9 11 Fighter Jets - The 9/11 disaster was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil. On September 11, 2001, New York and Washington experienced an event like no other, and the US military was forced to act like no other to protect its homeland.
Recognizing that an aerial threat, a Boeing plane called Flight 93, was headed for the Capitol in Washington, the Air Force made a drastic decision. The task, which involved the USAF's F-16 fighter jets, was, quite literally, suicide.
9 11 Fighter Jets
Through its experience in the Vietnam War, the United States realized that it needed more mobile fighters that could operate at transonic speeds. This is where the F-16 finds its origins.
Air Force Drill Sparks 9/11 'crash' Fear As Fighter Jet Trails Low Flying Passenger Plane & 'loud Bang' Heard Over Paris
An order was placed in 1972 for a light and cost-effective air-to-air fighter. The US Air Force took its first delivery in 1978.
The original jet was a day fighter, but current models are day/night, all-weather capable aircraft that are also effective for ground attacks. Air-to-ground responsibilities made the first production F-16s multi-role fighters.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is 15 meters long and 9.45 meters long. It is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney or General Electric turbofan engine. With afterburning, this engine can produce 102-130 kilowatts of thrust. Such a force can accelerate the F-16 to more than twice the speed of sound.
The standard armament of the Fighting Falcon includes a 20 mm rotary cannon mounted under the wings and fuselage. It combines a wide variety of missiles and bombs. With a normal combat load, the aircraft weighs 10,000 kg. It is less than half the weight of the previous generation F-4 Phantom II.
North Dakotans Recall 'chaotic' Hours After 9/11
The F-16 is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. In addition, the Fighting Falcon provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and its allies.
In the air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius are superior to all potential threat fighter aircraft. It can not only detect targets in all weather conditions but also detect low-flying aircraft in radar ground clutter.
In the air-to-surface role, this aircraft can travel more than 860 km and can fire its weapons with high accuracy. It is able to defend itself against enemy aircraft and return to the starting point. It is capable of delivering weapons accurately in stealth bombing situations.
It was sold to American allies in the Middle East, where it proved very useful in ground attacks and aerial warfare in the Israeli-Syrian conflict in 1982 and the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War.
Chinese Fighter Jet Flies 20 Feet From Us Military Plane
The Fighting Falcon also beat older F-35s in dogfights. It was the most star-studded USF homecoming in 2001 when the unfortunate attacks occurred.
Considering that the F-16 was one of the most powerful aircraft in the possession of the US military, it is not surprising that in the midst of the confusion that arose after hitting the World Trade Center on September 11, this fighter was chosen for the special mission. .
United Airlines Flight 93 did not hit its target - the Capitol building in Washington. DC Air National Guard (part of the USAF) pilots, Lt. Heather "Lucky" Penny and Colonel Mark "Sass" Sasseville joined the Fighting Falcons soon after.
However, every F-16 on the tarmac was equipped with dummy rounds and fake ammunition. Their goal was to simulate real weapons for training. No one was armed and it would take at least an hour to get in the actual ammunition. Installing missiles on aircraft fixed points was not a quick task.
China Us Military Rivalry: America's Cutting Edge Ngad Programme Aims To Rise Above Pla Air Force
The two pilots decided to fly the fighter without any ammunition. Their plan was to locate United 93 and insert the fighter, perhaps into the cockpit or wing, to prevent it from reaching its destination and wreaking havoc at yet another location in the nation's capital.
They will have only two seconds, or maybe even less, to get themselves out of the plane to save their lives. It was, essentially, a suicide mission to counter a suicide attack.
As passengers of hijacked Boeing Flight 93 struggled with terrorists, took hostages and tried to regain control, the plane crashed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
The F-16 and their pilots were never the heroes of that story, because that afternoon, the passengers took their last breaths saving the day.
Why Us F 16 Pilots Were Ordered To Ram Their Aircraft Into A Passenger Plane During 9/11 Attacks
Second degree assault washington state, 2nd degree assault sentence, 2nd degree aggravated assault, 2nd degree assault mn, 2nd degree assault, 2nd degree assault definition, 3rd degree assault washington state, 4th degree assault washington state, 2nd degree felony assault, 4th degree assault washington, what is assault 2nd degree, 2nd degree assault charges