# IFF: Identify Friend or Foe — An Aircraft Carrier Thriller > IFF: Identify Friend or Foe by Stephen Francis Montagna is a naval techno-thriller. The system built to protect them becomes their greatest vulnerability. Canonical: https://stephenfmontagnabooks.com/books/iff-identify-friend-or-foe/ Author: Stephen Francis Montagna Updated: 2026-11-07 An Iranian pilot steals an F-18 and flies it at a U.S. carrier in the Persian Gulf, where the system built to stop friendly fire now blocks the defense. ## The book - Title: IFF: Identify Friend or Foe - Author: Stephen Francis Montagna - Genre: Naval techno-thriller - Paperback: ISBN-13 978-1-970301-38-0 - Hardback: ISBN-13 978-1-970301-39-7 **The system built to protect them becomes their greatest vulnerability.** An Iranian pilot steals an F-18 and turns it against an American aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. In the novel’s central premise, the aircraft’s friendly identification signal becomes a dangerous vulnerability: the systems designed to prevent friendly fire also obstruct the fleet’s response to an enemy flying one of its own aircraft. A safeguard intended to save lives becomes the opening for a devastating attack. ### The author’s published description IFF: Identify Friend or Foe; throughout history many inventions were developed to save lives. The IFF system makes it impossible for an American aircraft to fire on another American aircraft. In this case, if one American pilot armed a missile and aimed it at another American aircraft, immediately the missile firing system will pick up the other aircraft's IFF signal and force that aimed missile to go into a sleep mode, making it impossible to be fired at another friendly aircraft. See what happens when an Iranian pilot steals an F-18 and fly's that aircraft at the American Carrier stationed in the Persian Gulf,. Read how the IFF signal emitted from the Carrier and her support ships, makes it impossible to stop the stolen aircraft from attacking and sinking the carrier. ## When the system that prevents friendly fire becomes the weapon IFF: Identify Friend or Foe is a naval and aviation techno-thriller built on a real piece of military technology. An IFF system lets aircraft and ships recognize one another. In the novel it makes it impossible for an American missile to be fired at an American aircraft: aim at a friendly plane and the weapon’s firing system drops into sleep mode. Then an Iranian pilot steals an F-18 and flies it at the American carrier stationed in the Persian Gulf. Because the jet answers as a friend, the IFF signals from the carrier and her support ships make it impossible to stop it. The book portfolio puts the USS Harry S. Truman at the center of the attack, names Major Heshmollah Nohghassr as the antagonist, and lists President Albert Cole, Captain Lawrence “Larry” Benvenuti and Iran’s President Abdol Karim Kalantari among the principal characters. ## Questions and answers ### What is IFF: Identify Friend or Foe about? An Iranian pilot steals an F-18 and turns it against an American aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. In the novel’s central premise, the aircraft’s friendly identification signal becomes a dangerous vulnerability: the systems designed to prevent friendly fire also obstruct the fleet’s response to an enemy flying one of its own aircraft. A safeguard intended to save lives becomes the opening for a devastating attack. ### What does IFF stand for? Identify Friend or Foe: the electronic system military aircraft and ships use to tell friendly forces from hostile ones. The novel asks what happens when an enemy flies one of your own aircraft and the system believes him. ### Which aircraft carrier is in IFF: Identify Friend or Foe? The USS Harry S. Truman, according to the book portfolio, which frames the climax as the Truman against an approaching “friendly” aircraft. ### Is IFF: Identify Friend or Foe a standalone novel? Yes. IFF: Identify Friend or Foe stands alone; no other book needs to be read first. ### What are the ISBNs for IFF: Identify Friend or Foe? Paperback: ISBN-13 978-1-970301-38-0. Hardback: ISBN-13 978-1-970301-39-7. Any bookshop can order it with the ISBN. ### Where can I read more about IFF: Identify Friend or Foe? Read the [book portfolio](https://stephenfmontagnabooks.com/portfolio/iff-identify-friend-or-foe/), with its characters and themes. ## Sources - The author’s own description of IFF: Identify Friend or Foe, given in full on this page - [IFF: Identify Friend or Foe book portfolio (original flipbook)](https://heyzine.com/flip-book/5a4db8eecc.html) - Edition records from the author’s IngramSpark listings: Paperback ISBN-13 978-1-970301-38-0; Hardback ISBN-13 978-1-970301-39-7 - [Bookseller listing: IFF: Identify Friend Or Foe (shop.ingramspark.com)](https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=T1g5rKWc6Pdi8aKJpbRWcTYqs6KxlQwFHjYH7NS0jyw) ## Cite this page - MLA: Montagna, Stephen Francis. “IFF: Identify Friend or Foe — An Aircraft Carrier Thriller.” *Stephen Francis Montagna*, 7 Nov. 2026, https://stephenfmontagnabooks.com/books/iff-identify-friend-or-foe/. - APA: Montagna, S. F. (2026, November 7). *IFF: Identify Friend or Foe — An Aircraft Carrier Thriller*. Stephen Francis Montagna. https://stephenfmontagnabooks.com/books/iff-identify-friend-or-foe/ - The novel: Montagna, Stephen Francis. *IFF: Identify Friend or Foe*. Paperback, ISBN 978-1-970301-38-0. ## Keywords IFF: Identify Friend or Foe, aircraft carrier thriller, naval techno-thriller, stolen F-18 novel, Persian Gulf military thriller, IFF system, USS Harry S. Truman, Stephen Francis Montagna