F-18 max missile loadout

parrothead · by **parrothead** » 19 Jun 2004, 05:34

Not that this is in any way a standard loadout, but is this a useful combat loadout? From what I've read on this site, the F-16 can physically carry more missiles than its software can use. Is that the case in this picture? If the Hornet can really use that many missiles, well that's a hell of an air to air threat!

http://runway.cz/img/zbr/aim120_2.jpg

KarimAbdoun · by **KarimAbdoun** » 19 Jun 2004, 14:59

Just add 2 in the pic and you got 10, a number not found on a viper

parrothead · by **parrothead** » 19 Jun 2004, 15:24

Karim-
If you look closely at the fuselage just behind the intakes, you'll see one slammer on each side. Four slammers on each wing, plus two on the fuselage makes ten slammers on one Hornet. And it even has a sidewinder on each wing tip, too!

TomaTo · by **TomaTo** » 19 Jun 2004, 18:11

This is max loadout on the Hornet. It even has the capability to track 6 targets simultainously and launch 6 slammers onto each of the targets (or at least the FA-18 E can...)

Pumpkin · by **Pumpkin** » 19 Jun 2004, 19:07

TomaTo, one question, what is the maximum unexpended ordnance weight of the Hornet & Super Hornet for carrier landing operation :shock:

?

I was just wondering can the 18 lands with that many unexpended AMRAAM (10? :shock:

).

Appreciate if anyone can recommend any reference that explicitly spell the max AAM number for the Hornet. URLs showing the above picture did not really spell out that number. I share parrothead's thought. Is that an operational loadout? :shock:

fas.org advocates max 8 Slammers with no other ordnances. 6 with 2 sidewinder. I guess the Super Hornet adds 2 more with the additional of 2 hardpoints.

Lastly, I wonder if there is any photo of the Super Hornet carrying the AIM-155 out there.

cheers,

PS: parrothead, here is the thread of the prior discussion where the loadout was mentioned.

elp · by **elp** » 19 Jun 2004, 19:23

Pumpkin wrote:TomaTo, one question, what is the maximum unexpended ordnance weight of the Hornet & Super Hornet for carrier landing operation ?

I was just wondering can the 18 lands with that many unexpended AMRAAM (10? ).

Appreciate if anyone can recommend any reference that explicitly spell the max AAM number for the Hornet. URLs showing the above picture did not really spell out that number. I share parrothead's thought. Is that an operational loadout?

fas.org advocates max 8 Slammers with no other ordnances. 6 with 2 sidewinder. I guess the Super Hornet adds 2 more with the additional of 2 hardpoints.

Lastly, I wonder if there is any photo of the Super Hornet carrying the AIM-155 out there.

cheers,

PS: parrothead, here is the thread of the prior discussion where the loadout was mentioned.

AIM-155 was a development program and it was killed..... circa 1992.

Pumpkin · by **Pumpkin** » 19 Jun 2004, 19:36

killed!?

ohh..thanks elp, I was under the impression, it is still under development. :oops:

TomaTo · by **TomaTo** » 20 Jun 2004, 04:38

Pumpkin wrote:TomaTo, one question, what is the maximum unexpended ordnance weight of the Hornet & Super Hornet for carrier landing operation ?

I was just wondering can the 18 lands with that many unexpended AMRAAM (10? ).

Appreciate if anyone can recommend any reference that explicitly spell the max AAM number for the Hornet. URLs showing the above picture did not really spell out that number. I share parrothead's thought. Is that an operational loadout?

I do not know the figures for the F-18, but I suspect that it is capable to land with that ordnance on. After all, it burns fuel going up in the first place? :wink:

But, IMO I do believe that this configuration will only be used in war-time.

parrothead · by **parrothead** » 20 Jun 2004, 07:48

Thanks for the info on the previous thread, Pumpkin. The last post on that thread was back in March, and I joined in May. Not too much of an excuse, but I just don't have the time to read everything on this site, if you know what I mean.

I didn't mean to re-start the debate of the F-16 vs F-18, I just wondered if this is actually an operational loadout. Thanks to everyone for all your thoughts and opinions!!!

Pumpkin · by **Pumpkin** » 20 Jun 2004, 22:00

Thanks TomaTo! Will be nice if we can have these figures from a good, declassified reference. Pardon me, I am still skeptical if the loadout in the picture is feasible.

No worries parrothead, I guess you have surfaced a very good question. :wink:

cheers,

parrothead · by **parrothead** » 12 Jan 2005, 11:19

Hey there guys! I've got a bit of insomnia (it's 2:14 AM local time) and I've been cruising through all the old threads and came back across this one. I got to chat with a Super Hornet driver out at Miramar back in October and I actually asked him about the max loadout. He confirmed the max loadout of 10 AMRAAMs and two sidewiners. I don't know why, but the Super Hornet can only carry AIM-9s on the wing tips, no AMRAAMs on those stations. Maybe this has something to do with the weight of the missile and the folding wings? I'll be sure to ask at the next airshow if I don't get an answer here! Have fun guys!

kristianisme · by **kristianisme** » 08 Feb 2011, 08:49

thats a standard raaf loadout but with asraams

aaam · by **aaam** » 25 Feb 2011, 22:39

Don't forget, there's how many you can carry, and how many you can fire. For example, F-22 can carry 12 AIM-120s, but the max it can carry if they are to be launched, I believe, is 10 is 10.