Former Navy RIO explains what was the real cause of a F-14 to shot down a F-4G during a normal training around the Mediterranean sea.

The war game ended abruptly when the Air Force RF-4C broke sharply to the left and dived threateningly toward the USS Saratoga. Hot on its tail, the pilot aboard the F-14 Tomcat, the Navy`s hottest warplane, sought advice from the aircraft carrier.

''Red and free on your contact,'' the Saratoga told him.

The phrase ''red and free'' stunned the pilot.

''Jesus!'' he exclaimed to his back seat radar officer. ''Do they want me to shoot this guy?''

''Yeah,'' the radarman said. ''Shoot!''

The pilot squeezed his trigger.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-04-18-8803090693-story.html