It's a case of "So what?" If you can't pick them up on radar or establish a firing solution, it makes no difference. The transponder position error & interval is not good enough for target engagement. It's not clear if they shut down the transponder return for the actual target run and resumed it afterward.
But as the OP noted, the bombers flew with their transponders ON.
It's a case of "So what?" If you can't pick them up on radar or establish a firing solution, it makes no difference. The transponder position error & interval is not good enough for target engagement. It's not clear if they shut down the transponder return for the actual target run and resumed it afterward.