William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet 2023

The Air Force held its last William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet in 2004. For nineteen years, the competition wasn't held, but this year the Air Force revived the Meet and the first one is being held in Savannah at the Georgia Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Center/Air Dominance Center at the Savannah-Hilton Head IAP. The competition features teams from eight different units flying the F-15C, F-15E, F-22A, and F-35A. Opposition forces are being provided by F-16s from the 64th AGRS and T-38s from the 1st FW and 325th FW. Tanker support is being provided by KC-46As from the 305th AMW. A DOD contractor is towing the target banners for aerial gunnery. The participating units are:

• 1st Fighter Wing (F-22A)
• 3rd Fighter Wing (F-22A)
• 154th Fighter Wing (F-22A)
• 4th Fighter Wing (F-15E)
• 104th Fighter Wing (F-15C)
• 366th Fighter Wing (F-15E)
• 158th Fighter Wing (F-35A)
• 388th Fighter Wing (F-35A)

Due to my work schedule and other issues, I didn't think that I was going to be able to listen to any of the Meet, but luckily, I was able to fit in a couple of hours of listening to Thursday's morning sorties. The Meet frequencies share some of those used by Sentry Savannah exercises in years past. I had more radio time in the evenings, so I was able to do a lot of listening to the visiting units' P25 VHF maintenance nets. I also had help from a spotter who kindly provided me with information that helped identify a lot of what I heard on the radios. That said, there may be some errors in the callsigns, particularly when it comes to the MOHAWK and TBOLT flights of F-15s. A friend also passed on what he heard earlier in the week and that gave me a massive head start on Thursday morning, otherwise I would have started cold, and it would have required a lot more brain work to figure out who was who and what was what. 

The teams participating in the Meet are being judged on a variety of things, including Air Combat Maneuvering, Basic Fighter Maneuvers, and Aerial Gunnery, all of which I heard examples of on Thursday morning. All three took place in the SEALORD controlled special use areas off the Georgia coast. While the fighters are based out of the CRTC/ADC at Savannah-Hilton Head IAP, the support tankers are working out of Hunter AAF as are the aircraft towing the target banners for aerial gunnery.

On the topic of the fighters, spotter reports indicate that the 3rd FW and 154th FW did not bring their own aircraft to the Meet; their crews are using 1st FW F-22As. The F-15 units may have been flying mixed flights (i.e. flights composed of 4th FW F-15Es and 366th FW F-15Es). 

Frequencies

125.975/257.800 - Savannah-Hilton Head IAP Tower

124.975/279.575 - Hunter AAF Tower 

126.200/285.425 - Hunter AAF Base Ops

120.400/125.300/118.400 - Savannah TRACON

353.775/371.875/307.225 - Savannah TRACON

124.675/282.200 - Jax Center Jekyll Low

132.925/363.200 - Jax Center Allendale/Savannah Low

237.000 - CRTC/ADC Ops

139.850 - 64th AGRS Air-to-Air

314.400 - 158th FW Air-to-Air

234.200 - CRTC/ADC; Unknown Air-to-Air

242.100 - CRTC/ADC; Unknown Air-to-Air

245.300 - CRTC/ADC; Unknown Air-to-Air

226.800 - Unknown Air-to-Air

236.550 - Unknown Air-to-Air

244.300 - Unknown Air-to-Air

248.500 - Unknown Air-to-Air

285.250 - 305th AMW Air-to-Air

378.850 - 305th AMW Air-to-Air

173.4125 ($507) - CRTC/ADC; 1st FW MOC?

173.4625 ($107) - CRTC/ADC; 158th FW MOC

173.4625 ($108) - CRTC/ADC; 4th FW MOC

173.4875 ($402) - CRTC/ADC; 388th FW MOC

173.4875 ($406) - CRTC/ADC; 104th FW MOC

173.4875 ($408) - CRTC/ADC; 366th FW MOC

173.5875 ($605) - CRTC/ADC; Unknown MOC

173.5875 ($606) - CRTC/ADC; POL

120.950 - SEALORD North Primary

284.500 - SEALORD North Primary

267.500 - SEALORD South Primary

349.600 - W-137 Discrete

349.800 - W-137 Discrete

376.900 - W-137 Discrete

288.400 - NORAD Discrete

296.300 - NORAD Discrete

316.300 - NORAD Discrete

228.800 - Common

282.600 - Fight Common

Callsigns

FIRST 0# (F-22A, 1st FW)

CHIEF 7# (F-15E, 4th FW)

MOHAWK 81 (F-15E, 4th FW)

MIGHTY 6# (F-15C, 104th FW)

MAPLE 3# (F-35A, 158th FW)

SKULL 5# (F-35A, 158th FW)

RUDE 4# (F-35A, 388th FW)

SHOCKER 8# (F-15E, 366th FW)

TBOLT 8# (F-15E, 366th FW)

CHEDDAR 3# (F-35A, 388th FW)

RUDE 4# (F-35A, 388th FW)

RAM 4# (F-35A, 388th FW)

DEMON 0# (F-22A, Unknown Unit)

GAMECOCK 2# (F-22A, Unknown Unit)

KILLER 0# (F-22, Unknown Unit)

SATAN 0# (F-22A, Unknown Unit)

MIG 0# (F-16C, 64th AGRS)

FLASH 9# (T-38, 1st FW/325th FW)

UGLY 0# (T-38, 1st FW/325th FW)

VODKA 0# (T-38, 1st FW/325th FW)

FORCE 01 (KC-46A, 20-40672, 305th AMW)

FORCE 02 (KC-46A, 20-46074, 305th AMW)

TRACTOR 01 (LJ35, N39FN, GH Equipment LLC) pulling target banner

TRACTOR 02 (LJ35, N51FN, GH Equipment LLC) pulling target banner

There is more to find and identify, but unfortunately, I won't be able to listen to Friday's last day of William Tell 2023. It's been a unique listening opportunity and I hope that William Tell returns to Savannah in the future. Perhaps the next time it's in Savannah I'll have more radio time.