Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

rossdawg16 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 sir, are incorrect. When a Viper slings a TGP, it's a CAT III jet. Period-dot.

Horhay (former Viper-dude)

Actually you are still incorrect. It actually depends on the Blk aircraft.

Any analog F-16 a/c with any type of inlet mounted pod is CAT III. Been that way forever and therefore the C model -1-2 does not have any CAT I TGP loadings. The Block 40/42 GAC type is digital a/c so they have CAT I capability, and any Block 40/42/50/52 CCIP are digital a/c that also have CAT I capability as well.

Cheers,

ViperDude

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ruderamronbo wrote:

USAF has been flying them for about 10 - 12yrs. Only Block 50's (or CCIP'd jets) can carry and fire HARM with HTS.

ViperDude

Can't Block-30s shoot HARMS "dumb" like the F-18s (pre-EF-18 Growler at least)?

Yes Blk 30's can and did. We shot HARM for years over in PACAF using AGM-65 symbology. It was a cluster F, but it worked.

ViperDude

F16VIPER wrote:

Can you please clarify for the non-flyers/ -USAF types:
- What is a Cat III load.
- Is there a so called "Lantirn TFR pod cementery". What happens to the pods when no longer used oparationally.

F16VIPER

There isn't a cemetary for TFR pods (LANTIRN NAV) so to speak. The NAV pods for instance are probably stored at Ogden or Warner Robins since they are a depot facility. Sometimes things are not flown by USAF but are sold to FMS countries.

In general when you put something on the aircraft that really disturbs the air flow and has some weight to it then for example, you have to fly the aircraft slower, or pull less turning G's, until you have deployed that weapon so you don't depart the aircraft or "over g" it. So CAT III limits the flight controls outputs.

ViperDude

ViperDude wrote:

rossdawg16 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 sir, are incorrect. When a Viper slings a TGP, it's a CAT III jet. Period-dot.

Horhay (former Viper-dude)

Actually you are still incorrect. It actually depends on the Blk aircraft.

Any analog F-16 a/c with any type of inlet mounted pod is CAT III. Been that way forever and therefore the C model -1-2 does not have any CAT I TGP loadings. The Block 40/42 GAC type is digital a/c so they have CAT I capability, and any Block 40/42/50/52 CCIP are digital a/c that also have CAT I capability as well.

Cheers,

ViperDude

Thank you viperdude. It's always fun to have the -34 on your side. I had no idea the CAT I was due to the digital flcs. sh*t Hot! I just know that my inflight guide says a 2tank, tgp,184pod,2x120's,1xeacmi,1x9x, = Cat 1. Oh yah and 2 mau's on 3 and 7. Harrumph! Sometimes OGV is smoking crack, but it can't be to hard to read the -34.

Henrik wrote:

Yes, the Block-30s can / or at least could shoot HARMs in a basic mode - back in the day ( 1987 - 1992 ) the 52nd (T)FW at Spangdahlem AB, Germany used to fly three squadrons of a mixed force of F-4G "Wild Weasels" and F-16C/D Block-30s using the F-16s as an "extra pair of pylons" for additional HARMs.

Cheers,

Henrik.

The so called Hunter Killer team?

Exactly, Obi!! The only such team with F-4 / F-16 to exist in the USAF as a whole!! Other "Hunter Killer" teams were to be found at Clark AB, Phillipines and George AFB, CA where units mixed F-4Es and F-4Gs.

Cheers,

Henrik.

Quote:

There isn't a cemetary for TFR pods (LANTIRN NAV) so to speak. The NAV pods for instance are probably stored at Ogden or Warner Robins since they are a depot facility. Sometimes things are not flown by USAF but are sold to FMS countries.

In general when you put something on the aircraft that really disturbs the air flow and has some weight to it then for example, you have to fly the aircraft slower, or pull less turning G's, until you have deployed that weapon so you don't depart the aircraft or "over g" it. So CAT III limits the flight controls outputs.

ViperDude

Thanks ViperDude.
So whereabouts does the limiting take place. Is it a flight control computer thing.

Regards

As I remember the control laws for CAT limiting are in the DFLCC, so yes.

ViperDude

Aren't block 50/52 examples fitted with the TERPROM anyway, like the MLUs? This makes the AAQ-13 TFR capability redundant anyway, not to say unnecessary. Afaik the Litening's FLIR could be used for navigation as well, but definitely no TF functions.

Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

F-16 Block 30 Targetting Pod