Warriors by Barrett Tillman (13 page)

       Bennett looked up from his notes, aware that he had the undivided attention of everyone in the room. "As for the maintenance and other personnel, their expenses will be met either by their employers such as Northrop and General Electric, or by the Royal Saudi Air Force in the event we bring current Saudi pilots into the program. It is our intention to push qualified individuals into leadership positions as fast as possible. The instructor pilots will remain airborne mission leaders and tactics advisers beyond the second year, but maintenance and support-the all-important aspect of an air force--could be fifty percent Saudi in less than three years.

       "Now, we also have developed a third community which will have much importance in determining how fast the F-20 program develops. Mr. Fatah has hired two flight surgeons from the United States and a British psychologist and a Lebanese psychiatrist. These gentlemen have devised entrance examinations for the Saudi applicants, based upon a time-proven system which rates psychological, personality, and other traits. We believe this should allow the highest possible number of graduates per class-approximately sixty-five percent."

       Bennett did not discuss the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that had led to this system. It had taken some hard talking to convince all the Saudis involved that applicants for the F-20 program-already a prestigious assignment before the first class convened-would be rated wholly on merit. As in many third world nations, military aviators largely came from the politically well connected upper class.

       Bennett and Lawrence had bluntly told Fatah that not even royal blood would ensure a seat in the course. However, the number of well-educated Saudi males with 80 percent proficiency in English automatically meant that young men from privileged backgrounds would fill most of the classes.

       Bennett continued. "Gentlemen, you all realize that the investment of this many of your brightest young people in this type of program will limit their usefulness elsewhere. The individuals we seek are high school graduates between eighteen and twenty-two years of age. They will be selected from only about six percent of your national population. This is the same ratio in most countries. Only this proportion is found in the general populace with the attributes necessary to become a successful fighter pilot. We are looking for youngsters in excellent health with perfect vision and superior motor skills. They must be highly motivated, willing to work long and hard toward their goal. As I noted, about thirty-five percent will not finish the course, but we can make good use of those who make it to the halfway point, provided they wish to do so."

       General Maila interjected. "What uses do you foresee for such students? Would they remain in the F-20 program?"

       "Yes, if they had aptitudes for maintenance or operations. But those who make it to the halfway point in Tigersharks will be fairly accomplished aviators. Their problems are likely to be spatial orientation in dogfighting or poor G-tolerance, things of that sort. If any of them want to fly less demanding aircraft, I would recommend transferring them to units better suited to their abilities."

       Bennett referred again to his notes. "Mr. Fatah's organization has identified an initial group of nearly a thousand young Saudis who meet the eligibility criteria for age and education. Others will be similarly identified as each group of young males approaches age eighteen. Our first class involves sixty-five candidates, who already have begun extensive remedial English instruction. We expect this to continue for one month, with language tests at intervals throughout the academic and early flying portions of the syllabus.

       "Preflight training stresses physical fitness, with emphasis on those physiological traits needed to withstand the high-G environment of aerial combat. Cardiovascular training will be stressed, as well as upper body development, which provides a sort of built-in resistance to blackout-up to a certain point. The F-20, remember, is a nine-G airplane. It will require a pilot in peak physical condition to fly it to its limits.

       "Ground school will last six months. The course outline and the methods are explained in your handouts. In addition to such topics as aerodynamics, mathematics, engines, and airframes, the students will have classes in the Koran and Arab history. Each barracks will be named for an Arab martyr or hero. We wish to impress these students-and they are at an impressionable age--that they are being groomed as warriors. Toward that end they will live under strict military supervision. They will learn the manual of arms and close-order drill to instill pride and discipline. But I hasten to note that as Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence and I have learned, this training must be tempered with encouragement. The students will be allowed to visit their families at regular intervals as well.

       "We think that all sixty-five who begin preflight training probably will complete it. Normally only those who fall ill or cannot keep up academically will be left behind, but in many cases these individuals can fall back to the next class.

       "Hands-on experience will come at the end of preflight when the students learn to start and run jet engines in a test cell. They will also learn ejection seats and desert and water survival."

       Bennett stopped to sip his lemon-flavored water. "We envision a graduation ceremony at the end of six months, with all family members present. His Majesty has agreed to attend, but the publicity will be minimal. The event is mainly for the benefit of the cadet and his family, with two weeks leave at that time." He knew the next revelation would concern some of the men around the table.

      
Here goes, Bennett. Hang on.
"We will start flying the cadets immediately in the two-seat F-5F. This is without prior instruction in propeller aircraft or training planes of any kind, although at first I had thought we might use other aircraft as lead-in training. Now I don't think that is necessary. The two-seat F-20Bs are being delivered at a rate sufficient to replace the F-5Fs before the first class is completed. Thorough simulator instruction can prepare the students for about seventy-five percent of the tasks they must complete in the air, but there is no substitute for actual flying. Since the Tigershark is practically stall-proof and resistant to spinning, it affords a unique opportunity to save time and money in the training curriculum."

       Bennett stopped to let the impact sink in. "Are there any questions ?"

       The senior Saudi general, Mustafa Halabi, raised a hand. "Colonel Bennett, I remember you mentioned this before. But is it absolutely certain this will work? Obviously, placing young boys in high-performance aircraft could involve great risk."

       "Yes, sir, I am absolutely certain it will work. As you know, it's easier to fly a jet than a piston-powered aircraft. The key is training-thorough, intensive training until the students know each procedure reflexively . We'll keep the cadets flying with IPs longer than normal to be doubly certain of each boy's ability before he solos. The U.S. Navy conducted a similar program many years ago, starting a study group in two-seat Grumman Cougars as their first aircraft. There were no significant problems, and I can only assume that the entrenched training organization and manufacturers prevented the service from adopting the program."

       Warming to his topic, Bennett pressed on. "There's another example, too. One of our Air Force instructors tells me that the Singapore pilots he worked with are among the best F-5 pilots anywhere. One of his students was twenty-two years old, had been flying the Tiger II since age eighteen, and had one thousand hours in it. I believe the Singapore syllabus involved preliminary instruction in propeller trainers, but it's been proven that the accelerated program really works."

       Lawrence cleared his throat, gaining Bennett's attention. The redhead was letting his friend know that he was beginning to speak rapidly and his voice was rising because of the passion he felt for this topic. Bennett continued in a modulated tone.

       "Our F-20 pilots will fly one airplane and one only in their entire careers, most likely. Their first fifteen flights will be in the front cockpit with an instructor in back. After basic airwork and about seventy-five landings they will go solo--one of the high points of their lives, I assure you." Bennett glanced down the table at the king and Fatah. "I might add that I've been assured we will not face the problem of fuel shortage which plagues many other air forces."

       There was a ripple of laughter around the table.

       "The post-solo stage will concentrate on navigation without electronic aids. As you know, most of our F-20s are being ordered without radar or navigation equipment. The value of this training will be apparent if the force is committed to combat. In today's world, electronic countermeasures can preclude navigation, communication, and many weapon systems. Our pilots will not know any such problem since their entire training will be directed toward visual navigation, radio silence in most cases, and gun armament with heat-seeking missiles. Many authorities say those days are over and apparently believe that only the most sophisticated aircraft and systems can do the job. However, we believe otherwise. In your country, with clear weather most of the year, with well-trained pilots flying simple, easily maintained fighters, we expect to match or beat any likely opponent.

       "We expect that about five of the sixty-five students in each class will wash out during this phase of training. At the end of the formation-flying stage the student will have about a hundred hours, and here we expect our highest attrition from dropouts and washouts. Approximately ten students will be disqualified at this level, but as I noted they may be useful in other capacities.

       "At this point, having flown approximately five thousand hours of instructional training, we can expect two or three aircraft will be written off or grounded from damage. Our procurement policy has taken aircraft attrition into consideration.

       "The next phase is instrument training. Now, this is not because we expect to do much night flying. But the frequent haze over the gulf and heavy dust storms will require instruments. It is a demanding phase of flight and will stress the student to a considerable degree. If he can fly a high-performance aircraft alone, on instruments, he has what we Americans call the right stuff. Instrument flight is one of the greatest teachers of discipline, and a tremendous confidence-builder. We will continue instrument training at intervals throughout the syllabus. Probably this will involve two night flights per month.

       "Subsequent stages include advanced formation flying, including tactical formations based on the American loose-deuce two-plane section. Next comes weapon employment. This is the portion toward which all prior training has been directed. Students will begin with air-to-ground gunnery, quickly progressing to aerial gunnery. There will be twenty flights in this syllabus, all in loose-deuce formation or four-plane flights. Inert Sidewinder missiles will be on board, and students will take turns attacking and defending against missile-equipped opponents. We expect to make heavy use of simulators in this phase, as it will be an excellent means of recognizing AIM-9 missile-firing parameters.

       "Finally, tactics flights against a mixture of instructors and other students will put together all the cadet has learned previously. Frankly, this is the most dangerous regime in the entire syllabus, and we expect to lose some aircraft. Instructors will use a moderate degree of effort to' stress the students and keep them from getting overly confident. By now the students will have some two hundred hours, and some nations have committed pilots to combat at that point.

       "By the end of this final stage we should graduate forty to forty-five students of the original sixty-five. Properly led, they could give a good account of themselves in combat at this stage. But naturally we prefer greater experience before committing the F-20s to such a test."

       Bennett paused to see if anyone had a question. He noted that he had kept the audience's wholehearted interest, so he pressed on. "Graduation ceremonies will be the most moving emotional experience of the young pilot's life. His family and friends will see him receive his silver wings and his commission as a lieutenant. Pay will rise to about a thousand dollars per month. He will have more freedom of movement and will be rid of drill and marching. I recommend a three-week period of leave, and the commissioned pilots would be eligible to marry. I do not recommend marriage prior to graduation. These young men will have their hands full just keeping up with the curriculum.

       "Upon reporting back to base, the graduate pilots will begin to sharpen their skills. An eight-month period involving a hundred and sixty flights will be conducted entirely under combat conditions. Every takeoff, every landing, every briefing will be made under the assumption that hostilities are imminent. The same will apply to maintenance personnel. The pilots also will fight other types of aircraft-Saudi F-15s and Kuwaiti Mirages, for instance. Barring completely unforeseen problems, at the end of this eight-month period, our pilots in the F-20 should be able to defend Saudi airspace against any probable opponent. Frontline assignments will follow, with fifteen pilots and thirteen aircraft per squadron.

       "We intend to plow back into the system about half of the outstanding Arab students to ease the instructor burden on our current IPs. This will be done on a rotational basis after we have identified those with talent and aptitude for flight leader and instructional duty. In this manner we will reinforce the self-sustaining concept for the F-20 program, building on each successive class."

       Bennett gulped another mouthful of water. He was nearing the end of his first presentation, and knew his audience was intrigued by the program.

       "In each of the first three squadrons there will be an American or British adviser who, though not officially the commanding officer, will possess nominal command. Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence will lead the first such unit, and over a period of time these leaders will be replaced by your own people. We will continue recruiting instructors as new classes are formed, and we expect to begin basic flight training every two months-sixty-five students each. At the end of three years there should be eight to ten operational F-20 squadrons, with a maximum strength of a hundred and thirty aircraft. By that point there is little question that your Tigershark pilots could defeat most air forces in the world, fighting against even odds. The F-20's in-commission rate should enable this force, if necessary, to meet or beat a larger enemy with a lower in-commission rate.