Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

southernphantom wrote:

Things like the F-4E AUP and Terminator 2020 are not to be sneezed at.

Perhaps in a more permissive environment, like Afghanistan or Libya, yes, but when faced with a modern opponent (Super Hornet, F-16 B50/52, Rafale, EF 2000) they simply wouldn't stack up.

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The AUP 2000 could be considered an F-16 Block 52, electronically. It has lower turn rates and TW ratio, but higher maximum speed and payload.

Is it the equal of a purpose-built 4.5-gen fighter?? No, but it's impressive for an aircraft derived from 1950s naval interceptor.

ACMI pods are purely for training missions, and even then mostly for air-to-air sorties on the ACMI range. ACMI (RFMDS) pods were also used for all missions at Red Flag. You would not see an ACMI pod on a real world combat loadout. Thus, ACMI pod with 3 live AIM-9L/M is not a realistic configuration.

Probably the most common real world (combat) air-to-ground loadout in the 1980s was AIM-9L/M on 1 & 9, nothing on 2 & 8, TERs with some version of MK82 bombs (or pylon mounted MK84) on 3 & 7, 370 tanks on 4 & 6, and either ALQ-119 or ALQ-131 on 5.

The most common peacetime training air-to-ground configuration in the 1980s was a captive (inert) AIM-9 on 1, nothing on 2 & 8, SUU-20 with 6 x MK106 on 3, 370 tanks on 4 & 6, nothing or an ECM pod on 5, SUU-20 with 6 x BDU-33 on 7, and an AMD on 9.

That's actually an AMA pod on the wingtip in both of those photos if we're being technical.

JakeMelampy wrote:

That's actually an AMA pod on the wingtip in both of those photos if we're being technical.

Are you sure about that? As I read through other threads on the topic of pods I'm thinking the items on station 1 in both photos are captive AIM-9s (fins removed) to be used as seekers. Seems to me the giveaway is the blunt noses with windows. I'm assuming there'd be a dummy AIM-9 at station 9 (not visible in the photos).

Pip Moss

johnwill wrote:

No Sidewinders in that photo. That's an ACMI pod on station 1, a missile adapter plus empty Sidewinder launcher on station 2, and a weapon pylon plus empty TER-9 on station 3.

The "tube" on the wing tip is actually a finn-less AMA - Accelerating Monotoring Assembly -as Jake says to increase the cross-section of the F-16´s radar signature during peace time training flights.

Cheers,

Henrik.

Somebody with some time on their hands might want to post good comparative photos of the ACMI pod, AMD/AMA, captive AIM-9, and live AIM-9. That would resolve some of the misunderstandings here.

Also, the missile rails at 1/2/8/9 changed in the late 1980s when the AIM-120 arrived. The new, AIM-120 capable rails are thicker and heavier than the previous "Sidewinder only" rails.

That´s true, Meteor.

16S210 rails carry AIM-9s, ACMIs, AMAs / AMDs etc. only.

LAU-129s carry all this above and the AIM-120s.

Cheers,

Henrik.

Meteor wrote:

Somebody with some time on their hands might want to post good comparative photos of the ACMI pod, AMD/AMA, captive AIM-9, and live AIM-9. That would resolve some of the misunderstandings here.

That would be really helpful, at least for neophytes like myself. In any case, I still plan to use a finless AIM-9 for the station 1 pod, no matter what its actual identify. Thanks again to everyone for all the useful information.

Pip Moss

Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

Loadout for 1980s block 25