PIDS Questions

MVSGas · by **MVSGas** » 14 Aug 2018, 08:17

planehazza,
If you to to Goggle, click on the image tab, and type in:
F-16 site:nellis.af.mil
or
F-16 site:eielson.af.mil
or
aggressors site:.mil

By doing that you should see plenty of examples. Note that targeting pods are rare, PIDS and ALE-50 are never seen. Can the aircraft carry them? I do not know. But if they do, must not be in the aggressor role and the would make sense. It make since because AFAIK, they are suppose to imitate other air forces tactics, and I think USAF and its allies are the only ones using ALE-50. As for the pids and TGP, don't know they are not carried in a regular basis. My guess is related to availability, need for the mission, weight and drag, etc.

planehazza · by **planehazza** » 14 Aug 2018, 10:12

Thanks, I'll check out those sites.

Regarding Sniper, I totally agree that fitting them is rare, but #86-0314 has been seen with it, here:

http://www.aeroresource.co.uk/wp-conten ... 8Y0882.jpg

I like that the aggressor has carried it, and I like the pod, so I'm modelling it

PIDS and ALE-50 are things I haven't yet seen on that airframe, so I'm hoping to find an image with them so I have an excuse to model them too.

Boman · by **Boman** » 14 Aug 2018, 18:17

Sniper is a relatively new pod for the aggressors (since ~2016), and is used to identify the enemy at long range without use of radar, hence masking their appearance for longer. Some ANG F-15 units use it for exactly the same purpose in the interceptor role.
The aggressors have no need for the ALE-50 due to mission flown, this is more in use by front line units incl. ANG.
Haven't seen PIDS pylons on agressors (yet), however there is nothing precluding its use as the PIDS is based on standard station 3/7 pylons. (UAE block 60's have been seen with them however)

ViperDude · by **ViperDude** » 02 Dec 2018, 16:47

Since I worked early PID's let me give my two cents. Any USAF block F-16 can carry a PID's pylon, originally it was only Post Block but now any block can carry it. The Chaff/Flare buckets originally could face inboard or outboard. Inboard created problems so outboard is how they are mounted and now with the Flare-Up mod which is a weird name because it's really means down and it releases them down and away from the aircraft.

As far as the subject of SNIPER it is not a long range pod it is a medium range pod. IRST is a long range targeting pod.

Cheers,

Viperdude