"Troublemaker"
Gerald GroßShare
The engine start can be heard in the cockpit through fine vibrations, a clear sign that my EUROFIGHTER was already in the air today and the two EJ200s have still not completely cooled down. I'm concentrating on preparing for the start of an AIR DEFENDER 23 mission, but a lot of preparation was necessary up to this point. The day before, I was on duty for around 12 hours, made countless phone calls and took part in video conferences. Today I am part of the enemy representation, called “Red Air”. We are the "troublemakers" who will try to prevent the training audience, "Blue Air", from achieving their goals. The mission to represent the enemy has its own challenges: foreign weapon systems have to be replicated, pre-planned situations and challenges have to be orchestrated with many aircraft... I go through these plans again in my head as I am on the way to the rendevous point with the A330 MRTT . My formation only has a time window of 10 minutes for the first refueling process, so it has to be done quickly. To save time, we fly directly to the refueling baskets called “drogues”. I extend my “refueling probe” and carefully fly it into the basket. About 20 minutes later we arrived at the station in time to be able to start the first presentation at the start of the exercise (Vul Time). "VADER 25 alive" - with this radio message I signal my entry into the exercise as an active opponent. I have to do without my usual callsign "MSTANG 1" during AD23, the nicknames are given. I turn my EUROFIGHTER towards the incoming COMAO (Composite Air Operation) and I already know: This won't end well. I'm replicating an older eastern aircraft type with inferior weapons - I had a bit of bad luck in the draw. I tried to hide in low flight, to offer the opponents little attack surface and yet: "Vader 25 you are claimed dead" "Copy kill" - back to the Regen Base and to a new one...
