The Hunter fighter became, perhaps, the most successful British jet fighter in the 50-70s in terms of its characteristics and commercially successful on the foreign market. In terms of the number of British combat jet aircraft sold to foreign customers, the Hunter could only compete with the Canberra front-line jet bomber, which was serially built at the same time as it. The Hunter demonstrated an example of rare longevity, becoming one of the symbols of the British aircraft industry.
In 1950, the British Royal Air Force, part of the UN Forces, in Korea faced Soviet MiG-15 jet fighters. The piston fighters "Sea Fury" and jet "Meteor", which were at the disposal of the British at that time, could not fight on equal terms with the MiGs. In addition, the test of a nuclear charge in the USSR on August 29, 1949 and the launch of production of long-range Tu-4 bombers put Great Britain in a very difficult situation. In general, the British were quite satisfied with the American jet fighter F-86 Saber, but national pride and the desire to support their own aviation industry did not allow the purchase of Sabers, although the Americans were ready to help in establishing licensed construction of this rather successful fighter.
Since 1948, Hawker has been working on creating a fighter with a swept wing and transonic speed. According to the plan of the chief designer of Hawker, Sydney Camm, the new British fighter, due to its longer range and more powerful weapons, with comparable speed and maneuverability characteristics, was to surpass the American rival. At first, the main task of the fighter was seen as the fight against Soviet bombers. British strategists, based on the experience of World War II, assumed that interceptors, aimed at commands of ground radars, would meet enemy bombers at a considerable distance from the coast. However, the events in Korea and the sharply increased characteristics of combat aircraft made adjustments to these plans, and the rather unhurried research at Hawker had to be dramatically accelerated, and as subsequent events showed, the main task of the projected aircraft was by no means the fight against low-speed and low-maneuverable bombers.
The Hawker fighter was an all-metal monoplane with a mid-swept wing and one turbojet engine. The sweep angle of the wing is 40 degrees along the line of the quarter-chords, the elongation coefficient is 3, 3, the relative thickness of the profile is 8, 5%. There were air intakes at the root of the wing. The aircraft had a retractable landing gear with a front wheel. The fuselage is of the semi-monocoque type, made of aluminum alloys.
From the very beginning, representatives of the Air Force insisted on armament, consisting of four 20-mm cannons. But the designers of the company were able to convince the military that the latest 30-mm air cannon "Aden" (the British version of the Mauser MG 213 cannon) would make the fighter much more effective against air targets. And although subsequently the Hunter did not have to conduct air battles very often, powerful artillery weapons came in handy when performing strike missions. The ammunition load was very solid and amounted to 150 rounds per barrel.
In the fall of 1950, Hawker received an order from the Royal Air Force command to speed up work and to launch a new, still flightless fighter into serial production as soon as possible. However, despite the increased pace of design, the prototype, known as the R. 1067, took off only on July 20, 1951.
Tests were conducted at RAF airbases Boscombe Down, Dunsfold and Farnborough. In general, the prototype made a favorable impression on the military and testers and even participated in the traditional air parade at Farnborough. Soon the plane, which had flown a little over 11 hours, was returned to the factory for revision. After replacing the prototype engine with the serial Avon RA.7 and making changes to the tail unit in April 1952, the aircraft took off again. During tests in level flight, it was possible to reach a speed of 0.98 M, and on a dive, accelerate to 1.06 M. In May 1952, the second prototype broke away from the factory strip, which, taking into account the comments and changes, was supposed to become the standard for production fighters. The second prototype received a more comfortable, ergonomic and spacious cabin. They also decided on the name of the aircraft; it went down in aviation history as "Hunter" ("Hunter"). At the end of November, the third prototype took off. It was built with the risk of losing the first two aircraft in mind during testing, but luckily for the British test pilots and engineers, everything went smoothly.
After the Hunter successfully completed the flight test cycle, the aircraft was put into production at three British factories at once. Hawker assembled Hunter F.1 fighters with a Rolls-Royce Avon RA.7 turbojet engine with a thrust of 3400 kg in Blackpool and Kingston. In early 1954, the first 20 F.1 production fighters were handed over to the Air Force. All of them were used only for familiarization flights and to identify weaknesses in the structure. In fact, the first production aircraft were in trial operation and were not involved in combat service. A little later, with a delay of almost 10 months, the combat units began to receive the Hunter F.2 fighters, built at the Armstrong-Whitworth company in Coventry, with the Sapphire ASSa.6 turbojet engine with a thrust of 3600 kg. A total of 194 fighters of modifications F.1 and F.2 were assembled.
Until about the middle of 1954, the identification and elimination of "childhood diseases" went on, in parallel, new, more advanced modifications were created. On September 7, 1953, a world speed record of 1164.2 km / h was set on the extremely lightweight Hunter F.3 model with a forced engine with a thrust of 4354 kg and improved aerodynamics. However, this modification was originally developed as a record and was not mass-produced. The first variant of a fighter suitable for combat service was the F.4.
Its construction began in October 1954. On the F.4 modifications, a number of improvements and innovations were introduced to improve combat and operational characteristics. The most important difference from previous models was the appearance of pylons for dropping fuel tanks, bombs or missiles and an increase in internal fuel reserves. To ensure the possibility of safe salvo firing from four guns, based on the results of the operation of the F.1 and F.2 models, the ventral artillery mount was modified, strengthening the carriage, and to prevent damage to the aircraft skin by discarded cartridge cases and belt links, a special container was introduced to collect them. On the F.4 modifications, they began to install the improved Avon 121 engine, which was less prone to surge when firing. A total of 365 fighters of this modification were built at two factories.
The placement of all artillery weapons on one quick-detachable gun carriage turned out to be very successful. This made it possible to significantly speed up the preparation of the aircraft for a repeated combat mission. The carriage with the exhausted ammunition was dismantled, and instead of it another, pre-equipped, was suspended. It took less than 10 minutes to complete. The aircraft had a fairly simple sighting equipment: a radio range finder to determine the distance to the target and a gyroscopic sight.
The RAF had a very unusual approach to pilot training. Launching a new fighter in series, the leadership of the Air Force completely lost sight of the training of flight personnel. Pilots of "Hunter" preliminarily trained on obsolete airplanes with a straight wing: "Vampire Trainer" T.11 and "Meteor" T.7, after which they immediately transferred to combat fighters. Naturally, this situation led to a large number of flight accidents. A few years after the start of serial production of the fighter, on October 11, 1957, the two-seat training "Hunter" T.7 took off. The aircraft was distinguished by a reinforced wing, a composition of weapons truncated to 1-2 cannons, and a two-seater cockpit with pilots positioned side-by-side.
Most of the two-seater Hunters were not rebuilt, but converted from F.4 fighters. Over time, one TCB T.7 appeared in each squadron of the British "Hunters". A total of 73 training aircraft were built for the RAF. The export version of the TCB received the designation T.66.
"Hunter" T.7
In 1956, the F.6 modification went into production. It was already a full-fledged combat aircraft with an acceptable level of technical reliability. After the introduction of the Avon 200 engine with a thrust of 4535 kg, it was possible to finally defeat surging in all flight modes. Due to the increase in the thrust-to-weight ratio of the aircraft, the maximum flight speed increased, reaching a value of 0.95 M, the climb rate and ceiling increased. On the Hunter F.6, significant changes were made to the handling and overall improved aerodynamics of the car. Also, due to the introduction of special compensators at the ends of the cannon barrels, it was possible to increase the firing accuracy. F.6 modification fighters received new radio equipment. By the end of 1957, 415 Hunter F.6 fighters had been built in Britain, and some of the earlier versions were also converted into this modification.
Hunter F.6
Many potential foreign customers liked the fighter with extremely powerful weapons, which at that time had good flight data. Pilots of average skill could fly freely on the "Hunter", the design was well thought-out and thoroughly British. The real commercial success came after a series of overseas tours and military trials in the Middle East, the United States and Switzerland. The high combat potential of the "Hunter" was noted by the famous American test pilot Ch. Yeager. This led to the fact that the Americans allocated money to establish licensed production of a British fighter in Belgium and Holland. By the end of 1959, 512 Hunter F.4 and F.6 were built in these two countries. Especially for Sweden, on the basis of the F.4, Hawker developed an export version of the F.50. This machine differed from the British "four" in the wing profile, the Avon 1205 engine and the Swedish avionics. Already during operation, the Swedes adapted the Hunters for the suspension of Rb 324 and Sidewinder missiles.
"Hunter" F.50 Swedish Air Force
In 1955, the Hunter F.4, decommissioned in Great Britain, was purchased by Peru. A batch of 16 aircraft underwent refurbishment and partial re-equipment. The aircraft received the designation F.52 and differed from the base version in American navigation equipment. In 1956, Denmark received 30 fighters of the F.51 modification. Unlike the machines intended for Sweden, these aircraft were fitted with the Avon 120 turbojet engine and British-made avionics. India became one of the largest buyers of the Hunter. In 1957, this country ordered 160 F.56 Hunter aircraft, which differed from the British Six by the presence of a brake parachute. From 1966 to 1970, India also purchased fifty model FGA.56A fighter-bombers, close to the FGA.9 modification, which will be discussed below. In 1957, the Hunter F.6 won the competition for a new fighter in Switzerland. It is noteworthy that in addition to the British car, it was attended by: "Saber" Canadian production, Swedish J-29 and MiG-15, assembled in Czechoslovakia. The victory in the Swiss competition subsequently had the most favorable effect on Hunter's export orders. Switzerland received 100 fighters in total. After the delivery of 12 F.6s from the Royal Air Force, according to the updated requirements of the Swiss Air Force, construction of the improved F.58 began. In the alpine republic itself, fighters have undergone a number of improvements. They were equipped with bombsights and Sidewinder air combat missiles. In the 70s, the Avon 203 turbojet engine was replaced by the Avon 207. Since 1982, within the framework of the program to radically increase the combat capabilities of the Hunter-80, the aircraft received a radar warning system and blocks for shooting heat traps. Modification of the suspension assemblies and avionics made it possible to use modern aviation weapons: BL-755 cluster bombs, AGM-65B air-to-surface guided missiles and GBU-12 corrected bombs.
"Hunters" of the aviation group "Swiss Patrol"
For a long time, the Swiss Patrol aerobatics group flew in Hunters in Switzerland. Operation of the British "Hunters" in the Alpine Republic continued until the mid-90s, they were decommissioned due to the end of the Cold War after an agreement was reached on the purchase of F / A-18 Hornets in the United States.
In the English units of the "first line" service "Hunters" was not too long. To effectively combat Soviet bombers, the aircraft clearly lacked its own radar and guided missiles. In addition, already in the mid-60s, the fighter began to lag behind the new bombers in maximum speed. This led to the fact that already in 1963, all British "Hunters" were withdrawn from Germany. But taking into account the fact that the resource of most machines of later modifications was still very significant, it was decided to adapt them for other needs. As part of the alternative use of obsolete fighters, the 43 F.6 was converted into the FR.10 photo reconnaissance aircraft. For this, instead of a radio range finder, three cameras were installed in the bow, and armor appeared under the cockpit floor.
For the Navy at the beginning of the 60s, 40 fighters of the F.4 modification were turned into the GA.11 deck trainers. At the same time, the guns were removed from the aircraft, and the wing of the aircraft was reinforced. Four pylons were left to accommodate weapons. The radio range finder and navigation radio direction finder were dismantled from the vehicles. As a result, the aircraft became much lighter and more maneuverable. Disarmed fighters were used to perform a wide range of tasks: simulating landing on an aircraft carrier and during training bombing and firing of NAR.
"Hunter" GA.11
Very often, these aircraft were depicted in the exercises of a simulated enemy and were used to calibrate the radar stations of warships. Several naval Hunters were converted into PR scouts. 11 A, their forward fuselage was made similar to the FR.10. By analogy with the T7 trainer used in the Air Force, the T.8 modification was created for the Navy.
"Hunter" T.8
This two-seater vehicle was equipped with a brake hook and was used to practice takeoff and landing from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Some of the vehicles received a complex of avionics of the Bakenir carrier-based bomber. After the Royal Navy abandoned full-fledged aircraft carriers, the Hunters were used for a long time as flying laboratories for testing various electronic systems and weapons. In the British Navy, the training "Hunters" served until the beginning of the 90s and were decommissioned at the same time as the Bachenir bombers.
In 1958, the Royal Air Force assigned Hawker to design a specialized strike modification. The aircraft, designated FGA.9, featured a new reinforced four-pylon wing, and took off for the first time on 3 July 1959. Dropped fuel tanks with a capacity of 1045 liters or bombs, NAR and tanks with napalm weighing up to 2722 kg could be suspended on the pylons. A total of 100 vehicles were converted for the British Air Force.
Due to the heavier wing and the presence of hardpoints, the flight performance of the shock Hunters deteriorated somewhat. So, the maximum speed dropped to 0.92 M, and with the suspension of four tanks, it was 0.98 M. But at the same time, the shock capabilities of the still not old car significantly increased, which significantly extended the life of the British "Hunters" in the changed conditions. The main armament of the FGA.9, in addition to the guns, was the NAR. Initially, beams were installed for 76-mm unguided rockets from the Second World War, later blocks with 68-mm Matra missiles became standard.
The strike modification FGA.9 enjoyed no less, and maybe even more, popularity in the foreign market than a pure fighter. For conversion into a fighter-bomber, Hawker even bought up the decommissioned Hunters in Belgium and the Netherlands in the 1960s. Impact Hunter FGA.9 cost after repair and modernization in 1970 was 500,000 pounds sterling. Impact modifications intended for export, as a rule, were equipped with the Avon 207 turbojet engine and a reinforced wing. In addition to FGA.9, there were also purely export versions: FGA.59, FGA.71, FGA.73, FGA.74 FGA.76, FGA.80. The aircraft differed in engine type, equipment and armament composition in accordance with national preferences. Along with the fighter-bombers, photographic reconnaissance aircraft based on the Hunter were exported. In Chile, they sold six FR.71A, and in the UAE, three FR.76A.
The geography of supplies was very wide. Iraq was the largest recipient of the Hunter strike, with 42 FGA.59 and FGA.59A and four FGA.59B scouts. The second place is taken by Singapore, which received 38 FGA.74, FGA.74A and FGA.74B in the late 60s. Also, the modernized "Hunters" were in service in Chile, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Kenya, Lebanon, Oman, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe.
"Hunter" FGA.74, Singapore Air Force
The combat biography of the Hunters was very eventful. For the first time, British fighters of this type were used during the 1956 Suez Crisis to escort Canberra bombers. In 1962, the Hunters carried out assault strikes against the rebels in Brunei. From 1964 to 1967, 30 FGA.9 and FR.10 fought in Yemen against the rebels. The airstrikes mainly used the old 76-mm NAR and 30-mm cannons. Combat work was carried out with great intensity, British aircraft often made 8-10 sorties per day. The Hunters operated at extremely low altitudes, and several aircraft were lost to small arms fire. As a rule, the hydraulic system was affected, and the pilot was forced to eject, or make an emergency landing. Despite the local successes achieved as a result of the bombing, the British lost the campaign in Yemen and left this country in 1967. In 1962, the British FGA.9 of the 20th Squadron took part in an officially undeclared war against Indonesia. Aircraft deployed on Labuan Island raided guerrilla-occupied villages in Borneo. In August 1963, the British Air Force Hunters counteracted an Indonesian amphibious assault. The British were seriously afraid of the MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighters delivered from the USSR. Fighting ended in 1966 following the overthrow of President Sukarno in a military coup.
In the Middle East, the Hunters, since 1966, have had a chance to take part in clashes with Israel and in numerous civil strife. The fighters of the Jordanian Air Force were the first to enter the battle on November 11. Inadvertently raised to intercept six Israeli Mirage IIICJs four "Hunter" got involved in a hopeless air battle, losing the fighter of Lieutenant Salti, the pilot was killed. Later, a series of air battles with Mirages took place. It was reported that during the battle, one Mirage was damaged and subsequently crashed. In 1967, during the Six Day War, Jordanian Hunters were involved in attacks on Israeli airfields. During the retaliatory bombing, at the cost of the loss of one Israeli aircraft, all 18 fighter-bombers in the Jordanian Air Force were destroyed. In the period from 1971 to 1975, Jordan acquired in different countries several parties of "Hunter" in an amount sufficient to form a squadron. In 1972, during the border conflict with Syria, one plane was lost to anti-aircraft fire. On November 9, 1972, a coup d'etat was attempted in Jordan, while the Hunter pilot, Captain Mohammed Al-Khatib, who sided with the putschists, tried to intercept the helicopter with King Hussein, but was shot down by F-104 fighters, whose pilots remained loyal to the king.
Iraqi FGAs also suffered heavy casualties in 1967. 59. From the very beginning, the situation was unfavorable for the Arabs. The Israeli Air Force managed to destroy a significant part of the aircraft of the Arab coalition at the airfields and gain air supremacy. During the air battles, Iraqi Hunters shot down two Vautour IINs and one Mirage IIICJ, while losing two aircraft. During the next war in 1973, Iraqi Hunters, together with the Su-7B, bombed Israeli strongholds and airfields. According to Iraqi data, the Hunters managed to shoot down several Skyhawks and Super Misters in aerial combat, while five aircraft were shot down by Mirages and two by anti-aircraft guns. The surviving Iraqi Hunters after 1973 were regularly used to bomb the Kurds in the north of the country. By 1980, about 30 vehicles remained in service, and they took part in the war with Iran. In 1991, several Iraqi "Hunters" were still flying into the air; the heavily worn-out machines were no longer of combat value and were used for training flights. They were all destroyed during Desert Storm.
The longest among the Middle Eastern countries, "Hunters" served in Lebanon. For the first time, the Lebanese "Hunters" went into battle in 1967. On June 6, 1967, two Lebanese aircraft were shot down by Israeli anti-aircraft gunners during a reconnaissance flight over Galilee. In 1973, there were 10 "Hunters" in Lebanon, of course they could not withstand the Israeli Air Force and were quickly destroyed. In 1975, nine more vehicles of various modifications were purchased to make up for the losses. "Hunters" took an active part in the battles in 1983 against the armed formations of the Druze. Since all Lebanese airfields were destroyed, the aircraft flew combat flights from the highway 30 km from Beirut. It is known about two downed "Hunters", one was hit by ZU-23 fire, another fighter-bomber was hit by "Strela-2" in the engine nozzle. Several more vehicles were seriously damaged, but were able to return. The last two Lebanese Hunters were decommissioned in 2014.
Indian Hunters were first deployed in combat in 1965 during the Indo-Pakistani War. Prior to that, in 1961, fighters recently received from Great Britain covered the entry of Indian troops into the Portuguese colony of Goa. During the Indian offensive in Kashmir in September 1965, the Hunters carried out bombing and assault strikes on the airfields and positions of the Pakistani troops, and also provided air defense. In the 1965 conflict, which lasted three weeks, India lost 10 Hunters in aerial combat with Pakistani F-86 and F-104 fighters and from anti-aircraft fire, while the Indians shot down 6 Pakistani planes.
The Hunters played a very prominent role during the next war with Pakistan in 1971. Thanks to the good cooperation between the Air Force and the Indian ground forces, as well as the competent use of powerful armored fists, the war ended with a crushing defeat for Pakistan, as a result of which East Pakistan became an independent state of Bangladesh.
At that time, the Indian Air Force already had more than a hundred "Hunters"; aircraft of six squadrons were involved in the fighting. Using a powerful battery, consisting of four 30-mm cannons, and unguided missiles, fighter-bombers smashed Pakistani military bases, fuel and lubricants and ammunition storage facilities, railway stations, radar stations and airfields, and also paralyzed enemy communications. In this conflict, "Hunters" showed themselves well in the fight against armored vehicles. However, the losses were also significant, Pakistani fighters and anti-aircraft artillery, according to Indian data, managed to shoot down 14 aircraft. The main losses "Hunters" suffered in air battles with the F-86, J-6 (Chinese version of the MiG-19) and "Mirage-3". In turn, the Hunter pilots shot down three Sabers and one J-6. More than half of Indian fighter-bombers were hit by Sidewinder guided missiles. The significant losses of the Hunters are explained by the fact that the Indian pilots, focused on striking the ground, were poorly prepared for air combat and did not have guided air-to-air missiles.
After the victory in the War of Independence of Bangladesh, the fighting career of the Hunters did not end. The aircraft were regularly involved in assault strikes during numerous armed incidents on the Indo-Pakistani border. In the summer of 1991, the last Indian combat squadron surrendered its single-seat FGA.56 and training T.66 and moved to the MiG-27, but as target towing Hunters in the Indian Air Force were used until the end of the 90s.
In 1962, armed clashes broke out between government forces and the Bedouins in the Sultanate of Oman. For 12 years, the troops of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman, supported by South Yemen, managed to take control of most of the country, and Sultan Qaboos turned to the UK, Kuwait and Jordan for armed assistance. Two dozen "Hunters" of various modifications were delivered from these countries. Foreign pilots took part in combat missions. Soon the fighting took on a fierce character, the "Hunters" were opposed by the ZSU "Shilka", 12, 7-mm DShK, 14, 5-mm ZGU, 23-mm and 57-mm towed anti-aircraft guns and MANPADS "Strela-2". At least four Hunters were shot down and several were decommissioned as unrecoverable. In late 1975, thanks to foreign aid, the rebels were driven out of Oman. "Hunters" were in service in this country until 1988.
The first on the African continent to enter the battle "Hunters" of the Air Force of Rhodesia. As of 1963, there were 12 FGAs in this country. 9. They actively targeted both rebel-held Rhodesian territory and camps in Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. Rhodesian "air hunters" in local aviation workshops have been re-equipped with the aim of using modern, highly effective cluster munitions in the tropical jungle. During the raids on Zambia, the Hunters accompanied the Canberra bombers, as they feared interception by the Zambian MiG-17s. Despite the fact that the partisans had at their disposal anti-aircraft guns of 12, 7-mm, 14, 5-mm, 23-mm and Strela-2 MANPADS, only two Hunter were shot down by anti-aircraft fire, although the planes repeatedly returned from combat damage.
In 1980, a black majority came to power, and Rhodesia was renamed Zimbabwe. At the same time, the Air Force added five "Hunters" donated by Kenya. Soon, the guerrilla leaders did not share power, and civil war broke out in the country again, and the Zimbavian "Hunters" again began to bomb the jungle and long-suffering villages. In July 1982, the rebels attacked Thornhill airfield, and several vehicles were destroyed. Nevertheless, in Zimbabwe, "Hunters" were actively used until the end of the 80s.
Chilean fighters became famous in September 1973 when the Hunters launched several strikes on the La Moneda Palace in downtown Santiago during a military coup. As a result, this most negatively affected the combat readiness of the Air Force of Chilean combat aircraft. After the assassination of President Salvador Allende, the British government imposed a spare parts embargo that lasted until 1982. In the mid-80s, part of the Chilean "Hunters" underwent refurbishment and modernization. Radar radiation warning sensors and heat trap shooting units were installed on the aircraft. This made it possible to extend the service life until the beginning of the 90s.
Created for use as an air defense interceptor "Hunter" quickly became obsolete. The use in this incarnation was hampered by two circumstances: the absence on board the radar and guided missiles as part of the armament. But the aircraft had many indisputable advantages: ease of control, simple and solid construction, unpretentiousness to the basing conditions, good maintainability, high climb rate and powerful armament. The strong point of the subsonic aircraft was the ability to conduct a maneuverable defensive battle with more modern fighters. All this, at a relatively low cost, made it an almost ideal strike aircraft for the poor countries of the Third World.
LTH "Hunter" FGA.9
At present, all Hunters have been withdrawn from the air forces of the countries where they were in service. However, this does not mean at all that the aircraft's flight biography has come to an end. Many more "Hunters" of various modifications are in private hands. The Hunters regularly perform demonstration flights at various air shows. Moreover, aircraft of this type are used in the process of combat training of the US armed forces.
In the past decade, the United States has seen a rapid growth in private companies specializing in the provision of training and education services for the American and foreign military. Several private companies are known to operate foreign-made aircraft for use in military exercises and various training sessions (more details here: American private military aircraft companies).
ATAS "Hunter" F.58
One of the largest and most popular companies is ATAS (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company). The company was founded by former high-ranking military personnel and pilots of the Air Force and Navy. ATAS owns mainly aircraft built in the 70s and 80s. Winged machines bought for a reasonable price in different countries, despite their age, are in good technical condition and, as a rule, have a significant residual resource. In addition to other foreign combat aircraft, the American aviation company has several Hunters in its fleet. These machines were bought all over the world and restored in the company's repair shops. At the same time, together with the aircraft, a set of certified consumables and spare parts was purchased, this, combined with the painstaking work of technical personnel, allows for trouble-free operation.
In the exercises of the Navy, ILC, Air Force and Air Defense units of the US Ground Forces, "Hunters" usually depict enemy attack aircraft trying to break through at low altitude to a protected object. To increase the realism, in order to get as close as possible to the real combat situation, simulators of the anti-ship missile system and electronic warfare systems are installed on the aircraft. ATAS aircraft are permanently located at the Point Mugu airbase (California) and regularly participate in exercises conducted at the following airbases: Fallon (Nevada), Kaneohe Bay (Hawaii), Zweibruecken (Germany) and Atsugi (Japan).
