Fighting Falcons tackle ' SEAD / DEAD' mission
The model of the F-16 Fighting Falcon offers cutting-edge war-time fighting capabilities. Three new upgrades have helped the aircraft here transform from suppressing enemy air defenses to destroying enemy air defenses.The current USAF wild weasel aircraft is the F-16cj Fighting Falcon (the block 50/52 F-16). They took over this role from the F-4G Phantom. As far as I know, the F-16CJ has no additional internally mounted equipment that makes it suitable for the wild weasel role. Of course they train to fulfill this mission, carry the HARM and dedicated electronic pods that help them with this mission. But the F-4G had the AN/APR-38 RHAW (Radar Homing and Warning System) which replaced the 20mm cannon in the Phantom design, was specifically designed for the SEAD/DEAD role
"With the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, the targeting pod and the Link 16, we can find something faster, share the information quicker (and) more accurately, and destroy it more unequivocally," said Lt. Col. John Montgomery, 55th Fighter Squadron commander.
The cueing system upgrade on a helmet shows heads-up display data on the helmet visor and allows the pilot to select a target without changing the jet's direction. The system enables the pilot to visually identify, lock the weapons system on and engage an air or ground target without looking through the heads-up display on the aircraft itself.
When seconds count in combat encounters, the system gives the F-16 pilot an exceptional edge, said Col. Philip Ruhlman, 20th Fighter Wing commander.
The targeting pod is another upgrade incorporated on the aircraft. It has a forward-looking infrared sensor which displays an infrared image of the target for the pilot. The pod helps with precise delivery of laser-guided munitions by using a laser to determine range to a target and to the ground, said Maj. Anthony Roberson, 20th Operations Support Squadron weapons and training flight commander.
In the future, pilots will have even greater capability with an advanced targeting pod known as the Sniper XR.
"The Sniper will give us a 5-fold increase over our current targeting capability. Because of our use of the (current pod) and our focus on training, Shaw's pilots are already prepared for Sniper delivery," Maj. Roberson said.
The third upgrade for the aircraft is the Link 16. The Link 16 allows aircraft to share cockpit data and lets pilots merge into one display what all the airplanes are seeing. The data link helps pilots quickly gain situational awareness, and it gives them a combat edge in having complete knowledge of the battle space around them.
Although each upgrade has helped in developing the dominance of F-16s, it is the combination of the three that has given the aircraft tactical superiority.
"The technical transformation of the F-16CJ has enabled evolutionary changes beyond its counter-air mission," Colonel Ruhlman said. "Current capabilities now allow for a natural progression to fully incorporate counter-land roles of close air support and precision interdiction in addition to a foundation of SEAD (and) DEAD excellence.
"This provides the combatant commander an exceptional range of capability from which to execute key roles and missions, all the while force multiplying limited assets across a wide spectrum of threats and employment challenges,
im not saying that more hard points is not an advantage, but in actual warfare i think F-16s wont achieve superiority over Jf-17 on the basis of hardpoints
Its war record speaks its self more than anybody else.
) F-16's latest versions are equipped with enough goodies to avoid being locked easily. Actually this is a relative to which fighter and missile F-16 facing in this WVR engagement and same apply to JF-17. F-16 not only has more hard point but also has a monstrously proven power plant by GE still it is to be known how RD-93 is reliable.
....but pls also press thanks button......
