Consistent CAP over a fleet from a land base

"Ed Rasimus" wrote ....


Let me note that US/Spanish air defense goes back a long way, at least
to the fifties. And, the Spanish radar environment was excellent.

(snippagio before and after)

Interesting commentary. In the early 60s, the Italian air defense system
was better organized, but the Spanish were making substantial progress, some
of which must have been paid by Uncle Sam to reduce the vulnerability of
assets (although, other than a Bear, what could get to Rota?).

I can recall, 1963 or so, controlling F3 Demons and F8s West of Sardinia,
running an intercept on a low (and slow) flyer, a Gin-U-Wine He111, one of
a squadron/detachment?, the last of the breed, based at Palma flying
maritime recon on those trusty Merlin re-engines. The logistics a/c in
service there were Ju52s. The Palma a/c later turned up in movie roles for
_The Battle of Britain_, IIRC.

I had seen my first "real" F4s the previous Fall at Key West providing CAp
and other skullduggery during the Cuban episode. They were mighty
impressive birds, but then still in the teething process, faster than
anything about except for the Photo Crusaders which washed and polished,
clean with naught to slow them down but the square corners on the camera
covers, were mighty slick and sleek. For one who had gone to AIC school in
which the bogeys and the friendlies were sleepy old F3D (later F6)
Skynights, the performance of the new F4s was scary, providing a whole new
timeframe for 135LPI intercepts.

VF-13, equipped with F4Ds (the original F4 "Ford"/Skyray from Douglas)
through August 0f '62, had requipped with F3Ds/F3s for AG-10s '63
deployment. The Demon offered a better radar and FCS, but with flight
parameters closer to an A10, other than endurance which was altogether brief
(but then their possession by VF-13 was equally brief, with the birds
replaced by "semi-all-weather" F8Cs by Fall of 1964).


TMO