Miscellaneous wrote:Thanks @Iceman. So the Falcon serves only as a platform for the electronic wizardly?
In a word No! In a past life I flew the Falcon for a number of years so some of my information may be a little out of date.
Apart from the Threat Simulation and communications jamming other tasks include, Target Towing, Chaff dropping, Practice Interceptions for trainee Fighter Controllers , Silent Targets for Radar/Guided Weapons systems and Radio Calibrations for ships coming out of refit or new ships, Aircraft Targets for trainee Air Traffic Controllers and numerous other tasks.
The exercise in Scotland is an ideal opportunity for live firing against towed targets. Target Heights vary from 15 feet above sea level for close in weapons systems firings to about 30,000 feet for live missile shoots. Tow lengths vary but the standard length is usually about 24,000 feet (about 5 miles behind the aircraft) ...sometimes longer for special tasks.
Targets are quite sophisticated and have flares and smoke systems, transponders, adjustable lenses to simulate different size aircraft and small ”wings” to maintain low heights. These wings are controlled by a radar altimeter to maintain accurate heights at very low level.