After 20 years of strictly air-to-air missions, the F-14 community embraced air-to-ground, including the challenging role of Forward Air Controller – Airborne (FAC-A). This episode addresses the Tomcat’s performance in FAC-A as well as the big picture of this demanding mission.

Retired US Navy Captain Paul “PK” Averna was an F-14 pilot and instructor at Strike Weapons and Tactics School, Atlantic (SWATSLANT) who was personally involved in launching FAC-A training in the F-14 community. In addition to technical details of the mission and weapons associated with FAC-A, PK compares the Marine Corps MAWTS training program with the TOPGUN program, and discusses related missions such as Combat Search and Rescue.

PK’s comments range from writing mission notes on the canopy to combat missions over Bosnia: “NATO forces surrounded an ammo depot held by the Serbs. … The ground FAC said, ‘We need a show of force here.’ … I ended up peeling off … and thumping the ammo depot. … They gave up their guns right then.”