are flying at a low altitude and a tight formation until out of radar coverage of the North African countries. Later in the flight; they will climb to a higher altitude for the refueling exercise.

  As the flight approaches KAROL Intersection, Major Levine requests Flight Level 280 from Nicosia Control. When he receives the clearance, he begins to climb to his assigned altitude with the other fighters monitoring the frequency and following his lead.

  Flying at Flight Level 280, “Reach 28”, the call sign for a USAF K-10 Extender, has requested a block altitude from FL260 to FL300 at DEMAG Intersection from Athena Control. DEMAG is approximately seven hundred and fifty nautical miles from Hatzerim Air Base. This is approximately the same distance to a point from Hatzerim Air Base that the IAF F-16i and F-15i fighters will need to be refueled before entering Iranian airspace when they attack Natanz and the other nuclear facilities. “Reach 28” begins to fly a refueling race track pattern at three hundred knots indicated airspeed waiting for t
he flight of Israeli fighters to arrive.