F-22 SLASHES Chinese Spy Balloon - REAL Intercept Radio Comms

Real Radio transmissions of an F-22 intercept and shootdown/splash of the Chinese Spy Balloon on Feb 4th 2023
Source: forums.radioreference.com/thr...
Notable marks
00:02:12 - Visual Notification
00:03:01 - Good tone @ 30nm
00:13:10 - Engaged call
00:13:55 - Attack heading 140, profile: 1.3 Mach climbing, 50k delivery, 5 miles
00:15:06 - Splash One
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[@Jabbers]

Real Radio transmissions of an F-22 intercept and shootdown/splash of the Chinese Spy Balloon on Feb 4th 2023 Source: forums.radioreference.com/thr... Notable marks 00:02:12 - Visual Notification 00:03:01 - Good tone @ 30nm 00:13:10 - Engaged call 00:13:55 - Attack heading 140, profile: 1.3 Mach climbing, 50k delivery, 5 miles 00:15:06 - Splash One

[@folokgdaboss274]

What was the cloud of dust, we need a vaccum defense system

[@folokgdaboss274]

Suck it up don't shoot it

[@JIMJAMSC]

Apparently "Frank" callsigns were in honor of a highly decorated pilot who shot down numerous balloons. I am from this area and it was a rather large operation.

[@sax003]

Frank Luke, the balloon killer. Nice observation. I personally would've never put that together!

[@m.swanberg8904]

Actually, it's a regular call sign used by the 27/94th Fighter Squadrons from Joint Base Langley Eustis VA. It wasn't a special issue for this mission.

[@Cromezn]

"Eagle has good tone all the way from 30 miles. Currently in a climb to four-zero-zero. We have good radar, 9X seeker, as well as pod footage." Did my brother in Christ just say he got a solid AIM-9X tone from 30 miles out??

[@Jabbers]

My thoughts, 65k it is pretty cold, that thing had solar panels that literally absorb heat...

[@iFlyAircraft]

DCS better update the AIM-9X specs to be more realistic to this now. I mean an afterburner is definitely smaller but hotter than this balloon. Someone tag Eagle Dynamics please 😂

[@ferociousfrankie]

I'm interested why people are surprised about that. Published range is 20 or so miles, but you know that thing has a longer range for sure.

[@DaGhost141]

Somebody commented that this call was not by the F22 but another F15

[@eatthisvr6]

thats how i heard it, thats impressive!

[@Soundtracks92]

They should paint a balloon on the Raptor to celebrate its first air-to-air kill. Four more balloons and that pilot will be an Ace 🎈

[@DemoDick1]

At that point he can pick out anything from the top row! But not the stuffed octopus. No one really wins the octopus.

[@gamer_kid_naz4942]

I've seen a photo of it, they really did do that

[@Soundtracks92]

@@gamer_kid_naz4942 omg no way. Where can we see this? I need to lol

[@gamer_kid_naz4942]

@Proud heretic Sorry to hype you up but I just found out what I saw was an old photo 🗿 but hey it was real so I doubt it'll take long for them to do it again.

[@notHere8801]

There was a photo going around of an F-22 with a balloon on it but it's faked. They probably won't paint one because it might compromise the stealth coating probably.

[@Chenstrapftw]

Something to note with the 3:01 time stamp. That good tone wasnt from the Raptors. That was call sign Eagle, which were F-15s out of Barnes( @4:40 you hear them talking fuel numbers and when theyd need to return to Barnes), which seemed to have the job of tracking/monitoring. Eagle is also the voice describing the wreckage after the splash call. If we dont get F-22 HUD footage, I wonder if we will get Pod footage from the F-15

[@TheHammerkeg]

Eagles were out of Langley, air tanker seemed to be at Barnes.

[@cody5903]

thanks for putting this together Jabbers!

[@TheHoosiers2008]

It may be the highest altitude air-to-air kill ever,

[@cshader2488]

Well... an F-15 once shot down a satellite

[@104th_Fallen]

@@cshader2488 That would be an air to space kill then, wouldnt it mister technical 😁

[@cshader2488]

@@104th_Fallen dammit…

[@kaio37k]

@@104th_Fallen Satellites still encounter air, the atmosphere extends far enough that even satellites need a boost occasionally, to prevent orbital decay. So if we're being really technical, still in the really, really thin air.

[@Formula1st]

@@kaio37k isn’t above the karmán line officially above air? Otherwise it would be difficult to draw the line, as there are still a few atoms of the elements that are in air in space right?

[@RichterEtrenank]

in before ten thousand DCS missions appear on the forums to mimic this. 🤣

[@bndahi8251]

Grimm reapers appeared in chat

[@darthbeavis8511]

Just started working on the balloon mod.

[@flyguy1237]

I love the tone change of the pilot when we get to "Splash one." Goes from serious to mild celebration lol.

[@jayrose6312]

That was awesome! Somebody’s getting a ribbon pinned-on for this, LOL 😂

[@TrickerDCS]

OMG NO WAYYYYYYYYY

[@Wh1terider]

Apparently you were to slow Tricker. Jabbers 1, Tricker 0. Lol

[@TrickerDCS]

@@Wh1terider jabbers is a quick one 💦

[@justinwesolek8749]

This is really impressive

[@mattboggs6304]

I remember as a kid in 1990, watching the YF-22 and YF-23 prototypes in the news, thinking whichever fighter wins the contract, is going to dominate the MiG-29 and SU-27. Now it's over 30 years later, and the F-22 is now older than the F-15 was in 1990, and it's only kill is a..... Balloon.

[@SpaceGaucho_]

good stuff!!

[@F22raptor46]

I heard the splash call but did I miss the Fox call? I never heard him say Fox 2

[@Jabbers]

Ya its not on the audio, either he didnt key the mic or he never said it.

[@Soundtracks92]

Put this mission on DCS! 😂

[@starmations8332]

Get reflected simulations to make it so itll be the most accurate balloon intercept mission ever created.

[@notHere8801]

Growling Sidewinder just did a reenactment of the incident

[@jayrose6312]

My guess is we’ll see it by the end of the week if we’re really lucky, if not by the end of the month!

[@keelhauling]

Did I hear them say tone at 30 miles out? Jesus. 9x seeker must be crazy.

[@Jabbers]

Solar panels get hot, the thing was also at like 65k, so prob a huge temp differential

[@F22raptor46]

@@Jabbers When he said tone at 30 miles out I initially thought he meant a Radar lock

[@redacted4140]

Might be the block 3 9Xs, been trying modded versions in DCS and they can get a kill from 25 nm out. Of course it’s probably not all realistic. but with the recording, they just might be able to go that far

[@guidaguida2]

You can get good tone from the sun and last time I checked it's pretty damn far. Doesn't mean the missile is within shooting range.

[@keithmyers6121]

I live here in MYRTLE BEACH area, heard 9x bang...woke me up. Warhead size?

[@Jabbers]

20lbs but it was at 65000 ft, surprised you heard it...was more likely the sound barrier of the raptors, the attack profile was mach 1.3, so more likely you heard that

[@keithmyers6121]

@@Jabbers Ahhh, that sounds more likely.

[@shibiwowsawesomegaming4783]

So does the pilot put a balloon mark on his plane as a confirmed kill?

[@Jabbers]

I hope so

[@Formula1st]

That would be cool as 😂

[@jayrose6312]

Absolutely should! Though some will debate it saying how we took out many drones in overseas combat, I can’t recall the last time Northern Command had to take out any kind of ‘enemy’ craft! 9/11 would have been the lone exception. Other than that, it was probably ‘Nam when we took out the last aircraft a la dogfight!

[@Chasedtuna9]

@@jayrose6312 just curious as to what you mean by dogfight. like a kill with the cannon, or just a kill within a certain range?

[@jayrose6312]

​@@Chasedtuna9 As a Navy vet, I would define it in the most basic and traditional terms: Two (2) manned F or F/A type/designated aircraft fighting each other with available A2A weaponry based on the skill of the pilots (& WSOs if applicable) engaging one another until only one (or none of the) aircraft remains airworthy. If one aircraft remains airworthy, they would be declared “winner.” I am basing it on the pilot’s chops using whatever weaponry is at their disposal. Guns in reality are VERY limited, as in seconds, and firing A2A over longer ranges is far more difficult to land a hit. So, it doesn’t really matter as long as the human aspect is present and accounted for. Pilots of a long, lost generation would only paint such takedowns on their birds as anything else doesn’t carry the same meaning. Perhaps this is changing with some newer breeds of pilots. I don’t know as I haven’t stood on a flight deck since ‘98! Now, with drones, remote, AI, etc. controlled aircraft being excluded from the type, this would leave Vietnam as the last ‘true’ dogfights that we participated in. Unfortunately, we learned a lot from our mistakes and failures, which is likely why we segued into far better pilots commanding air superiority over the last several decades.

[@Caladain]

Did I miss the fox call at launch?

[@Jabbers]

Nah I didn't hear it either, listened a few times

[@Husker5454]

Bro said 43000ft mach 1.3 engaging at 50000ft … Raptors are fucking SCARY

[@Orphican]

Good thing the people who give them their orders are idiots. Or is it?

[@Husker5454]

@@Orphican how . Maybe stop sucking up all the general US populations stupidity and look into the subject . It was milked for propaganda hense they let it enter their air space and shot down 6miles out to shore so there was absolutely 0 risk to ground injury . its literally that simple . This balloon is no more effective than satilites . It posed litterally 0 threat .

[@AviationPlus]

Good stuff thanks for sharing

[@eatthisvr6]

9x tone from 30 miles??

[@SDlETRICH]

Yeah, that makes no sense

[@Flaruwu]

@@SDlETRICH Very hot balloon at high altitude where it's very cold, makes some sense.

[@F22raptor46]

@@Flaruwu Also solar panels get hot

[@jarllunde]

And very low air density

[@kevinschmitt845]

Just jabbers doing the lords work again. Awesome. Anyone catch what altitude they engaged at? And also anyone know why a 9X and not a 120? Seems like the balloon wouldn’t have a great heat source for the seeker to track.

[@Jabbers]

Solar panels are pretty hot, I'd imagine hot air in the balloon to to keep it at altitude right? I'm pretty ignorant to the facts though, just speculation.

[@kevinschmitt845]

Good point, I’m sure the 9X can pick up on some pretty low temps too. Also just heard the BRA call at 64k feet. Those raptors can CLIMB I guess. 😂

[@Jabbers]

Ya pretty sweet

[@ThaWhistle]

Smaller warhead, might be trying to minimize damage to any goodies they're hoping to recover.

[@bndahi8251]

Could be the 9x can leverage thrust vectoring, probably adding to the probability of a hit compared to the non thrust vector ing 120 at high altitudes

[@gemnicherry2670]

Would have been nice to try to bring this in tact back to the US in order to study the Chinese tech and have some perfect counter measures made and just to be fully aware of what their up to.

[@SDsc0rch]

was this over the water? I'm listening but haven't heard yet

[@Jabbers]

yup

[@videomaniac108]

Why didn't he just fire a short burst of his 20mm cannon into the envelope of the balloon to cause a slow leak of Helium and a slow descent.

[@SlothOnMeth]

65000ft, radar is easier

[@jackdanson2]

Altitude, plus I think they wanted a fast drop. Slow drop means it could blow back over land, go further out to sea, etc. They wanted it dropped in that bit of water.

[@arnoldsherrill2585]

In order to get closer to use the 20 mm Cannon you would have to exceed the service ceiling of that aircraft., Because the target was actually above them at a higher altitude, that's why they went missiles instead of guns Plus at high altitude, using a 20 mm gun is equivalent to firing a shotgun about the equivalent of half a city block away and you're trying to hit one particular Target The rounds have a tendency to spread out, increasing the chance of a miss in a situation like this They wanted something a bit more precise, that's why they went with a sidewinder deployment. And it worked.

[@sd9967]

15:05

[@CallsignJoNay]

What happened to the Raptor's left vertical stab in the thumbnail? Unacceptable. I would like a refund please.

[@Jabbers]

Im bad at photoshop

[@Gwydion_Wolf]

And it is official. From now, and forever more, the first Air-to-Air kill for an F22.... is a Balloon :D

[@tsb247]

Where did this audio come from?

[@Jabbers]

Link in the description

[@tsb247]

@@Jabbers - Thanks. My phone didn't catch that. I guess the amateur radio guys got more than they bargained for today.

[@badasserien8518]

The air force should let the media interview the pilot. This is a historic moment where the F22 achieved its first air to air kill after 25 years.

[@Skidjit]

Big Koom 15:06

[@Power5]

My new callsign in DCS is Frank 1 I assume this audio is so terrible due to the source of reception.

[@Jabbers]

Maybe but also kinda how radio audio is... Listen to atc traffic it isn't much better

[@ChloeGfan]

China: “don’t you pop our balloon or there will be World War 3!” F-22 pilot: **Fires sidewinder missile** “Oh shit sorry what were you saying? Damn I’m craving some orange chicken for some reason”

[@Soundtracks92]

Lmao!

[@NightPhoenix.Y]

Fr y'all scared if one balloon it's even white no less.

[@Orphican]

Yes I'm sure they're pissed we shot down their ballon. Especially after they already got such nice views from it for so long.

[@chipsrafferty8362]

Velly velly sad day for baroons this made me raff out roud

[@Linus76]

Was this published by the Air Force? Why the fuck would any of this be over non-encrypted comms? @Jabbers - thanks for the upload regardless.

[@Jabbers]

Civilian recorded and non encrypted as a public soectical would be my guess

[@bpitotbrett5839]

So…why was this not done over the Bearing Straight?

[@ferociousfrankie]

Good training exercise to follow it, hack it, observe it, develop SOPs for it, etc...

[@alexmaclean1]

Nice to hear it was blown up.... After it has already sent back God knows what data to China and completely finished its mission.

[@chipwillis]

Data of what that isnt available via facebook and tiktok that satellites didnt already have...lol. comeon people be smarter!

[@alexmaclean1]

@@chipwillis we don't know what sort of sensors were on it. I don't know if it's accurate but I saw estimates that it was 3500 pounds, I have no idea how anyone knows but if that's true it's carrying something important I'd think. Apparently the concern of it getting new info is the amount of time any possible sensors cab spend focused on an area. I want event we will never know the details anyway, but it sure seems odd that it was allowed to travel across the entire country though, like why not do this before it even got to Alaska?

[@chipwillis]

@@alexmaclean1it could be just a simple as a poke to see the response. that's where my money sits. What information could they have possibly gotten that hasnt been available by other means than a vehicle thats course is dictated by the wind.... They tested a Hypersonic plane that supposedly flew around the world last year or so, I'd be a bit more worried about that than this

[@sirdo946]

My brother in christ, the thing was definitely jammed into the stone age as soon as it was found. I doubt any data got back to China at all since then

[@Formula1st]

@@alexmaclean1 the gov must have been confident that they couldnt have got anything new from it. They know more than us

[@marklewis1884]

This operation mayhem costs hundreds of thousands of dollars may the bolloon Rest In Peace ☮️

[@chipwillis]

I will say, we had like a week to prepare for this information so take that for what it is, presented information.

[@patricesankara3081]

imagine if the balloon suddenly accelerated to Hypersonic speed. that would have been a technological W

[@jayrose6312]

I’m actually somewhat surprised that the balloon didn’t go up to its 120K foot ceiling or implement some sort of self-destruct mechanism. This doesn’t mean that the data wasn’t remotely destroyed though. Maybe not evading, but remotely destroying the data was the smarter move. We’ll see though because I’m doubtful much has survived such a long fall into the ocean! The impact would have likely decimated their hardware!

[@noe616]

They could have downed it with a WW1 biplane.

[@spikef22]

"Good pod footage" F-22s don't have TPODs this must be one of the new enhancements that they have been working on out of the NTTR?

[@schweizerluchs7146]

Nah the F-15 was looking with a Sniper XR probably, he was the one saying that.

[@spikef22]

@@schweizerluchs7146 oh yeah your probs right

[@chrisaustin5903]

Why on earth is this not on encrypted radio?

[@lowercase21]

While do radios still sound like this lol.

[@Jabbers]

Guessing it's range and distance to the source, plus the power being used to amplify.. In the jets it prob sounds better but this was being picked up on civilian equipment

[@m.swanberg8904]

Probably a consumer grade scanner used to receive the signals, from a long ways away.

[@willempasterkamp862]

why ?

[@chipwillis]

Nice telling the F22 abilities like, you aint got shit that can fuck with us... because nonsecure comms and such, but you know, believe what you want

[@Jabbers]

I'm pretty sure it was public comms on purpose. Pretty sure no one questions the abilities of the F-22, publications of Red Flag operations are telling enough.

[@chipwillis]

@@Jabbers yea, exactly. a carefully molded response of lets just chill and pop this thing lol

[@donreed5029]

Nothing more for it to see so let's shoot it down. Great job Frank. From the sound of the mission you would think they were after a squadron of TU 95s. It was a balloon for goodness sake not a Mig.

[@jeremygrover5979]

To be fair, I dont think we were 100% sure what was attached to said balloon, what could have been inside it, and whatnot. Plus doing the mission like it was a MiG could keep readiness up

[@Jabbers]

Better to shoot it down over civilians?

[@1badjesus401]

..WHOLE LOTTA LL..nothin.

[@grasess2923]

Thats Propaganda nothing more, self made ballon

[@chipwillis]

presented secure comms......lol

[@russell4788]

this wasn't scrambled comms, this was over unsecure frequencies.

[@chipwillis]

@@russell4788 sounds deliberate right?

[@russell4788]

@ThaChipsta yeah, but we are only picking up part of the conversation. I have heard some of the same conversations on public frequencies around China Lake / Edward's AFB as well a few times, not the live firing info. But coordination of assets I have heard. They might have done it over unsecured comms. because they didn't know what sensors that thing had.

[@cuttheloop]

FJB

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

Typical of the military, expend a million dollar missile when 150 bucks of 20mm ammo would do the trick.

[@jerrell1169]

You try hitting a fucking balloon at 65k ft AGL moving at Mach 1.3.

[@Formula1st]

The balloon was much higher than the raptors could go, no chance of killing it with gun. Also, Canada did that a few years back and it didn’t work at all

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

@@jerrell1169 Not that hard, the F-22 can comfortably cruise at 65k and MACH 1.8

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

@@Formula1st The F-22 can comfortably cruise at 65k.

[@Formula1st]

@@CRAZYHORSE19682003 the pilot would need a space suit for that lol

[@heefie8659]

I wanna know how this isn't the most embarrassing thing to top off our recent military actions. I would love to hear from people why this is in any way a positive thing.

[@Formula1st]

Why is it embarrassing then?

[@mattfgln]

@@Formula1st because they let that balloon drift all the way from Alaska down to Montana then the Atlantic before shooting it down ?

[@Formula1st]

@@mattfgln sure but to me all that’s says is that the gov knew that it wasn’t going to gather any new info. Not ‘embarrassing’ at all…

[@mattfgln]

@@Formula1st that balloon should not have been allowed to enter airspace over Alaska in the first place. If it isn’t authoritsed you shoot it down the moment it enters the airspace. Not when it’s about leave it. This is what is embarrassing.

[@nogard1888]

@@mattfgln I feel like monitoring it while it gathers data that anyone could get by going on Google earth and then shooting it down where the wreckage poses 0 threat to civilians is not embarrassing at all

[@RA-II]

Losey audio

[@Jabbers]

U must be new to aviation radios 😂

[@folokgdaboss274]

What was the cloud of dust, we need a vaccum defense system