JA Boomer

Can anyone identify the weapon type carried on the wing stations of this UAE F-16F? I've been racking my brain for a while, and come up with nothing.

Thx, Boomer

Attached Images

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highsea

Mbda Pgm 2000

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and looks like they are on a test flight...

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JA Boomer

Thanks Highsea! I wasn't looking in the European arms category as I though the UAE Air Force would have bought US weapons to go with their new toys.

So it appears that the MBDA PGM's are roughly equivalent to the new Pave IV series, although I don't believe they have GPS targeting.

I was wondering if it would be possible for a bomb weapon family, that for each weapon size (500lb, 1000lb, 2000lb) you could have an interchangeable warhead (air burst, general purpose, penetration) and interchangeable targeting seeker (unguided, inertial, satellite, laser, TV, infra-red, combination). Kinda like if you know what size of explosive (and therefore size of bomb) the target requires, you can install the correct warhead and targeting seeker in the bomb for the most effective application of the weapon to destroy the target. Has this capability been integrated into weapons such as the Paveway IV and MBDA PGM's (or even weapons before these)?

Thx, Boomer

gunnut

No, you can't have a bomb with interchangeable warhead because the bomb itself is just a warhead. If you change the warhead of the bomb, you change the bomb.

You can do that on a cruise missile because there's a targetting section, a propulsion section, wings, fuel, and a compartment for explosives. Keep everything else the same and switch out the type of explosives and you've just changed the warhead.

However, we've found out that we can add a targetting seeker and tailfins on a warhead (bomb) to create guided bombs. JDAM is just a dumb bomb with a GPS guidance kit. Other GBUs are just dumb bombs with a laser seeker head and control fins.

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JA Boomer

Makes sense to me, I just though that you could keep the same warhead, but the detonator could be changed to make the bomb exploded above ground (air burst), on impact (general purpose), or in the ground a certain distance (penetrating).

zraver

Thats a fusing issue, not a warhead issue.

highsea

JA- that PGM2000 in the pic does have interchangeable seekers, TV, IIR, or Laser. There is also a 500 lb version.

JA Boomer

Ok, apologies for the wording in my post above.

So the warhead refers to the size of the explosive power and size of the bomb. The fuse controls the detonation (air burst, general purpose, penetration) and the seeker controls the guidance type (unguided, inertial, satellite, laser, TV, infra-red).

So it sounds to me that you can modify a warhead size to meet the specific operational requirements of the mission and the target by putting the right fuse and seeker on the bomb. So my original question: is this correct, and do current weapons like the Paveway IV and MBDA PGM (or earlier weapons) have this ability.

I'm sort of talking about being able to do this at the air base, in the hrs or days prior to a mission, rather than the ease of creating different versions at the factory. Thanks for straightening me out boys, as always ha!

JA Boomer

Thanks again Highsea, any idea if fuses are as easily interchangable, and if these changes are indeed able to be done at air bases, and not just at the factory?

Jimmy

On several bombs, the fuzing can be changed in-flight. Turning something into a penetrator isnt a fuzing change, though...the case has to be able to (temporarily) survive the direct impact too.

But above ground/impact, or on penetrators you can sometimes select timing after impact or depth.