Navy Cruiser Shot Down Super Hornet During Carrier Approach (and Nearly Hit Another One)

[@philoldout7489]

This is the channel I turn to when I want to find out what actually occurred when these kinds of incidents happen. Rather than just parroted chat channel gossip you provide sober, informed fact and opinion. And importantly when opinions are given it is usually stated as such. Well done. Keep up the good work.

[@damrontech]

Yeah, well ignore his Revlon show.

[@PBMainiac]

​@@damrontechWhat? Revlon like the cosmetics company?

[@damrontech]

@@PBMainiac- Yeah.

[@zed332l]

@@damrontech Mooch , tells it like it is , I like he says verified /not verified. no BS.

[@sjsomething4936]

Agreed, thank you Mooch for providing a large and diverse audience (service members and lots of regular civvies like myself) with a very informed and level-headed report.

[@applicablerobot]

Had no clue a second missile was fired on a second f18. Absolutely bonkers, thanks for the details - I've been waiting for this video for a few days.

[@thetrainshop]

SOP from what I gather is 2 for 1 engagement to increase PK. AEGIS probably switched second track after hit

[@JoshWalker1]

@@thetrainshop That close in, possible. You can choose modes where the "last look" (chance to engage and intercept calculated by missile time of flight) is a dual salvo even when normal shots are set to single.

[@JoshWalker1]

@@thetrainshop Otoh you'd think there'd have been more birds in the air already, if they were chasing two tracks, which we hadn't heard. So maybe this wasn't the last look, and they shot at two. Or, if they think they're shooting drones and so we're unloading some of the oldest SM2 variants, if the shot lines up just right, during a short time window the missile could track off onto the second jet before an error/sanity check makes it dud itself. Usually they'd have to be within the same SPY range gate for this, which they certainly weren't. But during a bit of terminal, if they're tracking using the FCS illuminators, if it's within a small cone and the second jet was also in the beam, this would happen. I'm thinking this is probably it actually

[@thetrainshop]

@@JoshWalker1 It certainly will be interesting to see if that rings true when the report comes, if it declasses at all. There was a whole lot of Swiss cheese that had to line up to have a situation come up like this after previous mishaps.

[@Niteskate1]

Merry Christmas to you and your family Ward. This incident serves to highlight that we are able to enjoy our comfortable holiday season thanks to the risk and sacrifice that all these men and women take on willingly in service to their country. I have a deep admiration for each and every one of them.

[@tdn4773]

Bring the troops home! No business in the Med.

[@sjsomething4936]

@Niteskate1 well said, and not just folks in the US but lots of the NATO allied nations and their service members. Blessings to all of them, stay safe and thank you for your service to past and present service members. 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇸🇪 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇩🇪 🇵🇱 🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇳🇴 🇫🇮 🇪🇪 🇩🇰 🇳🇱 🇦🇱 🇭🇷 🇨🇿 🇬🇷 🇭🇺 🇮🇸 🇮🇹 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 🇵🇹 🇷🇴 🇹🇷 🇪🇸 🇸🇰 🇸🇮

[@ryancappo]

I’ve had bad days at work before, but never “shoot down multi-million dollar plane with two co-workers needing to eject” bad.

[@BOOGIECali]

Lmfao we have all came close in warehouse work😂🎉😢

[@Grouse2275]

Hundreds of people in various occupations “kill” people every year….. medical errors, drivers, pilots, mechanics, etc. Pray you don’t screw up one day…. Do you drink and drive? Speed? text while driving? I guess you’re perfect……

[@thewisewolf768]

@@Grouse2275 If you do any of those last 3 things it's not bout being perfect or not, you shouldn't be on the road. Those aren't everyday mishaps.

[@drn13355]

You have no idea what actually happened. The aircraft could have misidentified or had a system failure that identifies itself to the ship. Middle of night with a lot happening in high stress.

[@danielmarshall4587]

AMEN to the "blue collar/civvie life"...

[@rockwelltorrey4756]

Thank you again Mooch and Hozer for your report of reason and support of our on duty warfighters

[@jim-gb7sj]

Former NAVY maintainer, the reason the Tomcat would lose IFF was the vacuum tubes came loose. A little 1970s humor.

[@rogerthat4545]

Interference from the 8-track

[@tomschmidt381]

Great detailed analysis of the incident. I was a Marine Corps avionics tech in the late 1960s. Loved the loose tube comment. Early A4 Skyhawks used Korean war vintage avionics. The IFF was a modified APX-6 and the UHF radio a ARC-27. It was not until the A4F that they were upgraded with "modern" 60's vintage semiconductor gear.

[@Skyhawks1979]

@@tomschmidt381 I grabbed the torch from you on the A-4F it was the ARC-52 and KIT1A and KY28 crypto gear. A-4M's got the ARC-159.

[@tomschmidt381]

@@Skyhawks1979 I thought the A-4F used ARC-51 (ARC-52 being out of order numbering was still a tube radio) and APX-64 IFF. I was in Danang my second tour and got trained on the KY28. If memory served the audio quality was terrible and I don't think pilots actually used it. It did have a cool way to set the daily cypher key. Having been interested in electronics since I was a kid in the 1950s-60s I'm amazed at how much functionality can be packed to a small space now a days. As an example modern aircraft radios are now the size of the control box when I was in the military.

[@oldjarhead386]

I worked I-level on APX-64, APX-72, APX-76 and introduced the APX-100/101 into the fleet. None of those interogators/transponders had traditional tubes in them. At least with none with sockets. Even only tube RADARs had positive restraints on any socketed tubes. Which IFF was this?

[@PelicanIslandLabs]

Thanks Mooch and Hozer for this reasoned first response.

[@davidsmith8997]

Absolutely. Excellent analysis to cut through the noise. Merry Christmas to both of you and your families! Enjoy the grandkids Mooch.

[@MrChickennugget360]

this shit scares the shit out of me. not that Friendly fire happened as that happens often enough but that the missile apparently missed the second aircraft. Unless something else was going on that i don't know about how we can expect our missiles to be able to shoot down Chinese Hypersonic missiles if we cannot hit a Slow-moving Hornet at low altitude without its combat systems online. Of course, we don't know what type of missile was shot but the fact that it could be so easily evaded is disturbing.

[@Grouse2275]

I’d imagine an SM2 targeting an aircraft so close to the ship would be a difficult intercept. The missile launches vertical then transitions rapidly to engage a target. Was this outside its minimal engagement zone? Wouldn’t ESSM or CIWS or RAM be used? Perhaps the use of an SM2 gives us a clue of what happened……

[@zed332l]

@@davidsmith8997 Thank GOD no cars need to pull up to two houses on Christmas eve/day.

[@leveretth]

​@@MrChickennugget360 We don't know that the second missile was evaded - that's just one of two possible reasons (as Mooch stated) it could have happened. Reason #2 is CVN-75's cease-fire call to Gettysburg resulted in the second missile being cut.

[@SteveBoecker]

Former AIC, Operation Specialist on active duty and 30 yrs Navsea ET subject matter expert for VLS and CEC. SM2 leaves launcher in milliseconds from the time the launch command is given. I have never seen Aegis in auto/auto, the AWC and the CO have to go birds free, physical keys are turned and the TAO manually pulls the trigger. Was Gettysburg plane guard and Identifying aircraft in the landing pattern as hostile? Also, am not an IFF expert but during an engagement crypto rollover should not be an issue. I’m sure CIC team on Gettysburg are beating themselves to death over this. I’ve never been in combat but have been in many live fire exercises. Don’t judge these guys unless you’ve walked the walk. The Navy will investigate this and we may never know the outcome. Thank God nobody got killed.

[@WardCarroll]

Good comment. Thanks.

[@RetiredEE]

Who decides where to park the carrier strike group? Seems to me the Red Sea is tight quarters. Can the tasks be handled from the friendlier waters of the Med, or roomier Arabian Sea? With the current upheavals in the Middle East, the loss of a carrier or a Burke/Tico would be a perfect pretext to bring us into a war.

[@Handcannon77]

This is what I suspected, but I wasnt sure if the targetting and weapons systems on the ship did in fact have a fully autonomous capability, and if it did, itd be hard for me to believe that they would choose to put it into that mode with friendly aircraft very close. Thanks for offering your expertise and knowledge on the subject. Have you ever heard of any our ships putting the system into auto/auto mode? And do you think that is what likely caused this unfortunate(but fortune that all aviators are OK) situation? It seems like it is the most believable/likely explanation for something like this.

[@kmadams85]

​@@RetiredEEthe Red Sea is 1000 miles north to south. Basing from the Mediterranean is not feasible, too far for the mission to succeed.

[@SpringIsBACK]

We damn well better know the outcome, at least in a general sense. Yes, friendly fire "happens", but US taxpayers aren't paying out $840+ billion to not even get an explanation...

[@williamspaulding8314]

I was on the Gettysburg it was my first ship. She has a history of making admirals. I think this captain maybe one of the few exceptions.

[@neo2190]

She was modernized in 2013 and 2023 with the latest Aegis update. We are not being told the truth about this.

[@dailyqwikbytes]

Yeah, I don't think he'll make admiral. The XO and ADO are probably fricked to, at the very least.

[@sleepingninjaquiettime]

We'll see. It could have been an automated system error. Or they were in the middle of an update.. or they had an update and it recalibrated the fire controls. That would never happen though..

[@fortusvictus8297]

@@sleepingninjaquiettime Don't underestimate the hard on the US military has for AI right now. Everything is AI and remote technology. Really creepy time to be looking in on training and equipment acquisition. Very glad my time has come and gone to be trusting my life to this experimental tech.

[@joelpierce3940]

@@fortusvictus8297The Army has gotten rid of LURPS, or LARS also. They believe drones can do it all, even if the drones can be jammed or kidnapped.

[@mightydh]

F18s are still being made. Eject often. Right call from pilot or wso. Takes a month to make another f18, takes 24 years to make other aviators.

[@jahatton]

Isn't there a 2 ejection limit for a pilot then he can't fly fighters anymore?

[@RodneyGraves]

@@jahatton If there is spinal injury a single ejection can mark the end of flight status...

[@Yonni6502]

@@jahatton Cats have nine lives, on average pilots have three. :)

[@nicholasshultz2459]

$65 million a pop is a huge mulligan.

[@dindrmindr626]

actually there are new ones in the class room at this moment. it doesn't take 24 years. what a BS statement.

[@speedycpu]

Can't imagine the insanity of you JUST punching out, your jet isn't that far away and the F/A-18 vaporizes in front of you, plus the crap flying everywhere from the SM-2 warhead and all missile pieces blasting through everything at mach 2-3 where you are in that split second. It's still amazing that the first crew survived.

[@MrBen527]

Right! It would be really crazy if they didn't catch any shrapnel.

[@christophertheconqueror8751]

Currently serving as the CIC Officer onboard a DDG. 13 years of experience in CIC as an OSC and now an LDO. I personally know the Air Defense Officer onboard the Gettysburg. The Surface OPS/OPS Tech community is a small one. The ADO i can say by both record and personal knowledge is an outstanding Officer. We are all anxiously waiting the after action report to figure out how this happened.

[@beckyumphrey2626]

The big guy usually gets the heat.

[@oldfrend]

this had to have been some sort of auto mode accident. there is no way a human officer seeing those flight parameters could think incoming missile or hostile aircraft.

[@Handcannon77]

@@oldfrend Yea this is exactly what I was suspecting as well. Especially given the fact it had just been refitted with new tech(not exactly sure what all of the new tech and weapons systems are), I would imagine that perhaps with the busy airspace and having shot down multiple drones and missiles before this incident that some kind of automated targetting system mistook the two F/A 18s as enemy drones and the officer was fed that information, which in turn was what instructed him to fire off the two SAM's. Or, the new weapons system has the ability to be put into a fully autonomous mode where it can automatically scan for targets and fire without the need for an officer to sign off on/physically fire the missiles themselves, but that would be hard for me to believe.

[@crazyyoda8721]

Care to take a crack at what possibly happened?

[@poohbear1647]

Knowing that, I’ll withhold judgment- thanks.

[@williammrdeza9445]

Outstanding discussion, Ward. I couldn't stick around for the entire livestream, so am grateful to be able to catch up with entire episode later. Your earlier commenter was spot on regarding you and Captain Miller being such a credible source of breaking information. Thank you for taking the time to put this episode together during the holiday season. I found your discussion fascinating in both breadth and scope. Merry Christmas to both of you and your families!

[@docneal4900]

Merry Christmas Mooch, great episode. Reminds me of my first cruise aboard the USS Guam LPH 9. A Mike 8 liberty boat pulled out in front of a Spanish freighter in Barcelona harbor. 48 sailors and marines were killed that night. Half on the USS Trenton and half off the Guam. Never will forget that day. Made me very aware as a safety observer on many evolutions that it only takes a blink of an eye for things to go south. So thankful there was no loss of life here. Kudos to the aviators fast thinking and skill.

[@jamesconner3437]

Really, really difficult to believe. As a USN Destroyer plane guard bridge vet, I can't see any possible reason to fire at "something" almost right over you, while in darkness and during almost completed recovery action. If not identified waaayyy out farther than that, and the "bogey" approaching slow and on the recovery path....WTF ???? This is going to ruin some careers of officers, and give PTSD to the person who pushed the button. So glad the two in the plane ( actually the four in two planes) lived through such a mess.

[@musclecarbear4704]

You can’t say that. Because, according to this channel, that is a conspiracy theory!

[@oldjarhead386]

@@jamesconner3437 isn’t there an automated mode? If so, how easily can that get out of control?

[@benchapple2117]

Diversity hire? Maybe?

[@zed332l]

Agreed, this should never have Happened.....LSO know the line up, thankfully no car needs to pull up on the pilot's wife house on Christmas eve. thxs Martin Baker (seat maker)

[@bossdog1480]

Or, God forbid, we tell the truth and admit the Houthis shot it down.

[@loneranger515]

Thank goodness they were safe. It's very comforting knowing that you two are giving the straight scoop and that you wouldn't be reporting if there had been loss of life, relying on official channels only.

[@shannond9945]

The ‘scoop’….which includes info fed to them by their colleagues and ex-colleagues. Would they report so candidly if it truly was a hostile actor…? I doubt it. This seems more like spreading the narrative on behalf of Navy rather than objective information. I doubt these two would even leave room to believing that the battle group could be compromised…they are ‘in the tent’.

[@phillipschmidtke2001]

Glad to see Hoser back, of all your guests he is my favorite. Mooch, thank you for the videos, your channel is excellent.

[@lopezb]

Ward and his guests are national treasures.

[@chrisprelle2840]

Appreciate the run down on this mishap, you guys are awesome ! It is really good to hear a well thought out review of the information without all the nonsense from legacy media. Thanks 👍

[@shannond9945]

Call me a fool, but I find it hard to ‘trust’ information coming from a person clearly aligned with one of the parties to the story. Tell me again when and why US military would openly talk about its battle group being compromised, where it could instead cook up a story to mask the true events and limit embarrassment. We will never know what really happened…..

[@chrisprelle2840]

To@shannond9945, Trying to find the truth with limited information/investigation on the incident is difficult and sometimes impossible. It will take months if not years to find a definite answer.

[@GaryMCurran]

I want to thank you for the detailed breakdown on this. I'm not a regular viewer of your channel, but you've had stuff that I've watched before, and I enjoy your perspective and your experience in coming up with what you do. For both you and Hozer to be commenting on this really brings a lot of light on the subject. I hadn't heard about a second missile shot or it going after the second airplane. The news never seems to get those details. Obviously, I'm glad to hear that the aircrew was recovered safely, and that the Eject order was given before the SM2 impacted the aircraft. Thank God for small favors. There obviously is no way to lay blame on this right now, that can come after the Court of Inquiry. I can imagine that it's going to be something really stupid like a mis-wired switch on the FCS after her yard work. Of course, that's just me blowing smoke. I don't know what else to say but 'airplanes are replaceable, men and women are not.' So, I'm glad the aircrew is okay, accidents happen, we'll see what it amounts to later on. Again, thanks for both you and Hozer's commentary on this, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to both of you, as well as to all our men and women in all our services who are deployed around the world. (Air Force Vet)

[@mauriceholder1386]

So is the Gettysburg going to paint a Hornet on its hull ?

[@Notyou5556]

Yep, and the VA will deny all claims.

[@JZsBFF]

Gettysburg? So history DOES repeat itself.

[@BeechSportBill]

Mover and Gonky agree…

[@kevinmadore1794]

Somebody's not making Admiral.

[@BeechSportBill]

Need radar tracks …

[@danielelse3914]

As a RIO a decade before Mooch, I, too, got shivers throughout the discussion

[@dawg9]

Great episode. Thanks for pulling back the curtain. What a harrowing experience that must have been

[@floundergearjam]

Mooch and Hozer, thanks for the info download on this. Merry Christmas to you, yours, and all of the subscribers.

[@HighFlyer-p8x]

Hozer said it right, he would never have thought to brief this scenario of a missile coming to you on final.

[@woppysue]

My father was a naval Aviation torpedo man in World War II in the Pacific. He flew as a turret Gunner in a TBF and TBM off of the USS Belleau Wood. The last half of the war he was stationed on the Fletcher class destroyer USS Haraden dd585. His general quarter station was electronic gun operator of a twin 40 mm anti-aircraft gun. He told about a friendly fire incident... They had been pulled off the front line and were at anchor I believe in truk lagoon. Unexpectedly they were called to general quarters. No one was expecting that. There were bogeys on the radar coming in broadside like you would for torpedo attack or a low-level bomb run. The skipper kept the PA on in the ship so the sailors could know what's going on. There were two bogeys flying low over the water with no indicator light or signal on. The radio shack desperately tried to contact the two planes with no response. They tried several different channels with no response. They got within sight and we're spotted as two army Air core b24 bombers. They did not identify themselves as friendlies in any manner. This was after the Okinawa campaign when kamikazes were at high threat. Eventually they came within a dangerous range of the destroyer and the skipper ordered his gun crew to "splash" them. Dad opened fire on command and hit one of the bombers in a wing. It went down in the water. As soon as they started firing the radio cracked on with army pilots screaming knock it off you Navy dogs. One bomber went into the water. The other bomber was not hit. None of the crew were injured and all were rescued by Navy crew. I've heard that story many times when I was growing up. . My dad was a lot of fun to take to an air show. He always enjoyed going up to the Confederate Air Force guys who were flying a b-24. He enjoyed telling them how he shot one down one day. Most of the time they looked at him like he was a crazy old hoot. True story

[@bagoistvan3182]

😆🍺🍺🍺😁👍

[@medln5357]

Great story!

[@DogBeast221]

Sounds like the Army guys fucked up by not responding.

[@stevendaugherty7590]

Mooch, from a non-aviator, many thanks to you & Hozer for your analysis of this incident! When I heard of this incident two days ago I wondered how it was possible that this could occur given the modern technology on our warships. Plus, the initial news reports did not mention that two missiles were fired, which could have taken out two FA18s. Very interesting video! Bravo Zulu!

[@scottharris5714]

Thank you both for providing a great analysis of what you know thus far. For me, a non naval individual, this is where I come to learn. Thank you sir(s). Merry Christmas!

[@corkywalker5823]

Hey Mooch, I appreciate the C-2 Greyhound shirt during today's show. I was a C-2 Inflight Plane Captain in VRC-50, from 1980-84'. Great job today and I look forward to more details regarding this incident. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[@DonWan47]

What exactly is a “plane captain” exactly? I’ve heard it used but never in context.

[@mendodsoregonbackroads6632]

@@DonWan47 Plane captains ensure that the aircraft is serviced and ready for flight before the Aircrew take responsibility for the Plane. Each Plane has its own Plane Captain. I’m not sure what an inflight plane captain is though. Kind of sounds like a Crew Chief or Flight Engineer which is more involved.

[@DonWan47]

@@mendodsoregonbackroads6632 Does that mean they’re basically in charge of the jet on the ground/deck?

[@johnburger3287]

@@DonWan47 He is a maintainer (enlisted) in over all charge of a specific aircraft's maintenance. Certain aircraft have an inflight plane captain that actually flies on board. In the Air Force it would be the aircraft crew chief.

[@corkywalker5823]

Yes, an Inflight Plane Captain (IPC) is very similar to an AF Crew Chief. For those unfamiliar with a C-2 Greyhound, it's a twin turboprop aircraft the Navy uses for Carrier Onboard Delivery and is capable of delivering 10,000 lbs of passengers, mail, and cargo, to our aircraft carriers. It's better known as COD. The aircraft is manned by a crew of four, two pilots, an IPC who performs inspections, servicing, repairs, as well as a Loadmaster, who computes the weight and balance, and center of gravity. Speaking for myself, the aircraft was a blast to crew on.

[@gordonpaige2338]

Mooch/Hozer - Thanks for the update. There is so much half-assed info floating around that I’m glad to get some info that makes sense. I was making my own guesses, but that was based on info 40 years removed from retirement. BZ

[@justanavgguy7802]

Thanks for your informative presentation. Out of the darkness comes light! So thankful that there were no USN loss of life or serious injury. At first glance though, the incident will be a ‘career ender’ for someone(s). Please continue your excellent YT presentations. Looking forward to your year end recap.

[@jimpowell2296]

As you say a career ended for I would think more than one. I served in VF-154 as an AQ (fire control technician) and witnessed many night ops launches and recoveries. The Gettysburg certainly knows that recovery mode is taking place, that planes are in the stack. How does this happen. I cannot in my head put together the ineptness of this incident.

[@ralphwatten2426]

Fast thinking by the airmen saved their lives and they'll be with their families again in future holidays. Mistakes happen. When they're made at this level the cost is extremely high.

[@danielmarshall4587]

Glad to hear the crews of the targeted aircraft were recovered without great injury. To my mind(as a Brit & Civvie) this shows that the United States Armed Forces train and carry out operations that many other nations would not have the funding/means to match. Gentlemen thank you both for this smashing video and the great insight it brings.

[@Freedom1776usa]

Great episode guys. Much respect to all those serving. Thank you.😌

[@bryonslatten3147]

And the most impressive equipment used that day happened to be two Martin-Baker ejection seats.

[@allieversaid]

Some riggers about to get a couple cases of liquor

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

Can’t argue with the technical background and experience. This is what’s good about KZbin. I am very grateful there was no loss of life.

[@eprofessio]

My wife was a patriot operator captain lady and her night shift counter part shot down a British jet with her battery. She spent the next two years on a campaign explaining what happened and how sorry the army was. Life is weird.

[@ecleveland1]

I remember that happening. It was a Tornado wasn’t it.

[@jamesh1641]

Taking your comment at face value. Let me say combat is chaotic and lots of things went wrong there from the aircraft to the ground as well. It happens.

[@davefloyd9443]

March 22 2003. Tornado GR4 of 9 Sqn RAF. 2 air crew killed after a Patriot battery misidentified the aircraft as an incoming ARM.

[@smwrbd]

Wow😢​@@davefloyd9443

[@jamesh1641]

@@davefloyd9443 not the full story, being honest here is important.

[@tomthx5804]

Is Santa in any danger tonight as he crosses that same region?

[@davidg3944]

Santa doesn't make too many stops in the Middle East...

[@ZeketheDawg1]

Santa has great Chaff! He'll be OK

[@65mustang393]

That is an excellent question. Recommend Santa meet up with a “5 wet” and divert his flight path.

[@darylmorning]

Rudolph has a built in, universal IFF transponder. Santa will be fine.

[@nicholasshultz2459]

@ZeketheDawg1 Tinsel all over the ground, and he's long gone.

[@fastone942]

I work with a guy that was a RIO on F/A18 I ask him one time what missile system, air crews feared his first answer was the patriot with a 19 or 20 year. Old soldier, operating it.

[@jamesh1641]

As a former 19-20 year old in a Patriot battery let me assure you and your friend no one in Fire Control firing missiles was that age. Commissioned Officers manned the FCU and made that decision.

[@hoghogwild]

@@jamesh1641 What age were the Officers?

[@BOOGIECali]

​@@hoghogwildperfect reply. This generation ia about titles

[@jamesh1641]

@@BOOGIECali look you don’t know me. Shut your mouth.

[@jamesh1641]

@@hoghogwild like almost all officers you will see in combat units, under 30. What’s your point? I sat in a FCU. Have you?

[@PerryMarshallScott]

The level of training / skill, organisation, tech etc that it takes to operate a carrier strike group wether in theatre or not is mind boggling. Hats off to EVERYONE involved.

[@markusher886]

Great live stream. Thanks for your objective analysis. It will be interesting to see how this story develops.

[@WConn100]

NAVY Brass covering their ass. As a former USAF ABCCC guy from Vietnam I can tell you friendly fire is more common than one might think. Glad the fly boys made it out and back alive. They will blame it on a faulty turboencabulator.

[@SandyRavaged]

They have hyperencabulators now.

[@moss8448]

don't forget the stratavazors

[@Doodelz02]

Must have been the blue turboencabulator. Those things are always kerfluffled!

[@BrianMorrison]

It's those cheap nofer trunnions.

[@sheldonrigsby3523]

A patriot system I was assigned to in 91 fired 2 that went up a few hundred feet then turned and raced horizontal and detonated about a mile away when, apparently, a helicopter pilot turned his IFF back on. The rocketeers said it was on automatic and fired on it's own. But yeah, there was a lot of finger pointing and CYA going on.

[@jimsvideos7201]

Thank you for the information. There are many, many questions left to be answered, but this is a good start.

[@wayneroyal3137]

Thank you guys so much for doing this video! With all of the crap on social media as someone stated already, this is the channel you can go to to get the best breakdown and the most information. The fact that no one perished in this incident is just an incredible outcome on its own. I’ll be looking forward to the Mooch updates!

[@jimpowell2296]

As an old navy Airdale who served in VF-154 during Vietnam, I can’t imagine friendly fire of aircraft in the stack preparing to be recovered.

[@sidishus]

It happened more than a few times in WWII. Especially in the intense Kamikaze attacks off Okinawa and Japan in 1945.

[@marlanappel6120]

Thank you again for your coverage of a very tough situation.

[@65gtotrips]

This investigation is going to be one of the most interesting of all modern times. I mean this is a VERY big deal. -> I don’t know the velocity of that particular missile, but there’s only a few seconds to react. Frankly, I believe there was divine intervention here for the incredibly compressed (only seconds) time frame.

[@pyro1047]

Generally surface launched missiles have an additional stage consisting of a booster section triggered on launch to rapidly propel them up to operational speed and altitude VERY quickly (Notice when they adapted the SM-6 for air-to-air use they removed those booster, as the plane's already at a high altitude and significant airspeed), though their "could" be a slight delay as this is a VLS missile caused by the JVC (Jet Vectoring Controls?) Boosters some missiles require when operating from a VlS which "Vectors" (i.e. orients/points) the missile in the direction of its target post-launch but prior to main booster and engine ignition. Either way, that all happens in an instant; with the Boosters and JVC detaching as soon as their expended to get rid of their dead weight and drag. Regardless, the launch when given immediately happens within miliseconds, and within a handful of seconds IF even that those missiles are zooming away at 4-4.5 Mach "Unclassified". And unlike the USSR/Russia and China, the US typically discloses UNDER our true operational capabilities; so even if someone designs a counter to our systems, unless made to VASTLY outperform the Public numbers we've released our Weapons/Defenses TRUE capabilities will allow them to still remain effective. I.e. Those Pilots ejected AS SOON as either their RWR or MAWS started squawking (RWR = Radar Warning Receiver, MAWS = Missile Approach Warning System); Having already seen the VLS launch and assuming they were just engaging more Houthi drones/missiles, it was only when the RWR/MAWS starting blaring that they realized "OH SH*T, They shot that AT *US*!". And the fact their immediate response was to punch out should tell you something about what "they" know that missile systems capable of, so should the fact they just automatically ejected within seconds of the RWR/MAWS going off having already seen and been aware of the initial launch; and JUST 2 SECONDS LATER their jet exploded from a direct hit. A simple double check or "We doin' this?/are you sure?" Would've cost them their lives... Whoever pulled that ejection handle deserves to get free drinks for life from the other and a fat kiss from the others partner (If married/in a relationship) cause they'd be getting an officer and chaplain knocking on their door, instead of thankfully just was cliche awkward "First of all don't panic Honey I'm OK (Honey immediately proceeds to panic), but there's been an incident" phonecall we've all heard stories about. -Off topic Tangent and discussion of ejection seats and differing operating methods- While different aircraft, and branches using the same aircraft can have various different methods of crew ejection; I believe "Most" USN aircraft operate on a "You go, we go" procedure i.e. regardless of whoever pulls the handle, you're BOTH going for a ride. ( With about a .5s delay between canopy ejection, WSO/RIO ejection, and Pilot ejection so they all have time to separate and don't hit eachother. Though unfortunately their have been cases of impropr canopy separation or shattering (In the case of "through the canopy" designs, such as on the AV-8/Harrier and F-35 which "shatter" the canopy with wires of explosive [If you watch cockpit footage of ANY military aircraft and it has those lines around and across the canopy for some reason that look like the de-frosting heating elements on cars rear windows, that's what those actually are and indicates it's using "Through the Canopy" ejection which PRO you don't risk hitting a separated canopy but CON you DO have explosives detonating and glass shattering directly over your head, which you are now going to fly through [As long as the canopy doesn't misfire... then PRO #1 has become CON #1] ) and a crewmember hitting it either in a COMPLETE failure i.e. it's still shut and on the plane, or it HAS successfully separated but due to the flight attitude of the aircraft such as in a vertical stall resulting in a flat spin straight down with the canopy "hovering/floating" in the aircrafts slipstream... well someone's breaking their neck and that's all I'll say (Poor one out for my boy Goose). I know of USN aircraft that've had the WSO/RIO eject though and the Pilot hasn't, either due to choice i.e. he thinks he can still save the aircraft, wants to limp her further into friendly territory first, wants to make SURE the plane doesn't decide to wander around and hit a school or building (has happened more than you'd think), or simply he should've gone too but his malfunctione. And in a suprising amount of these rare occurences, manages to save and land the aircraft (Not a uniquely USN experience either). So clearly not ALL USN aircraft, or at least not every historically used USN Aircraft, uses/used "One for All" ejection.

[@timme9206]

Thanks to both of you for clearing things up. That was very informative. Keep up the good work. It's much needed and appreciated as there is a lot of b/s in the (so called) news around the globe. Merry Christmas to Mooch and Hozer and your families. Best regards from Germany 🇩🇪

[@gscott5778]

So there was a second F-18 fired at that successfully avoided getting shot down. So it's really going to hit the fan now.

[@jaybee9269]

Seriously?

[@HighFlyer-p8x]

“With friends like Gettysburg, who needs enemies”, Harry S. Truman 2024

[@e.l.norton]

​@@jaybee9269 Yes. That was in the news earlier today. A second hornet taking evasive maneuvers to avoid a missile. Not just one aircraft.

[@leighrate]

@@HighFlyer-p8x That might also beg the question as to who was where and when, and what ? It might well be the case that the missile crew was trying to fight off a saturation attack.

[@realMaverickBuckley]

Damn. Imagine getting shot at by your own dudes 8000 miles from your own country. What a morale killer

[@paulheitkemper1559]

This brings up a good question: what happens when drones are smart enough (or human guided) to enter the pattern and follow a hornet down?

[@MilBard]

AI means that is a near term thing 😮

[@billyshields4472]

Great info, enjoyed spending Christmas with you both. Merry Christmas guys.

[@sblack48]

Then yer fucked

[@A_barrel]

It doesn't work like that. The system knows what everything in the sky is at any given moment. It's not a matter of walking and quacking like a duck. Something else went wrong for the missiles to be fired

[@JMChladek]

I would say the Truman carrier group had its Christmas Miracle. Lot of breath exhaling right now.

[@CraigJensen-tq7sq]

I imagine that after the Navy concludes its investigation there is going to be a CO of Gettysburg being relieved of command and other leaders in the periphery seeing their careers affected in a negative matter. For those of us who have served, in the military, shit rolls uphill and those in leadership will pay the price. I’m just thankful that the pilot and WSO are safe.

[@kcgunesq]

Am I correct in believing that Gettysburg XO is likely the person with primary direct authority and will be the first to be held responsible? Not that the CO won't also be relieved.

[@KenLeonard]

Agree, and exactly as it must be. The Commander must be held accountable for errors just as they are given credit for success’. (Retired Squadron CC)

[@robertfeeley6303]

Could the pilots have flown into an area that was restricted because of enemy threats?

[@pogo1140]

​@@robertfeeley6303 the Tico is usually the carrier's bodyguard so it will be close to the carrier. How is the bird going to be able to avoid that airspace and still land?

[@rb2287]

I hope you are correct. In the private world, this is but a dream. We all know that at the end of the day the CO is ALWAYS responsible for the conduct of his/her subordinates. If it truly wasn’t a mechanical or technical failure, then it was either a lack of instruction or lack of training and most certainly, a lack of oversight. I imagine NOTHING of this caliber happens in a vacuum. There are multiple layers of protection and protocols that must be adhered to prevent blue on blue engagements. It sucks, but someone is ultimately responsible. Now, there is always that outlier such as a rogue seaman who wanted to shoot down a friendly aircraft, but that would be exceedingly absurd.

[@gusm2752]

That was fascinating information , thank you Mooch and Hozer Much respect to the Navy from an old Air Force guy. 👍👍🍺🍺🇺🇸

[@USNAVYVET87]

You mentioned about ZULU time. As a helicopter aircrewman, I recall a ship we were to land on who were NOT on com. We had to hover off the port side giving hand signs what frequency to come up on. Not a good thing to know people are not on the same page as you are on.

[@MultiCconway]

Concerning IFF and the Vincennes Flight 655 Shoot Down . . . Fundamentally correct with a few facts missing. The CIC airside individual following the tracks had rolled his track ball over the airport and hooked the fighter with the info in his CRO (CRT Read Out) and on the IFF Repeater (now coincident and agrees). What he did not realize, and evidently was never taught, was that the Challenge Box for the Mk29 IFF system that interfaces with the Aegis Combat System is an eight (8) mile box and was geographically fixed over the airport at that location where he first hooked the track. That IFF Challenge box never moved after that . . . because the console operator NEVER hit Hook, Ball-tab, Center Ball-tab, or POSCOR (position correct) after that . . . so the IFF repeater showed the squawk of the Iranian F-14 that was bouncing at the base, and never left the pattern. However, the hooked track with all that information became superimposed over the airliner, and the information was on that airline until the airliner left the box. The system resolved the problem and put the correct squawks on everything as the airliner left the airport area. The OPERATOR seeing the information on his [now] inbound track was not agreeing with what the IFF Repeater was showing. He did not realize that pushing any button in his trackball well would have repositioned the IFF challenge box, but rather just fixated on the HOOKED track coming at him, with the wrong squawks in the CRT readout at the top of his console . . . so he corrected it manually . . . right down to altitude (Charlie squawk) from the fighter bouncing back at the airport. If an operator overrides the automatic input . . . the system will correct it, but if the operator persist . . . the altitude reading will now show "M" for MANUAL as the altitude source. So . . . as the airliner climbed to altitude flying down its Airway of which the Cruiser was directly below . . . it looked like it was flying at the ship. No one ever asked the Radar Set Control (SPY RSC Console) to verify the altitude of target track 1234, and why would they? The SLQ-32 operator showed an AWG-9 Radar on that bearing (the airport was on that bearing too) . . . so you see this is a single sailor, not understanding HOW HIS EQUIPMENT WORKS overriding a perfect system track that made it look like a threat. Now . . . the FFG-7 that was miles away and listening to the command net, and watching the Link-11 Symbology (FFG-7s had RECEIVE ONLY Link-11 at that time) . . . . saw the engagement. Their SLQ-32 saw that same AWG-9 radar and its true location staying near the Bagram Airport. They came up on the command net and tried to intervene . . . with no effect. The rest is HiStory . . . and that is the TRUTH!

[@65mustang393]

Thanks for a look behind the curtain. The details matter.

[@idkjames]

Nice breakdown. ATC not an air defense guy but somewhat understand that.

[@MrTimbeatty]

So is Iranian Airliner and F-18 the only planes ever shot down by Aegis?

[@FOH3663]

𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 is the detailed items of note I came here for. Much appreciated.

[@65gtotrips]

Paragraphs much ?

[@DoubleBimmerDragon]

Great reporting. Relieved the pilots are safe. I deployed as AW on DDG-84 in 2006 to 5th fleet. The south Red Sea is exceptionally challenging area to operate even without Houthi ops. If you have a follow on segment on this topic, see if you can add Bryan McGrath to the mix for AW perspective.

[@Joe-bm4wx]

Again, no credit to HSC-11 for their swift rescue 😩

[@SampleroftheMultiverse]

Great to hear intelligent people speak on subjects that these so-called news organizations have no clue about.

[@eeroala5132]

Great clarification on this incident.

[@stephenstange4194]

Thanks for these updates. Having watched your previous interview on the ship helps make this more real to me. News like this is easy to compartmentalize , but when you have seen in depth personal interviews, it makes it more relatable. Thank you, and thank you to who have and are currently serving.

[@andy164501]

Love your channel, Mooch. Never once have you made me laugh - until this one. Your response to Jeff Testpilot... "I'm going to have to ask you to change your screen name", cracked me up! I do appreciate the explanation. Was unsure of that, either...but I'm not a test pilot!

[@jayanderson9068]

This video cleared up a lot of questions from my previous comment. Makes sense now. Thanks again.

[@cliffyarboro1163]

Thanks for the video sad situation, I was Fly One PO on the USS Constellation for 2 westpac cruises off Vietnam spotted many fighter planes on the bow cats 👍👍

[@Chuck1284-]

Merry Christmas Ward! Thanks to you and Hozer for taking the time outta your holidays to post this.

[@michaelmchugh3987]

Merry Christmas! Thank you for the update.

[@suttonmatthew]

Thank the both of you for providing a timely expert update - and on Christmas Eve. Have a Merry Christmas.

[@dmac7128]

Thank you for the work you do. My heart goes out to those watchstanders in CIC of the Gettysburg. I don't know if I could live with that on my conscience. Behind all of the technical wizardry of our modern military, we must not forget that it is dependent on highly trained humans many of which are only a few years out of high school, are under tremendous stress and are fallible.

[@dandyjones1185]

Thanks to both of you for offering critical insight into this incident. Merry Christmas to all!! 🎄

[@ravndrup]

Merry Christmas Mooch. Thank you for your good work

[@robertswartzwelder8810]

No speculation, just facts! Good job! Thanks and Merry Christmas! Glad our aviators are okay, the Navy will figure this out and make improvements in procedures and training so we do better next time!

[@carlospar3727]

Thanks for the clear air, Mooch and Hozer!

[@jaxredsoxfan1]

Hey Ward I served on Gettysburg from 2006-2009 as a stgc, who sat ASWC, SWC, AWC, and CSC watchstations. I have questions here. Wasn't there an E2 up? We would have never shot sm-2 at that close range. Link 16 NTDS should have had the F-18 already in the system. If the CVN or anyone had those aircraft in the system we would see it as the aw. As the AW it would have been our priority to understand the whole air picture. In order to fire the fic ( fire inhibit key) must have been inserted to enable the launcher - this key is usually held by the CO and the weapons officer, or can be granted to the CSC watch stander by the CO. There is no way the CO would not have been in the decision loop here, especially if active air strikes were just completed. The aircraft should have been talking to the aic's on the Gettysburg as they made there way back to the carrier. The iff issue is confusing, but you make a plausible point on the cycling of crypto due to Zulu time No way 2 aircraft had bad iff,and the Gettysburg would have actively interrogated mode4 on anything approaching the ship or the carrier. I am so grateful no pilots were lost and everyone got back safely. We recovered the pilots from 2 Marine helps that collided in the red sea and I see the image of pulling helo pieces, bodies, and flight bags from the gulf of Oman to this day and I retired as a senior chief in 2010. I just think from my experience this is an impossibility to happen - i am looking forward to any updates you might have going forward. Gettysburg was one of the best and most capable ships i ever served on and it hurts my heart this could have happened. Thank you for providing the most informative info I can find on this tragic incident.

[@peterbogart4531]

Sir(s), T Y for this awesome report. Stuff definitely happens, we are so fortunate to avoid serious casualties. At least the parts in the ejection seats are right side up!

[@Bradamsmx5]

Loved this video. This is my first video on your channel. I will be watching many more. As a former avionics technician in the Marine Corps on the older F/A-18 C/D airframes, this piqued my interest. I was never fortunate enough to serve on a carrier. My squadron were all land based at the time. I think we were actually one of the only single-seat land based squadrons in the FMF. To hear of the split second decision for ripper 1 and 2 is amazing. Everyone walking away is nothing short of a Christmas miracle. The split second reactions for both aircraft, especially at such low airspeed is amazing. I can’t imagine that even for the aircrew who ejected the ride down was anything short of nightmarish. Especially ejecting so close to such a large warhead detonating on your aircraft, which I can only assume was no more than a few hundred feet away at point of impact. It will be very interesting when the final results of the investigation come out.

[@reganhoward7883]

In ancient days when I was integrating comm equipment, the device allowed for a ‘next day’ code to roll over to. There was even some allowance for clock synchronization fuzziness.

[@paulmeyer1628]

Thank you for your professional analysis of this unfortunate incident Mooch. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[@BNuts71]

"Friendly fire" is an unfortunate part of war. Good friend killed 8 Brits during Desert Storm with his A-10 at night. Was cleared to fire beyond a line of fire that no friendlies were supposed to be operating. A squadron mate was cleared to kill by AWACS and got no IFF return, but had a bad feeling. He held fire and ended up not firing on an EF-111. Another buddy shot down a Blackhawk when he misidentified it. Fog of war. I always worried about Patriots firing on us when returning from Iraq. Fortunately we had no known shoot downs.

[@scottzagger]

The A-10 is a friendly fire machine. Massively disproportionate involvement in incidents.

[@bansheeracing423]

Merry Christmas.. thanks for your service and all you do . Keeping us informed on the real story .Be safe my friend.

[@randallraker4036]

Thank you both for your wise perspective.

[@crazyyoda8721]

Was waiting for Wards take on this. Very important to know what happen

[@emmabird9745]

Hi Mooch, I came on this late. This is a great chanel. Small correction, the Iranian airliner was an Airbus A300, not a 74. I was working on the A300 group at that time.

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

Thanks. Mooch is in cognitive decline.

[@jamesesullivandds9862]

I remember the Vincins shoot down was due to your beloved Tomcat radar out of Badar abbas lighting up the radar

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

@ that was terrible. Russia did shoot down a 747 that drifted over their sovereign airspace. It gave Senator Henry Jackson a fatal heart attack. The Russians claimed the radar was bad. We did the same luckily. Used the excuse to prevent a war.

[@redlabel9294]

Love the great content/insights. Also, love the irony that I brought this video up on my recording studio PC while I have a Les Paul in my lap, and am looking at Ward's LP in the background. 😅

[@ScottSummerill]

Worked Aegis for 8 years in Moorestown. Lethal engagement is blocked with proper IFF response. Bet Lockheed is scrambling.

[@johnross6314]

LockThemUpheed-Martin will be in trouble.

[@dongiovanni4331]

Have they ruled out IFF failure?

[@Skyhawks1979]

@@dongiovanni4331 "back in the day", the aircrew needed to manually switch from code A to code B if airborne at 0000 Zulu. Not sure if it is still done that way or if it happens automatically. The Carrier just arrived into the AOR so the crew may not have been used to using the crypto gear on a daily basis, especially at 0000 Zulu.

[@MrBen527]

Everyone is scrambling now.

[@teresabenson3385]

​@@dongiovanni4331See their discussion around 37:00 or so.

[@ronnonyabizness5240]

I think most civilians would be shocked at how many AC we lose each year from mishaps, mistakes, and other "oops!" moments.

[@idkjames]

I mean we have literally lowered flight training times in response to the PERS issues. Not going to speak on quality and what not but experience is experience. Doesn't really apply to this incident I doubt but in general what you are speaking to

[@Richard-od7yd]

They are machines . Machines break down . I made my living on broken down elevators . Shit happens 😂

[@mako88sb]

I read Super Carrier by George C Wilson a long time ago, before the internet was even around. Even though I haven’t read it again in 35 years, I still remember 3 mishaps that resulted in lost F-14’s. One simply went missing and of course the crew were never recovered. This was during a 7 month tour.

[@mako88sb]

@@idkjames Well, some of it is complacency or disregard to proper procedure. I’m talking about the Osprey pilot who had lots of opportunity to land after the chips warning light first came on.

[@cicio7777]

What is AC?

[@sirwholland7]

I don’t think “rip 2” was “engaged” by the second SM2. It’s highly unlikely that the Aegis weapon system would have rolled from the engaged spy7 (a FAB (fixed action button action on the AAWCs OJ console) action with “Fizz” Green (CO/TAO fire inhibit key rolled green)) track. This is an opinion, but it looks like the spy doctrine was set to Shoot Shoot look Shoot. The second missile terminal dived after the engaged Spy7 track was assessed hit by the Aegis of system.

[@drhoff585]

As a retired Aegis Firecontrolman I was the GQ MSS operator on an Aegis Cruiser and participated in many live fire exercises. Your assessment of RIP2 is correct if weapons doctrine was set to shoot shoot look shoot. Both missiles were fired at RIP1 and once declared killed second missile would go terminal. In would be a different scenario if both aircraft had been declared hostile by AWS. Too many unanswered questions

[@bryonslatten3147]

Yeah I can’t imagine an SM-2 locked onto an F-18 doing 250 kts at 1,500 ft missing under most circumstances. Ripper 2 was a sitting duck and a lucky one.

[@MrBen527]

Why would Rip 2 not be engaged also?

[@pyro1047]

​@@MrBen527 Could be due to range if true, as many air defense systems operate on a "Area of Protection" type doctrine so they don't waste interceptors (i.e. missiles) on tracks predicted to fall outside their "Protection Zone" maximizing the targets they can engage that're actually a danger to them and those under their protection. Ripper 2 was trailing Rip 1 by 5mi if I remember correctly, so maybe Rip 1 came within the parameters to classify it as a threat; and Rip 2 was just far enough back it hadn't yet with the "Cease Fire" being ordered before it could.

[@ZaneAshura]

I believe your also correct about them being in saturation doctrine. The question is did aegis, RSC, AAWC, or TAO designate as hostile.

[@keithschultz9406]

Thank you guys for the update of the incident… wishing you both and your families the best of Christmas and New Year:)

[@skyhawksailor8736]

Just a few months ago we had a Zulu Time incident in the training environment. The majority of the FA-18s had turned up before Zulu Time and were seen by the controllers, the last two FA-18s turned up just after Zulu Time and the controllers never saw them.

[@bryonslatten3147]

Is Zulu Time the “Cinderella” time to return to base?

[@Voncid]

Mooch an Hozer, thanks for your review of the incident and may you both have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, stay save.

[@karlfair]

Thanks for the great report. Merry Christmas to you both.

[@Iamtheclip]

Always well done leaving little to question, this old man recognizes quality and thanks you for such!

[@EveryoneIsFightingSomeBattle]

The Mooch and Hozer episodes are always awesome.

[@Juice_2288]

Thanks for the excellent breakdown Mooch and Hozer. I’m happy all involved are safe. Merry Christmas 🎄

[@Zippezip]

The USS Gettysburg CG-64 is a ship that was designed in the late 1970's and early 1980's and was launched in 1989. Gettysburg entered into the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) on September 30, 2015. She was drydocked and underwent extensive modernization and material repairs including an upgrade of her radar and AEGIS weapon system. She went underway again for the first time in nearly nine years on February 28, 2023. Obviously, something went wrong during the upgrade or the IFF system had a major glitch. In either case the damn ship is older than my son and I am a grandfather. Could it just be that we are asking too much of our Navy without providing the requisite updated and improved equipment?

[@kegyen]

I’ve always had a hidden anxiety while returning to the boat, assumed this could not possibly ever happen. You had my heart racing while describing this event. If the second missile wasn’t cut, I want to know about that boss maneuvering Elmo

[@rsderrick]

It is shocking to me that with today’s technology, such as Aegis Combat Systems, Link 16, radar, and sensor systems as well as other combat systems that an incident like this could occur. It’s difficult for me to believe that there could be any confusion in identifying a friendly aircraft. System redundancies here should have kept the crew and aircraft safe. This is a massive failure of epic proportions. If this indeed was a failure of systems then we have a massive problem and the odds of this happening again are high.

[@stuartkcalvin]

Thanks Mooch 👏👏Merry Christmas from Australia 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎅🎅🎅🎅

[@WardCarroll]

Thanks, Merry Christmas!

[@tonkerdog1]

I fly commercially over the Red Sea, and it’s now a regular discussion point when highlighting threats we could face, not that there’s anything we could do about it.

[@GLEX234]

There’s a long standing FAA NOTAM requiring civil aircraft to operate weather radar at all times in the AOR. The military can identify you with weather radar emissions.

[@MrTylerStricker]

Great update for those not in-the-know. Nice to see Hozer getting a last minute appearance under his belt for the Moochie Awards!

[@johnbolwell5969]

If I have understood you correctly: Ripper 1 was just 5 miles behind the Gettysburg. I don't know for a fact but I imagine the SM2 missile needs to be at least Mach 2 at terminal velocity (how else could it cover the short distances fast enough? Mach 2 is 1500mph which is a mile every 0.4 seconds so allowing for acceleration and the initial tracking manoeuvre it seems that 15 seconds is the very most they would have before impact; less than that to get out and be clear of the blast. Great video - very informative. (Correction: should be 0.4 miles per second)

[@65gtotrips]

Totally agree; That’s what I wrote as well !

[@bryonslatten3147]

1,500 mph is a mile every 2.4 seconds.

[@johnbolwell5969]

@@bryonslatten3147 Correct, sorry, I meant 0.4 miles per second. Also, they were at 250kts towards the boat/Gettysburg, increasing the closing speed. Brave but correct decision to bang out pre-emptively.

[@JoshWalker1]

Yeah these are very fast missiles lol. Let's say yes, more than mach 2

[@mikejhorn]

As an interested layman I always appreciate your channel’s reviews of such incidents! As a physician, I know the tendency to talk in jargon. IMHO, In my profession, we are trained and encouraged to avoid jargon when interacting with the public.