Interesting thing with transponders

On Mar 5, 9:41*pm, "BT" wrote:
As Jim said... but not entirely accurate. And a response by another
responder, not entirely accurate.

"Most" fighter type aircraft can interrogate Mode 3 transponders on their
air to air search radars and get a return.
"Most" fighter type aircraft do not have TCAS. Modern Aircraft might.
"Transport" military aircraft may or may not have TCAS, it depends on their
vintage, and they do not have an air to air radar to "ping" a transponder..
" Heavy Bomber" military aircraft may not have TCAS, it depends on their
vintage, and they do not have an air to air radar to "ping" a transponder..

If a flight of 4 fighters (or more than one) is transitioning airspace
outside of a MOA, ATC will have the wingmen, "Strangle the parrot", so
everyone will only see one transponder return, not four and the ATC radar
will not "go crazy with alerts".

BT "retired military aviator" and one time ATC controller.

Well, yes. A-10s, T-38s, T-45s don't have radars so can't interrogate
(although the latter two may have TCAS - I would hope they do!).
Early F-16s and F-18s didn't have interrogators, but all the later
versions do, as do all F-15s, etc. While fighters do not have TCAS,
I think a lot of trainers do, for obvious operational safety reasons.

Plus, there is Link 16, which lets each fighter in a flight see what
the rest is seeing, and what AWACS is seeing - another way to detect
other aircraft.

But that is just gravy - the important point here is that military
aircraft operating in joint use airspace WILL have a transponder on -
so flight following should work - talk to center if you are going
through a MOA that is hot!! - and if all else fails and you see a
problem developing in a MOA between gliders and military aircraft -
call on Guard (121.5) and they will likely hear you - beats a midair
anyday and you get to talk to your tax money at work, literally.

Kirk
"retired military aviator" and one time interrogator of civilian
transponder traffic in MOAs from the pit of his F-4 (and that was 30
years ago!)