Forum: Program and politics

On the ASRAAM front, the Link-16 was used to transfer coordinates from F-18 to another. The Link-16 did not update the ASRAAM directly. In a furball where there are multiple bogeys and goodguys in the same area, LOAL without a datalink is VERY dangerous.

Years from now the 9X on the F-22 will launch LOAL and will be getting updates via an upgraded MLD (with partial EODAS functionality)... if they get off their asses and spend the money.

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stobiewan wrote:

SpudmanWP wrote:

Quote:

The F-35B was the only model designed to carry ASRAAM internally and to have the avionics mod to use it.

All three F-35 models share the same avionics. In fact, the exact same software build is loaded into each.

btw, one of the issues with using ASRAAM internally on the F-35 (and the desire to use a trapeze launcher to lower it into the slipstream in order to get a nice clear view) is that ASRAAM has NO datalink for midcourse updates (IIRC).

Yup - and the AA station is identical in each case - it's the air to ground station that is perhaps different on the B vs A and C? So, you'd have to clear the store for separation but all else would be identical.

ASRAAM can do LOAL so it doesn't *need* to see the target, but it gets that LOAL capability by predicting the target position from the pre-launch information. Frankly, unless you and the target were the only things around for 20 km, I suspect I'd worry a bit about using a LOAL shot in case the thing scampered off and T-boned something else.

It's a bit better than that, The prelaunch info will give the missile a relatively narrow vector in which to search for the target. The data can be provided by the launch aircraft or by a third party. Of course, the "independent IR search" could prove "interesting" unless the missile has some way of only looking in a particular signature range. To draw parallel, once F-22 eventually gets AIM-9X LOAL capability it will be able to shoot at a target on its starboard side with a missile from the port weapons bay.

Forum: Program and politics

British Guy: F-35 anything BUT a stealth fighter