Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

Is there anybody that knows whether F-16 Block 30 has Targeting and Navigation Pod or Not? If it does not have what happens when we install one?
aerodynamics? flight controls?

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Depends which targeting pod your talking about.

1)LANTIRN has a Targeting Pod and Navigation Pod
2)Litening has only a Targeting Pod
3)SNIPER has only a Targeting Pod

Its a CAT III load with pods up.

ViperDude

Could we install Sniper Targeting Pod without modifying Flight Control Computer (FLCS)?

ViperDude wrote:

Depends which targeting pod your talking about.

1)LANTIRN has a Targeting Pod and Navigation Pod
2)Litening has only a Targeting Pod
3)SNIPER has only a Targeting Pod

Its a CAT III load with pods up.

ViperDude

Negative. The Litening incorporating both the targeting and navigation systems into one pod.

And interesting enough, a similar thread was opened only a few days ago.

ViperDude wrote:

Depends which targeting pod your talking about.

1)LANTIRN has a Targeting Pod and Navigation Pod
2)Litening has only a Targeting Pod
3)SNIPER has only a Targeting Pod

Its a CAT III load with pods up.

ViperDude

Its not auto CAT III to have one pod mounted. If you meant "pods" as in both the nav/lantirn or TGT/HTS, then yah i think thats catIII.

DeepSpace wrote:

Negative. The Litening incorporating both the targeting and navigation systems into one pod.

And interesting enough, a similar thread was opened only a few days ago.

That's 100% incorrect, there is no Navigation pod system built into the Litening pod, meaning it has no Terrain following modes. The Litening does have its own INS built-in but that's a totally different subject then having Navigation Pod modes.

~ViperDude~

ViperDude wrote:

That's 100% incorrect, there is no Navigation pod system built into the Litening pod, meaning it has no Terrain following modes. The Litening does have its own INS built-in but that's a totally different subject then having Navigation Pod modes.

~ViperDude~

The Litening might not have a TFR, but it DOES combine into one pod what the LANTIRN does in two pods: FLIR and targeting (CCD and laser designation). That's why it's so successful.

DeepSpace wrote:

ViperDude wrote:

That's 100% incorrect, there is no Navigation pod system built into the Litening pod, meaning it has no Terrain following modes. The Litening does have its own INS built-in but that's a totally different subject then having Navigation Pod modes.

~ViperDude~

The Litening might not have a TFR, but it DOES combine into one pod what the LANTIRN does in two pods: FLIR and targeting (CCD and laser designation). That's why it's so successful.

Not at all. ViperDude is exactly right. Litening is a purely targeting pod, no nav modes. It uses FLIR to spot targets and so on, not to navigate. The LANTIRN nav pod was never replaced or supplanted by the targeting systems that came after it, particularly when flying low-level missions fell almost completely out of favor. So no, Litening does not combine into one pod what LANTIRN does with two. Which is why those F-16s that went on using LANTIRN after the nav pod was retired, flew only with the targeting pod.

Ok, whatever.

DeepSpace wrote:

ViperDude wrote:

Depends which targeting pod your talking about.

1)LANTIRN has a Targeting Pod and Navigation Pod
2)Litening has only a Targeting Pod
3)SNIPER has only a Targeting Pod

Its a CAT III load with pods up.

ViperDude

Negative. The Litening incorporating both the targeting and navigation systems into one pod.

And interesting enough, a similar thread was opened only a few days ago.

Show me a dude who's flown a viper utilizing the Litening/Sniper not navigate...I'll point out he's never flown the F-16. ('cept maybe on his Falcon 4.0 desktop version)...

Just because the pods contain intertial data and capes for targeting/cueing purposes, DOES NOT indicate they can be then used for Navigation functions.

Very different than the LANTIRN which was intended to help navigate and fly the jet.

Horhay

DeepSpace wrote:

Ok, whatever.

What kind of a response is that?

Just because you blurred the lines by comingling terms in the incorrect context shouldn't give you incentive to diss a guy.

The FLIR and CCD capes are Sub-modes of pod's targeting capability. One enables you to acquire the target via IR (FLIR) imaging, the other using a Visible image (CCD). One's an IR created image the other is optical. Still sub-sets of the targeting functionality which have nothing to do with navigating or steering the jet.

Simply man-up and admit when you're wrong...it's actually somewhat cleansing.

Cheers,

Horhay

deadseal wrote:

Its not auto CAT III to have one pod mounted. If you meant "pods" as in both the nav/lantirn or TGT/HTS, then yah i think thats catIII.

You have no idea what your talking about. Until a few years ago having just the targeting pod pylon up with no pod was a CAT III load.

~ViperDude~

viper dude...i fly the f-16. Please don't tell me what cat 1 vs cat 3 is. I think we've been here before when you get all emotional and dont let your self think things through. I was not ripping into your post. I don't know what 2 pods would be...i have never flown with both. Please respect that the USAF does not think that a tgt pod is ALWAYS cat 3. maybe back in the day it was...but right now it isn't. Plus dude...the difference between you and me is that that i don't assume "you have know idea what your talking about" just because you you may not have SA on current ops. Please be friendly Smile

and know when you should mat=ybe be willing to listen. harrumph!!

deadseal wrote:

viper dude...i fly the f-16. Please don't tell me what cat 1 vs cat 3 is. I think we've been here before when you get all emotional and dont let your self think things through. I was not ripping into your post. I don't know what 2 pods would be...i have never flown with both. Please respect that the USAF does not think that a tgt pod is ALWAYS cat 3. maybe back in the day it was...but right now it isn't. Plus dude...the difference between you and me is that that i don't assume "you have know idea what your talking about" just because you you may not have SA on current ops. Please be friendly Smile

and know when you should mat=ybe be willing to listen. harrumph!!

I wasn't going to respond to this, So I sat back a few days to make sure I didn't give an emotional answer, and of course remained friendly. DeadSeal, you may fly the F-16 and I respect all of you out there who are flyers, but it depends what block your flying. ALL BLK 25/30/32 loadings with a targeting pod on the RT hard point are considered a CAT III loading. (Not Blk 40 thru 50's). It doesn't matter what USAF thinks a loading may be, heck if we all just flew loadings the way we thought they should be flown you would have departures left and right.

~ViperDude~

valid...i have never flown the 25/30/32.....i will put my foot in my mouth and next time clarify that im talkin about a 40/42 only Smile

. I forget that there are 5 million types of vipers these days. You know what would be nice? would be to have the ability to cart the pod and then when you buy a merge with an su-27 you could actually jettison that thing and then who cares what cat it is!!

Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

F-16 Block 30 Targetting Pod