The MiG-23's pointed nose broke through the massive sound barrier, its wings adjusted to the maximum sweep angle like a flying shuttle. Pale purple flames shot out from the thick tail nozzle—the result of the afterburner working—and it quickly accelerated to its top speed.
Theoretically, the afterburner can only be sustained for three minutes at most; any longer, and the engine risks being burned out. Afterburning is, in essence, overdrawing the engine's lifespan.
Arslan didn't care about any of that. If he succeeded, he would be a hero who escaped the hunt of a Tomcat from within ten kilometers.
To be hunted and escape also makes one a hero because, until now, not a single Iraqi aircraft that engaged a Tomcat at such a distance has been spared.
In a flat-out race, the MiG-23 likely couldn't outrun an F-14, but the Iranian pilots had no interest in seeing who was faster.
In their eyes, this MiG that had ambushed them was already as good as dead.
They didn't engage their afterburners. Although the distance was currently widening, the weapon systems officer in the back seat had plenty of time to fire a missile.
"Radar in TWS mode, prepare the Phoenix," Abbas said.
TWS mode stands for Track While Scan. In this mode, the radar operates in pulse-Doppler search, tracking targets while scanning the surrounding airspace for other threats. It is a common method for operations deep in enemy territory, capable of tracking 24 targets simultaneously and using AIM-54s to attack 6 of them. In an ideal situation, a single Tomcat could deal with an entire enemy squadron.
Although the radar's operating range in TWS mode is usually shorter than its maximum search range—for instance, while its maximum search range for a 5-square-meter radar cross-section is 213 kilometers, its range in TWS mode is 167 kilometers—against a MiG only twenty kilometers away, this distance was negligible.
Because mechanical radars must rotate, in this mode, they complete one revolution every two seconds, meaning the radar display updates the target's position every two seconds.
Due to the scarcity of Phoenix missiles, for this mission, each aircraft was only equipped with one Phoenix, three Sparrows, and two Sidewinders. Although a Sparrow would have sufficed at this distance, Abbas decided to teach the opponent a severe lesson by using the most powerful Phoenix to take them down.
The weapon systems officer in the back seat immediately operated the radar with skill, locking onto the target that was attempting to break away and providing guidance data for the AIM-54 Phoenix missile. The launch preparations were completed quickly.
"Target locked," the weapon systems officer reported.
"Launch!" Abbas pressed the launch button without hesitation.
A Phoenix, trailing a tongue of fire, flew from the belly of the Tomcat and lunged toward the distant speck of light.
In the other Tomcat, Akbari also launched a Phoenix.
The AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missile is a heavy, long-range air-to-air missile system developed by the U.S. Navy, featuring long range, high power, and the ability to attack multiple targets simultaneously. Due to its massive size—each missile weighing a staggering 440 kilograms, nearly half a ton—it can only be carried by the Tomcat.
The Phoenix utilizes a large conical fuselage with four large triangular wings to provide lift and maintain stability. The tail section features four cruciform fins to control the flight direction. The missile is equipped with a conventional warhead containing 60 kilograms of high-explosive continuous-rod charges.
The Phoenix missile system uses different guidance modes throughout its flight. After launch, the missile automatically climbs to an altitude of 24,000 to 30,000 meters and flies at Mach 5. The initial phase follows a pre-programmed flight path, while the mid-course is guided semi-actively by the Tomcat's AWG-9 radar. When the missile enters the terminal guidance phase and its onboard radar system begins searching for the target, the missile will automatically dive. At this point, the missile strikes the target at an extremely high speed; even if the warhead fails to detonate, the kinetic energy alone is enough to destroy the enemy aircraft on impact.
Therefore, once hit by a Phoenix, there is almost no chance of survival.
While the AIM-54 Phoenix is standard equipment for the U.S. Navy's Tomcats, the Iranian Air Force has likely had the most opportunities to use it in actual combat.
The two Phoenixes had already reached high altitude. At this point, the distance between the two sides was 23 kilometers. At such a range, the Phoenix would only need to fly for a little over ten seconds.
The weapon systems officer in the back seat began to operate the radar steadily. On the 25.4 cm diameter cathode-ray tube Tactical Information Display (TID) in front of him, blips of light flashed continuously. With a scan time of two seconds per cycle, it would refresh six or seven times. Beside it, the 12.7 cm multi-mode storage tube displayed detailed information.
Fortunately, he was flying an improved model equipped with the Sirena-3 radar warning system. When Arslan heard the alarming warning sound in his headset, he knew he had been locked onto by the enemy.
Arslan knew that the ultimate test had arrived.
How could he escape the shadow of the Phoenix? After carefully studying various battles, Arslan discovered that among the few lucky escapes, two had involved a rapid dive from high altitude.
This indicated that while the opponent's radar was powerful, it also had weaknesses. Of course, whether this weakness truly existed remained to be proven by his own actions.
Arslan guessed that the opponent's radar would lose its target under certain conditions. This loss of lock would be most effective just as the Phoenix missile was launched and about to enter its No-Escape Zone.
So, he counted down in his mind, "Five, four, three, two, one..." He pushed the control stick forward, and the MiG-23 began to plummet at a near-vertical angle.
This maneuver was extremely dangerous; the slightest error could lead to a fatal stall spin.
However, only by diving could he achieve maximum maneuverability and cover the greatest distance in the shortest time, which might cause the opponent's radar to break its lock.
The Flogger began to tremble. The airspeed indicator approached the red zone, having already exceeded the top speed of Mach 2.4. If he continued, the fighter might disintegrate in mid-air.
The massive G-force caused Arslan indescribable discomfort, but he could endure it—and he had to.
To be a pilot, one must possess extraordinary physical fitness.
Abbas's weapon systems officer suddenly noticed that the blip on the radar had vanished.
The AWG-9 configuration was originally designed for high-speed interception against intruding strategic bombers. Although the radar used the advanced 8080 processor and programs written in 8-bit assembly language, the TWS (Track While Scan) mode was not entirely reliable. While effective against slow, low-maneuverability bombers, a fighter's violent maneuvers and rapid changes in position could easily cause the TWS mode to lose its lock.
If there were enough time, the AWG-9 radar could switch to Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM) mode, which could re-scan and find the target even through rolls and other complex maneuvers. Furthermore, the AIM-54 Phoenix missile has the capability to re-acquire a target mid-flight if new commands are uploaded to it for locking and attacking.
However, the distance was now too short to re-establish a lock. Consequently, the AIM-54 would switch to its active terminal homing mode. Limited by the small radar antenna in its seeker head, the self-guidance effectiveness was poor. If even the carrier's radar had lost the target, the Phoenix's radar had no hope of finding it; the opponent had already flown outside its fan-shaped scanning area. At this point, the AIM-54 Phoenix had become nothing more than an unguided rocket.
"Target lock broken. The Phoenix will initiate its self-destruct sequence in 20 seconds," the weapon systems officer reported.
"Switch radar to ACM and find that damn MiG," the pilot in the front seat said, beginning to maneuver the aircraft to accelerate.