Mattes Kries 10 Percent True EP81 Part 2Former Luftwaffe Tornado IDS pilot and weapons school instructor Mattes Kries returns to break down how a Cold War–era strike aircraft was pushed far beyond its original design. From low-level nuclear strike doctrine to medium-altitude workarounds, “dumb” HARM employment, Red Flag and Nellis weapons school, and the arrival of TAURUS, this episode explores how crews compensated for limited kit with tactics, maths, and judgement. It’s a rare, insider look at German Tornado operations, weapons school culture, and the real cost of keeping legacy jets relevant.0:00 intro teaser 1:35 welcome back Mattes2:55 recognition of the “different breed”6:30 The state of tactics in the prevailing atmosphere and “fooling” the weapons computer (the value of a good weatherman)18:25 shortcomings distilled19:31 targeting and low to medium altitude…..24:15 and then with GPS27:27 reversion mode targeting feasibility 29:28 a sense among crews that Luftwaffe is lagging behind peers?34:16 why?37:50 squadron re-roll43:30 flying rates? 47:15 competency levels as a result? 53:30 losses57:42 weapons school1:08:45 how to counter a 4-ship of Eagles1:10:40 electronic attack systems 1:13:10 BFM phase1:19:00 bomb in face and other survival tactics1:21:12 HARM 1:26:08 upgrades incl datalink and Marineflieger cross pollination 1:31:50 intelligence, access to information on other platforms?1:39:18 instructing at the weapons school and lessons in leadership1:47:20 TAURUS1:53:00 opinions on Ukraine - SCALP assessment?1:58:33 low level2:07:05 Thank you Mattes!

Mattes Kries | 10 Percent True | EP81 – Part 1

In this episode, Mattes Kries—a former Luftwaffe Tornado IDS pilot and weapons instructor—traces his career from a hard-won start in NATO jet training through frontline Tornado operations, weapons school, and senior tactics leadership. He explains how Germany’s Tornado force evolved from Cold War low-level nuclear strike toward conventional, medium-altitude employment; how lessons from U.S. and NATO exercises reshaped German tactics; and why culture, risk tolerance, and bureaucracy matter as much as hardware.

Along the way, Mattes offers rare, candid insight into weapons school innovation, COMAO command without Link 16, live weapons integration, and the realities of training for combat in a force defined by safety-first constraints—grounded in vivid anecdotes and hard-earned lessons.

Timestamps

00:00 – The Greek instructor teaser

01:58 – Welcome Mattes & Phil’s subscriber questions: inspiration and most exhilarating mission

12:05 – Matthew’s subscriber question: history and pride in the modern Luftwaffe

23:40 – Attachment to the past among today’s Luftwaffe personnel

29:10 – Starting out in the Luftwaffe

34:02 – F-4 ambitions—and why fate had other (good) ideas

41:28 – T-37 challenges (and the Greek instructor)

49:00 – Turning early struggles into long-term success

51:15 – Arrival on the Tornado at Büchel

56:40 – Tornado IDS: roles, weapons, and mission sets

1:05:35 – SIOP and nuclear strike planning

1:10:40 – The MW-1 weapon system

1:20:19 – Why the MW-1 was never fitted for training—and the power of German accountants

1:29:30 – Staying on the boom: tanker planning as a weapons school student

1:35:08 – Avoiding the KC-135 by design?

1:36:35 – Responding to Starbaby’s criticism of ECR capabilities vs decision-maker mindset

1:54:25 – Part 2 incoming

Super Harris 10 Percent True EP80 P1In Part Two of this conversation, retired USAF Major General “Super” Harris moves from diagnosis to consequence, explaining how the erosion of developmental testing has already led to real-world accidents, wasted lives, and broken programmes. Drawing on his role as Air Force Test Center Commander, Harris dissects the Light Attack experiment, the fatal risks of mixing developmental and operational test, and why “test is test” is a dangerous fallacy. He contrasts government cost-plus failures with SpaceX’s self-funded test-to-failure model, explains how data—not rhetoric—keeps aircrew alive, and offers blunt assessments of programmes like KC-46, T-7, F-35, and the emerging F-47. The episode ends with a sober warning: great powers don’t usually fall from enemy action alone—they hollow themselves out by accepting broken systems as normal.0:00 intro teaser SpaceX failure a success2:55 welcome back Super and episode roadmap5:24 Revisiting the Light Attack “experiment” (See Starbaby Light Attack episode) the dangers of combined OT/DT 33:00 “Costs Plus” contracts (Starliner debacle vs SpaceX “successful failure”)41:40 IRAD (internal research and development) Holloman range story59:20 Minimum Viable Product - how “finished” does it have to be to commence DT1:02:11 the issue with in house testing 1:05:10 go have a banana? 😅1:05:35 bearing in mind the tribulations with T-7 & KC-46 - are all current programs similarly afflicted?1:15:04 tension between DT and OT?consequences thereof? 1:28:33 resigning from TPS1:42:10 light at the end of the tunnel?1:43:15 smaller company innovation - resistance to buyout? 1:46:50 government approach?1:49:35 the one guy in the marching band who is in step!1:51:50 briefly on F-351:54:50 Airbus Tankers/Foreign competition?1:59:40 F-47?2:08:25 Thanks Super, (please come back)