A MIL TRAINING FLT SPILLS OUT OF THE MOA AFTER MISTAKING AN ACR ACFT FOR A PARTICIPATING TARGET ACFT. SUCCESSFUL IDENT AND RETURN TO THE MOA WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative

THE FLT WAS A MIL TRAINING FLT; SCENARIO WAS F16'S PERFORMING DEFENSIVE COUNTER-AIR (DCA) AGAINST F15'S WHO WERE SIMULATING IRAQI MIG-25'S IN A SWEEP ROLE. THE AIRSPACE WAS THE YANKEE MOA FROM 10000 FT TO FL180 AND THE OVERLYING LASER N; E AND W ATCAA'S; FL180 TO FL310 (SEE DIAGRAM). DURING A DEFENSIVE REACTION (NOTCH) 2 F16'S; ACFT X AND ACFT Y DSNDED TO 18000 FT WHILE TIMING OUT RADAR MISSILES ON 1 F15. THEY VISUALLY ACQUIRED A PLANE 6 NM SW OF THEM (AND LOCKED IT WITH ACFT Y RADAR) THAT THEY PERCEIVED TO BE A LIVE F15. THEY PROCEEDED TO CLOSE FOR A VISUAL IDENT (VID). THEY CLOSED TO 2.1 NM ON THE ACFT'S BEAM AT CO-ALT ACFT Y AT 16000 FT AND ACFT X AT 15000 FT AND IDENTED A COMMUTER AIRLINER. ACFT X CALLED 'KNOCK IT OFF' FOR STRANGER TFC AND ALL FIGHTERS ACKNOWLEDGED; TERMINATED MANEUVERING AND RETURNED TO THEIR POINTS AND BLOCKS. ACFTS X AND Y ACCIDENTALLY WENT OUT THE BOTTOM OF LASER E ATCAA BY 3000 FT AND 2000 FT RESPECTIVELY WHEN THEY PERCEIVED THEY WERE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE YANKEE MOA. A 110 KT WIND FROM THE W CONTRIBUTED TO THE DESIRED ENGAGEMENT ZONE (DEZ) OCCURRING FURTHER E THEN PLANNED. THEY HAD RADAR CONTACT AND TALLY-HO WITH THE SAAB AT 6 NM AND CLOSED TO 2 NM FOR THE PURPOSE OF VISUAL IDENT; SO THERE WAS NO DANGER OF A MIDAIR. THE FLT WAS AN UPGRADE RIDE FOR ACR X WHO IS LEARNING TO BE A 4-SHIP FLT LEAD. ACFT Y WAS THE INSTRUCTOR PLT.