FAC(A) mission
Navy and Marine Corps units have always been great proponents of working with forward air controllers operating from fast jet types. Known as Forward Air Controller (Airborne), the lineage of the FAC(A) goes back to Vietnam, when Marine ‘spotters’ performed the Tactical Air Controlling (Airborne) mission in aircraft such as the TF-9J Cougar and TA-4F Skyhawk. With the introduction of the F/A-18 Hornet, the Marines conducted the FAC(A) mission with their two-seat F/A-18Ds, which proved indispensable in the ground campaign of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
The Navy got into the FAC(A) role a little later than the Marines selecting the F-14 Tomcat for the mission following the aircraft’s metamorphosis into a precision bomber in the mid 1990s. The only two-seat TACAIR jet then operating from a carrier deck that possessed the range, speed, targeting equipment, avionics and radios capable of performing this highly demanding role, the F-14 made its FAC(A) combat debut over Kosovo in Operation Allied Force in March 1999. The leading role played by US naval aviation in Operation Enduring Freedom two years later saw the Tomcat FAC(A) concept prove its worth over and over again. Much was therefore expected of the F-14 units committed to OIF in the NAG in March 2003, and they fulfilled all expectations.
Helping Marines pushing through central Baghdad
On Apr. 10, 2003, Lt Cdrs Jeff Ohman and Mike Peterson were tasked with performing a FAC(A) mission in central Baghdad in VF-2’s F-14D Tomcat ‘Bullet 100’ (BuNo 163894). The aircraft’s pilot, Lt Cdr Ohman, later recalled in Tony Holmes’ book US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom;
‘We launched off USS Constellation (CV-64) in the cover of darkness and proceeded to our area of responsibility. Once having completed our inflight refuelling, we checked in with the controller for tasking. There was a beautiful sunrise that morning as we approached Baghdad. As the FAC(A) crew on scene, we were capable of coordinating multiple assets in support of the ground commander’s intent. Most of the time, we were the airborne eyes of the battlefield, enhancing the situational awareness of the ground-based troops. We could guide them to avoid areas of conflict when possible.
‘The Marines had already pushed into the city, concentrating on the military infrastructure of the country along the way. Every once in a while, they would meet with pockets of resistance. That is what occurred on the morning of the 10th. While pressing through central Baghdad with a tank and some Humvees, the Marines noticed that they were taking fire. We were able to help them locate from which direction the rounds were coming, as well as the general area, so that they could focus their attention on eliminating the threat.
US Navy Tomcat crew coordinating surgical strikes from USAF A-10s, RAF Tornado GR 4s and US Army Blackhawks
‘The two USAF A-10s that were on-station overhead were used as the low attack/gun strafing assets to keep the aggressors’ heads down. This enabled the ground troops to take up a better firing position. An artillery battery was also used to provide suppressing fire, coordinating its shelling with the attacks being made by the airborne assets on scene. Amongst the latter were two RAF Tornado GR 4s, which used their Enhanced Paveway II laser-guided bombs (LGBs) to disable the aggressors, while Army Blackhawk helicopters employed their door-mounted guns in between bombing strikes in an effort to suppress enemy small arms fire.
‘Once the resistance was surgically disabled, without inflicting any casualties on nearby civilians, the ground element was cleared to continue its progression into central Baghdad. With our assistance no longer required, we returned to a nearby tanker to top off our fuel. From there, we checked out with the overall airspace controller and returned to the carrier.’
US Navy F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo by U.S. Navy
