ALERT - "Blazing Skies" !

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ALERT - "Blazing Skies" This is not a drill!
Battery Ready!
Tracking assigned target!
Launch missile
Another target and launch

A nuclear version

From FM 44-1-2 ADA Referennce Handbook, 15 June 1984, see page 21 "Rings of Supersonic Steel"

ALERT - "Blazing Skies " This is not a drill!

For an official description, here are nine pages of Tactical Control in .html format, 30K bytes, or
Tactical Control in .pdf format, 822K bytes, from TM 9-1400-250-102

1) A VHF radio message arrives raising the alert status with the words "Blazing Skies" "this is not a drill"!
- - - Various sirens and horns are activated.
"Blazing Skies" is the code for "aggressor engagement"

2) The troops hurry to assigned stations, and start the equipment (it may have been "OFF").

3) The backup generators are started, and Launcher and Radar areas are transferred to these.

4) There is time to re-check the daily checks and alignments. All looks good
- - -(In the launcher area, missiles are being moved to launchers from underground.)

5) The acquisition radar(s) energized. The Plan Position Indicator (PPI) radar sweep goes round and round
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Battery Ready!

6) The battery commander requests status of all sections, reports "READY" to Area Control.
- - - The Captain inserts the FIRE key into the safety lock, permitting a missile launch command
- - - The Captain sets the site status to "RED" alert

7) There are reports of fighter plane actions out of range of the radars.

8) The acquisition radar operators see planes with "friendly" IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) flying toward battle

9) Area Control starts warning of approaching enemy aircraft.

10) Two aircraft with out "friendly" IFF are seen at the most distant range of site acquisition radars
- - - These are assigned names "Track #2" and "Track #3" by Area Control.

11) Area Control assigns "Track #2" to this battery. ("Track #3 is assigned to another battery)

12) The Launch Control Officer selects a missile for launching, the Missile Tracking Radar locks onto it.
(Usually the Launch Control Officer selects the missile on the elevator if it is ready. When fired, this launcher can be quickly reloaded by lowering, re-loading, and raising the elevator. This permits a high rate of fire for all of the missiles.)

13) Suddenly the PPI radar scope bursts with bright streaks, the "Track #2" is hidden in one of them

14) A hurried toggling of anti-jamming switches shows hints of the "Track #2" in the now dimmer streaks.

15) The battery commander assigns "Track #2" to the target tracking radar.
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Tracking assigned target!

16) The Target Tracking Radar is LOCKED on to "Track #2", the proper light lights.

17) TTR operators report using AIDED MANUAL because of some jamming in their radar scopes.

18) The computer operator reports computer settled, and the plotting boards and meters show:
- - Target position , altitude and ground speed.
- - Where the missile would intercept the target if launched now, and the target continues this speed and direction
- - The time necessary for the missile to fly to this Predicted Point of Intercept.

19) (At present, the Predicted Point of Intercept is just out of effective missile range)
- - - As the target is going fast (mach 1.7) the predicted intercept point is far ahead of the target

20) The Battery Commander waits until Predicted Point of Intercept is with in range,
- - - feels sure that the lack of IFF means the plane is really the enemy, not a friendly with an equipment fault
- - - verifies that the target is not in any Strategic Air Command SAC-EWO safe corridor and not at the safe altitude
- - - and feels reasonable confident the plane will not turn around, wasting a Nike shot.

Jim Carlile who worked at SAGE at Truax AFB, near Madison, Wis reports:

"The rules of engagement for Nike Missiles were simple and clear. The targets would be engaged at the maximum range of the missile, regardless of who or what was in the target area. This would include Air Force interceptors and hence, the need for a safe exit method."

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Launch missile

21) FIRE - the Captain has lifted the RED switch cover and operated the FIRE switch!
- - - the missile is launched, no extra sound heard in the Battery Control van.
- - - the missile will be "boosted" straight up for 3.4 seconds, gaining speed rapidly.
- - - the target is currently 61 miles away & 6.2 miles high, the Predicted Point of Intercept is 41 miles away
- - - the predicted Time to Intercept is 65 seconds

22) The plotting pen that had been tracking the Predicted Point of Intercept now tracks the flying missile.

23) 5 seconds
- - - the missile is 2 miles high, going about strait up, flying at Mach 2.6 (2,000 miles per hour)
- - - the booster has dropped off, (the sustainer rocket motor will start in a few seconds
- - - and has turned its bottom toward the Predicted Intercept Point
- - - the computer commands the missile to started diving toward the Predicted Point of Intercept
- - - (In the launcher area, the missile elevator is being lowered for re-loading.)

24) As the target gets closer, we see it better as our radars "burn through" the jamming

25) 10 seconds
- - - the missile is 4.4 miles high, 1.3 miles down range, flying at Mach 2.5 (1,875 miles per hour)
- - - the computer (using missile tracking information) sends steering commands to missile
- - - the sustainer rocket motor starts up, will burn for about 30 seconds

26) 20 seconds
- - - the missile is flying at Mach 3.5 (2,625 miles per hour), toward Predicted Point of Intercept
- - - about 7.3 miles high and 6.3 miles down range from the launcher

27) 30 seconds
- - - the missile is flying at Mach 3.75 (2,815 miles per hour), toward Predicted Point of Intercept
- - - about 8.5 miles high and 12 miles down range from the launcher
- - - missile sustainer rocket motor has run out of fuel, missile coasting

28) 40 seconds
- - - the missile is flying at Mach 3.5 (2,625 miles per hour), toward Predicted Point of Intercept
- - - about 8.5 miles high and 20.2 miles down range from the launcher, missile coasting
- - - "Track #5" (without IFF)) appears on the radar, and is assigned to this battery as next target

29) 50 seconds
- - - the missile is flying at Mach 3.25 (2,435 miles per hour), toward Predicted Point of Intercept
- - - about 7.75 miles high and 28.5 miles from the launcher, about 16 miles from "Track #2"
- - - the target and missile are approaching head on, missile coasting

30) 60 seconds
- - - the missile is flying at Mach 3.25 (2,435 miles per hour), toward Predicted Point of Intercept
- - - about 6.7 miles high and 36.6 miles from the launcher, about 4.9 miles from "Track #2"
- - - the target and missile are approaching head on, missile coasting

31) 64.6 seconds
- - - the missile and target are both 40.15 miles from the launcher, 6.2 miles high
- - - the missile explodes slightly above and 30 feet in front of target
- - - explosion and metal fragments turn "Track #2" into unflyable wreck, a wing comes off.

32) 70 seconds
- - - Missile tracking radar locked on next missile
- - - (The elevator missile launcher is not yet reloaded, so a side launcher has been selected.)
- - - The ground speed of "Track #2" drops to almost zero
- - - Battery commander assigns "Track #5" to Target Tracking Radar
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Another target and launch

33) 75 seconds
- - - Missile tracking radar is still locked on next missile
- - - Target tracking radar locking on new target "Track #5"

34) 80 seconds
- - - Computer has settled with new target tracking information
- - - Predicted Intercepted Point for "Track #5" is with in range
- - - second missile launched, heading to "Track #5"

35) . . . . .

..) 120 seconds
- - - Missile Elevator has been reloaded, raised, erected, and is ready for firing.

A nuclear version from "Brooks" April 2012

No one actually referred to Delta Battery as 95 though-----except in official communications.

Such as:

"01 (AADCP), this is Niner-five (Delta Btry), I have an Aquire, Lock on and Engage of Hostile Papa/Whiskey 215, at Kilo/Mike 3016, 503 knots, 357 Angels, 128 miles, at a (zulu) time of 0314."

(Bright Flash on your computer screen---------be happy you're not there.)

"01 this is 95, I have an effected on Hostile (actually previously hostile) Papa/Whiskey 215, at Kilo/Mike 2817. One BXL expended, at a time of 0317."


If you have comments or suggestions, Send e-mail to Ed Thelen

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Updated July, 2006