F-16.net

Newbie Joined: Sep 29, 2007 Posts: 4 Status: Offline

I am doing a bit of research for a modeling project for a MIANG F-16 with an OIF loadout. I have not found any pictures of F-16s with BOTH a targeting (LANTIRN) pod and a TARS pod. Am I correct in assuming that these pods cannot be used together due to electronics limitations (both needing to use the same in-cockpit controls, for example)? Can somebody confirm whether these pods could be or were ever simultaneously carried?

F-16.net Sponsor

There may be an aero restriction...the turbulence off the targeting pod may cause vibration on the camera pod (blurry pics)

actually it is a weight issue

No kidding? I thought about that but givin the other loadouts I had seen I figured that couldn't be the case. Of course, a targeting pod is only truly useful if you have LGBs...with those and the TP, It makes snese now.

Newbie Joined: Sep 28, 2007 Posts: 4 Status: Offline

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm going to skip the TARS and load an ECM pod on the centerline instead.

i wouldn't put a lantirn on it. In OIF only block 40/42's used lantirn. Guard block 30 units used Litening 2 pods.

http://www.f-16.net/news_article1167.html

"The combination of TARS and Litening allowed the group to be flexible in its mission. Not only could the F-16s help ground troops out of sticky situations, they could do reconnaissance at the same time, the officers said."

According to this they did fly both at the same time.

Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

Only a few units have flown with the Litening/TARS combo - the ANG units from Texas (147th FW) , Arkansas (188th FW) and Minnesota (148th FW) flew with both pods at Balad during the summer of 2005.

Otherwise the configuration is mostly as shown on these photos.

Greetings,

Henrik.

TARS with a targeting pod is no longer an allowable configuration. Had nothing to do with weight.

Cheers,

ViperDude

Newbie Joined: Sep 28, 2007 Posts: 4 Status: Offline

crazyal611 wrote:

i wouldn't put a lantirn on it. In OIF only block 40/42's used lantirn. Guard block 30 units used Litening 2 pods.

Thanks for the heads-up on that!

Newbie Joined: Oct 03, 2007 Posts: 12

LANTIRN hasn't been used for OIF on any block since 2004, that I know of. Block 25-52 are all using either LITENING or Sniper now. If you're doing up an OIF model, you can leave STA 5 empty being that's how its flown. (With exception to the TARS units)

Up until the time I retired in 2005, we were never authorized to fly TARS and Litening. My unit was the first F-16 recce unit in the USAF--we went from EO-1 to Richmond Recce to TARS. NEVER did we fly with targeting pods and recce pods. I'm not sure, but I think it had something to do with the landing weight in that configuration and the lightweight gear on the "pre-block" airplanes we had. If you look at the -1 or the -1-2, you'll see that of the approximately 50 million combinations of stores you can carry on a Viper, TARS and a targeting pod are not in there.

Quote:

NEVER did we fly with targeting pods and recce pods. I'm not sure, but I think it had something to do with the landing weight in that configuration and the lightweight gear on the "pre-block" airplanes we had. If you look at the -1 or the -1-2, you'll see that of the approximately 50 million combinations of stores you can carry on a Viper, TARS and a targeting pod are not in there.

TARS and a Litening pod were an authorized configuration and it was in the 1-2, it was taken out and it was not for weight issues, but I am not going to go into why they can't be flown...nuff said.

Cheers,

ViperDude

F-16.net

Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

TARS and targeting Pods