Update: It ain't true! We heard from a Marine at Miramar in the comments: This is a made up story and if this were true you would have heard about it on the local news station in form of a press release or media advisory. Thanks and take care. Thanks for setting the record straight, Brandon, and more importantly thank you for your service to our country. This blog loves our military, but as the son of a retired Marine, you guys are my favorites. Semper Fi!

I have no idea if this is true or not, but the story is interesting to read nevertheless:

Palm Desert California, 2007 - Two California Highway Patrol Officers were conducting speeding enforcement on I-15 near MCAS Miramar. One of the officers was using a hand held radar device to check speeding vehicles approaching near the crest of a hill.

The officers were suddenly surprised when the radar gun began reading 300 miles per hour. The officer attempted to reset the radar gun, but it would not reset and turned off. Just then a deafening roar over the treetops revealed that the radar had in fact locked onto a USMC F/A-18 Hornet which was engaged in a low flying exercise near the location.

Back at the CHP Headquarters the Patrol Captain fired off a complaint to the USMC Base Commander.

The best part of the story, though, is the Base Commander's response to the complaint:

Thank you for the message, which allows us complete the file on this incident.

You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Hornet 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 Marine pilot flying the Hornet recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile system alert status and was able to override the automated defense system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar was destroyed.

Thank you for your concerns.