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From: gabriele@riverdale.toronto.edu (Mark Gabriele )
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: The F-111 tragicomedy (was Re: B2 vs. F117A)
Message-ID: <1991Mar4.204930.4811@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 4 Mar 91 20:49:30 GMT
References: <1991Feb26.011655.5357@cbnews.att.com> <1991Feb28.050855.8085@cbnews.att.com>
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From: gabriele@riverdale.toronto.edu (Mark Gabriele )
[brief discussion of the F-111 saga omitted]

I was astonished to read in Tuesday's NYT about an F-111 that
encountered an Iraqi helicopter in flight and had *no* armament
suitable for dealing with it.  How can it be that a plane that is
ostensibly a *fighter* would have no cannon, no missiles, nothing?
Can anyone illuminate this for me?

(Note: the F-111 pilot thought fast and dropped a laser-guided 2000-lb 
BOMB on the helicopter - and actually hit it.  Amazingly effective, both
from a cost and kill standpoint, but hardly recommended dogfight procedure.
I can just hear the preflight briefing:  "Now if you've got to get into the
furball, make sure you're on top....")

=Mark (gabriele@hub.toronto.edu)