VMax_03
Well-known member
Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in
an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A-1
Great North Road.
One of the officers, whose names were not released, used a hand-held
radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest
of a hill. He was highly surprised when the speed of the oncoming
vehicle was recorded at over 300 mph! His radar machine then stopped
working, and the officers were not able to reset it.
The radar had in fact latched onto a NATO Tornado fighter over the North
Sea. The aircraft was engaged in a low-flying exercise over the Border
district.
Back at police headquarters, the chief constable fired off a stiff
complaint to the RAF Liaison office.
The reply to his complaint came back in true laconic RAF style. It
read, "Thank you for your message, which allows us to complete the file
on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical
computer in the Tornado had automatically locked on to your 'hostile
radar equipment', and sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore,
the Sidewinder air-to-ground missiles aboard the fully-armed aircraft
had also locked on to the target.
Fortunately, the Dutch pilot flying the Tornado responded to the missile
status alert intelligently, and was able to override the automatic
protection system before the missile was launched."
an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A-1
Great North Road.
One of the officers, whose names were not released, used a hand-held
radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest
of a hill. He was highly surprised when the speed of the oncoming
vehicle was recorded at over 300 mph! His radar machine then stopped
working, and the officers were not able to reset it.
The radar had in fact latched onto a NATO Tornado fighter over the North
Sea. The aircraft was engaged in a low-flying exercise over the Border
district.
Back at police headquarters, the chief constable fired off a stiff
complaint to the RAF Liaison office.
The reply to his complaint came back in true laconic RAF style. It
read, "Thank you for your message, which allows us to complete the file
on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical
computer in the Tornado had automatically locked on to your 'hostile
radar equipment', and sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore,
the Sidewinder air-to-ground missiles aboard the fully-armed aircraft
had also locked on to the target.
Fortunately, the Dutch pilot flying the Tornado responded to the missile
status alert intelligently, and was able to override the automatic
protection system before the missile was launched."
