A TIN OF NI!
8th February 2008, 07:30 PM
Top this for a speeding ticket...
Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an
unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great
North Road.
One of the officers used a hand-held radar device to check the speed
of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when
the speed was recorded at over 300 mph. Their radar suddenly stopped
working and the officers were not able to reset it.
Just then a deafening roar over the treetops revealed that the radar had in
fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet which was engaged in a
low-flying exercise over the Border district, approaching from the
North Sea.
Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff complaint
to the RAF Liaison office.
Back came the reply in true laconic RAF style:
'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 detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your
hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back
to it. Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft had
also automatically locked onto your equipment. Fortunately the pilot flying
the Tornado recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to
the missile systems alert status, and was able to override the automated
defence system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar
installation was destroyed.
Good Day..."
Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an
unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great
North Road.
One of the officers used a hand-held radar device to check the speed
of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when
the speed was recorded at over 300 mph. Their radar suddenly stopped
working and the officers were not able to reset it.
Just then a deafening roar over the treetops revealed that the radar had in
fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet which was engaged in a
low-flying exercise over the Border district, approaching from the
North Sea.
Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff complaint
to the RAF Liaison office.
Back came the reply in true laconic RAF style:
'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 detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your
hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back
to it. Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft had
also automatically locked onto your equipment. Fortunately the pilot flying
the Tornado recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to
the missile systems alert status, and was able to override the automated
defence system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar
installation was destroyed.
Good Day..."