The crew of a USAF F-15E had to switch the radar to gun mode in order to locate and avoid a Eastern Airways Jetstream JS41 passenger plane over Scotland.
The UK Airprox Board concluded that the F-15E climb “into conflict with the JS41.”
[thumb]http://news.stv.tv/north/244690-f-15e-pilot-used-weapons-system-to-try-and-avoid-aberdeen-plane/[/thumb]
The “gun mode” is just one of many auto-acquistion modes available with the F-15 radars. It is common practice to use this mode when trying to find nearby traffic, as it allows the pilot to continue visual search while the radar tries to auto-lock. If the radar gets a lock while the pilot’s eyes are outside, he gets visual indications, then checks the radar display to help find the other aircraft.
The headline of the source article is very misleading and obviously written for sensationalism only.