Modern air combat is as much a battle of systems as it is a contest of pilots. Networked sensors, electronic warfare suites, and beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles dominate the engagement envelope long before opposing fighters ever see each other. Yet, as advanced as these systems are, they remain vulnerable to technical failures at the most critical moments. Ghost in the Circuit tells the story of such an encounter, weaving together the perspectives of a Swedish Gripen pilot, the aircraft itself, and a Russian Su-30SM pilot. Through this multi-layered lens, the engagement becomes not just a duel between adversaries, but a test of machine resilience, pilot adaptability, and tactical improvisation under the pressure of seconds.
1. Characters:
A. Pilot’s POV — Captain Erik “Falcon 1” Lindström (JAS 39E Gripen, Swedish Air Force)
B. Aircraft’s POV — the Gripen’s own “perspective” as an advanced but fallible war machine, narrating its internal status and systems behavior.
C. Enemy Pilot’s POV — Major Viktor “Sokol” Mirov (Su-30SM, Russian Air Force).
2. Scramble Orders
A. Pilot — Falcon 1
The shelter smelled of hydraulic oil and cold metal. I slid the data cartridge into the CK-37 mission computer, watching the left MFD populate with the pre-loaded intercept plan: four Meteor BVRAAMs, two IRIS-T WVR missiles, centerline fuel tank topped off. TIDLS lit up our four-ship network — Falcon 2, 3, and 4 — a glowing web of situational awareness. GCI had just confirmed four Su-30SMs inbound at 280 km, cruising high and fast. My target — the lead pair.
B. Aircraft — Gripen E “Falcon 1”
Mission data loaded. Power flow nominal across dual avionics buses. PS-05/A AESA radar spinning up in LPI mode. TIDLS handshake complete. Arexis EWCU monitoring bands, jammers idle but primed. Hydraulics pressurized. Fuel: 100%. Flight control laws set to normal. All systems green.
C. Enemy — Sokol 1
The Su-30SM’s N011M Bars radar painted the cold Baltic air ahead. My wingman, “Sokol 2,” flew close echelon. AWACS had called Gripens airborne — small RCS, tricky in clutter. But my IRST was on, hunting for heat blooms. Four of them. This would be interesting.
3. Long-Range Lock
A. Pilot — Falcon 1
At 130 km, I flicked the HOTAS to passive radar mode, letting Falcon 2 paint the lead Sukhoi. My HUD was clean, target symbology steady. I slewed the cursor for a final confirmation — and that’s when the cockpit dimmed like a dying stage light.
B. Aircraft — Gripen E “Falcon 1”
Alert: Right-side avionics bus voltage drop detected. Immediate failover attempted — partial recovery unsuccessful. Systems affected: right MFD, Arexis EWCU primary display, PS-05/A data link to mission computer. Radar feed halted. EWCU control frozen. HOTAS right-hand input to radar denied. Flight control unaffected — left-side bus active.
C. Enemy — Sokol 1
There — a spike. My RWR chirped, faint but there. Gripens were trying to keep quiet, but my Bars caught a sniff. We went EMCON 2, keeping radar sweeps short, feeding AWACS data instead. My IRST was still cold, but I knew they were there.
4. Fighting Blind on One Side
A. Pilot — Falcon 1
“Falcon 1, radar offline, going TIDLS-only,” I called. My left MFD still showed Falcon 2’s radar plots via TIDLS — our lifeline now. I locked my missile on his track data, letting the Meteor’s two-way data link guide it. But without my radar, I had to command my Arexis jammer manually via backup console switches — no soft menu.
B. Aircraft — Gripen E “Falcon 1”
Left-side bus operational. Autopilot linked to CK-37 still managing navigation. Meteor handoff from Falcon 2 via TIDLS confirmed. Arexis EWCU manual override engaged; jammer output switched to sector noise jamming mode. MAWS scanning for missile approach vectors.
C. Enemy — Sokol 1
RWR screamed. Meteor launch! I went defensive, dumping chaff and breaking hard. My wingman lit his afterburners, trying to flank. The Bars radar reacquired — but these Meteors were faster than my instinct liked.
4. Countermeasures and Close Calls
A. Pilot — Falcon 1
MAWS pulsed amber — missile inbound. No HOTAS release, so I flipped the mechanical guard switch for countermeasures. BriteCloud DRFM decoy fired, trailing in a glittering electronic haze. I could almost feel the Sukhoi’s radar getting drunk on the false targets.
B. Aircraft — Gripen E “Falcon 1”
Missile vector detected — Arexis switched to targeted deception. BriteCloud deployed. Flight path adjusted 5° to shift Doppler signature. Manual pilot input dominant; autopilot assisting stabilization.
C. Enemy — Sokol 1
My R-77 seeker went stupid — no lock. Something in that Gripen’s exhaust was talking back in my missile’s language, and it was lying. I swore in Russian and rolled inverted, dropping altitude to get under his missile’s loft profile.
5. Kill and Egress
A. Pilot — Falcon 1
Falcon 2’s Meteor hit first — Sokol 2’s Su-30 bloomed into smoke. I sent mine on his track, and moments later, another flare of fire lit the horizon. Our job was done; two more Sukhois broke away.
B. Aircraft — Gripen E “Falcon 1”
Meteor mid-course updates complete. Kill confirmed on second hostile. EW load still functional in degraded mode. Left-side bus sustaining mission-critical systems. Fuel at 43%.
C. Enemy — Sokol 1
Two Meteors. Two kills. I had no interest in becoming the third. Ordered disengagement, dove low, and ran.
6. Landing on Half a Brain
A. Pilot — Falcon 1
TILS landing symbology was gone. I went manual flight control mode, using the standby ADI, barometric altimeter, and muscle memory for throttle feel. It was a timed approach into the pattern — like flying a warbird in an era that had forgotten glass cockpits.
B. Aircraft — Gripen E “Falcon 1”
TILS feed absent. Autopilot disengaged at pilot command. Manual mode active. Hydraulic systems nominal. Thrust modulation within safe range. Touchdown smooth. Mission timer: 1 hr 47 min.
C. Enemy — Sokol 1
I landed in Kaliningrad with my pride intact but my wingman gone. Our AWACS logged the Meteors’ time-to-target — frightening numbers.
7. Debriefings
A. Swedish Air Force — Falcon Flight
Mission success: two enemy aircraft destroyed, none lost. Notable: Falcon 1 sustained right-side avionics bus failure at BVR engagement onset. TIDLS network enabled continued offensive capability. Systems redundancy in Gripen design allowed pilot to maintain combat presence and safe recovery despite major sensor loss. Recommend inspection of bus connectors, possible vibration-induced fault.
B. Russian Air Force — Sokol Flight
Mission failure: two Su-30SMs lost to Meteor missiles. Gripen fighters demonstrated coordinated networked targeting and effective ECM via BriteCloud. Meteors’ long-range engagement capability exceeded R-77’s practical employment envelope in this encounter. Recommend counter-BriteCloud tactics and earlier IRST employment.
8. Conclusion
Ghost in the Circuit illustrates that in modern BVR combat, survival hinges not only on weapon performance or pilot skill, but on the resilience of the entire combat system. Captain Lindström’s ability to fight blind on one side was possible because the Gripen’s design anticipated and mitigated partial failures. The Su-30SM’s defeat was not solely due to inferior weapons, but to an opponent’s ability to adapt instantly and leverage networked targeting despite degraded systems. In this duel, the “ghost” in the circuit was both the cause of vulnerability and a reminder that even in a digital battlespace, the oldest rule of combat still applies: adaptability wins.
Note: This story is entirely fictional and does not reflect any real-life events, military operations, or policies. It is a work of creative imagination, crafted solely for the purpose of entertainment engagement. All details and events depicted in this narrative are based on fictional scenarios and have been inspired by open-source, publicly available media. This content is not intended to represent any actual occurrences and is not meant to cause harm or disruption.
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