Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bvt_601 (french page)

A belgian F-16 air launched torpedo ? Do you have any info about it ? Never heard of it !

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Well I've just read the article and it's the first time I hear about this to.
However the article says it's currently in the prototype phase and the project only started in 2005, so it is very well possible that the info is correct.
Apparently it's a Belgian-Norwegian project carried out by the FN-Herstal arms factory, and since the MLU F-16’s can not carry the Penguin (AGM-119) it isn’t so surprising some Viper-users are trying to come up with their own ant-ship weapon.

In the last few years FN-Herstal developed more and more vehicle & airborne weapon systems and is doing a pretty good job with it to, so I would really like to see the result of this “torpedo” thing they’re doing now.

Hi. Cannot post any evidence due to classification, but we do have the same indications. I must admit that it sound incredible but it is true!

I don’t have much details about it, but I know that the OT&E is complete and was defined as a success. When it comes to ranges and specific details about profiles and tactics, I think this is still classified since this is a totally new concept. I think the unclassified reports will be released soon. Looking forward to read about a new weapon added to the impressive armament list of the almighty F-16.

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Unless they were to use them for antisubmarine duty, I don't think you would want to get close enough to a ship to drop a torpedo.

Even with an F-16! Shocked

you still would have to get pretty close, wouldn't you?

Elite 1K Joined: May 26, 2005 - 08:39 PM Posts: 1496

Maybe something like that LockMart HAAWC concept from a few years ago?

Ok, that makes more sense- that should give you a little more distance from the target.

Face it, not much terrain masking out at sea... and ships have VERY unfriendly SAM and CIWS equipment these days.

StolichnayaStrafer wrote:

Unless they were to use them for antisubmarine duty, I don't think you would want to get close enough to a ship to drop a torpedo.

Even with an F-16! Shocked

you still would have to get pretty close, wouldn't you?

I have the same doubts as you do considering a F-16 (or any airborne platform) launched weapon against surface-ships, but with a concept like the HAAWC Guysmiley is talking about it could be a successful formula.

Yeah, antiship missiles seem to be the best bet for surface ships- even that can be tricky! Let's see, from memory there are:

Harpoons from USA
Penguins from Norway
Exocets from France
Kormorans(?) from Germany
Sea Eagles(?) from UK

Can't think of any other air launched Antiship missiles. I'm sure the Russkies have a couple of different flavors for the Backfires, Fencers, and newer aircraft as well. Perhaps China and a couple of other countries have their own too. Does Japan have their own? I remember something like a Type 81 ASM, or is that just an air to surface missile?

I know for a fact that it is true, since I participated in a meeting last week with the Terma (Danish defense contractor) who also works on the JSF, and one of the engeneers said a little too much, i think. He became very quiet very fast when more questions were asked, so I am pretty sure that it is a joint belgian-danish effort.
As far as performance data, all I know is that he described it as "flexible" with regards to warhead and seeker mechanism.

And maybe, in the future, possible to be carried by the F-35?

So that would be in cooperation with the danish and not the norvegians ?

I've heard it would be a FN project in coöperation with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA), a company based in Norway. Now it's possible the Danisch company Terma is in too, maybe as a sub-contractor, but I have never read or heard about that before spe wrote something about them here.

KDA by the way is also manufacturing the Penguin missiles and is developing what they call the "Naval Strike Missile"(NSM), something I would call a anti-ship cruise-missile. The NSM can be launched by shipborne, airborne and landbased platforms, but I wouldn't know if this is what all the fuss is about.

By the way: all this is google-found info, most of it from the webpages of the manufacturers, so not-classified.

Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

Belgian Torpedo