Fighter Jet News
F-16 Fighting Falcon News
New weapon rack doubles F-16's smart weapon capacity
April 29, 2004 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
The "smart weapon" capacity of the Lockheed Martin F16 has been doubled with the certification of the new BRU-57 multiple weapon rack. The BRU-57 has two stations, each with MIL-STD-1760 interfaces for smart weapons so flight and targeting data can be transferred to the weapon immediately prior to release.
The F-16 now will be able to carry four, instead of two, 1,000-pound class smart weapons.
"Doubling the payload of smart weapons should equate to doubling the expected targets destroyed per sortie," said John L. Bean, vice president of F-16 programs. "We expect the F-16 will continue to set the pace in integration of the latest advanced weapons."
The U.S. Air Force recently certified use of the Lockheed Martin CBU- 103/104/105/107 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser series using the BRU-57 on its fleet of Block 40/42/50/52 F-16 aircraft. Certification of the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is expected to be completed late this year. The rack is also compatible with 500-pound and 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). All these weapons are integrated with only a software change to the F-16.
The BRU-57 is a vertical ejection rack using the latest technology. Compared to the previously used TER-3 triple ejector rack, it has advantages of interfacing with smart weapons, higher reliability and maintainability, and greater safety with lower potential for collision of weapons during release.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon will be the first aircraft to use the BRU-57. The BRU-57 contains two BRU-46 ejector units already used in the U.S. Air Force inventory.
The BRU-57 is currently in production for the U.S. Air Force and is manufactured by EDO Corporation's Marine and Aircraft Systems Division in N. Amityville, NY.
"Doubling the payload of smart weapons should equate to doubling the expected targets destroyed per sortie," said John L. Bean, vice president of F-16 programs. "We expect the F-16 will continue to set the pace in integration of the latest advanced weapons."
The U.S. Air Force recently certified use of the Lockheed Martin CBU- 103/104/105/107 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser series using the BRU-57 on its fleet of Block 40/42/50/52 F-16 aircraft. Certification of the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is expected to be completed late this year. The rack is also compatible with 500-pound and 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). All these weapons are integrated with only a software change to the F-16.
The BRU-57 is a vertical ejection rack using the latest technology. Compared to the previously used TER-3 triple ejector rack, it has advantages of interfacing with smart weapons, higher reliability and maintainability, and greater safety with lower potential for collision of weapons during release.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon will be the first aircraft to use the BRU-57. The BRU-57 contains two BRU-46 ejector units already used in the U.S. Air Force inventory.
The BRU-57 is currently in production for the U.S. Air Force and is manufactured by EDO Corporation's Marine and Aircraft Systems Division in N. Amityville, NY.
Related articles:
Tags
Tags