AIM-120 on Hornet wingtips?

[macelena]

I was sailing on web when i found out that F/A-18A had been, thru a MLU, been given the capability of firing AMRAAMs from their wingtip stations. The site

was well documented, or at least gave quite especific data, but i´m not sure about how good would it be to carry them on those stations: I know F-16s do,

but those do not have foldable wings, could its 50% more weight compared to the AIM-9 cause any trouble when making high Gs? I get scared every time i see

hornet wings bouncing when looping

Edited October 14, 2009 by macelena

[+DWCAce]

Good point... I thought I had seen pics of said loadout, but couldn't find them... I'm thinking you're right about the wing fold bit.. that's alot of weight, especially @ G.

[Navy ATC]

I was sailing on web when i found out that F/A-18A had been, thru a MLU, been given the capability of firing AMRAAMs from their wingtip stations. The site

was well documented, or at least gave quite especific data, but i´m not sure about how good would it be to carry them on those stations: I know F-16s do,

but those do not have foldable wings, could its 50% more weight compared to the AIM-9 cause any trouble when making high Gs? I get scared every time i see

hornet wings bouncing when looping

 

 

I've worked with F-18A/B/C/D/E aircraft for over 17 years. There has not been a flight clearance for the AIM-120 on the wingtip stations. The F-18A-D will only fly with a LAU-7 launcher on the wingtips which will only accomidate varients of the AIM-9 missile. The F-18E/F has a LAU-127 launcher loaded on the wingtips. It can carry both AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles. However, there is only flight clearance for the AIM-9 currently. Nothing in the works at present for the AIM-120. I agree, 120 loaded on wingtip will put enormous stress on the wingfold transmissions as well as the mounting hardware for the launcher itself.

[macelena]

Well, i heard it about ours, but by now they use IRIS-T from those stations. Really i don´t see the need for such, specially when the AMRAAMs are rarely carried in peacetime,

were airborne during 1999 in Kosovo and in 2002 when we had some disputes over islets with the moroccans, otherwise, they carry only AIM-7P

[+JediMaster]

I once asked a Hornet guy (he's a backseater) over at SimHQ about that specifically, and he declined to answer. He didn't give a reason for not answering.

[macelena]

Well, what i got, refering to Spanish Air Force Hornets, is what follows (i´ll try to translate the best i can):

 

Estos se encuentran en proceso de modernización al nivel MLU que incluye la extensión del bus de datos a la punta de las alas para permitir el empleo del AMRAAM desde esas estaciones, así como nuevo software para activar la capacidad AMRAAM "durmiente".

 

Those are in a modernization process to the Mid Life Update wich includes the install of DataBus to the wingtips to allow the use of AMRAAM from these stations, as well as new software to activate the "sleeping" AMRAAM capability.

Edited October 14, 2009 by macelena

[shotdown]

It could work for strike missions. Since dogfighting with a heavy bomb load is not really a good idea, replacing sidewinders with AMRAAMs could be a useful solution.

[+MigBuster]

I've worked with F-18A/B/C/D/E aircraft for over 17 years. There has not been a flight clearance for the AIM-120 on the wingtip stations. The F-18A-D will only fly with a LAU-7 launcher on the wingtips which will only accomidate varients of the AIM-9 missile. The F-18E/F has a LAU-127 launcher loaded on the wingtips. It can carry both AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles. However, there is only flight clearance for the AIM-9 currently. Nothing in the works at present for the AIM-120. I agree, 120 loaded on wingtip will put enormous stress on the wingfold transmissions as well as the mounting hardware for the launcher itself.

 

Cool - thanks for that info - very useful

[Fam]

i love AIM-9

[+EricJ]

It could work for strike missions. Since dogfighting with a heavy bomb load is not really a good idea, replacing sidewinders with AMRAAMs could be a useful solution.

 

It depends on the mission though. Even though you're not dogfighting, you're bound to pull a lot of G's (evading terrain, SAMs, etc.), so it does sound plausible, but not realistic and put the same amount (or more, remember you got bombs on the plane?) of stresses on the aircraft as if it was dogfighting.

[+DWCAce]

Don't forget, even though you're carrying strike weapons, you can jettison them. On some a/c you cannot JETT a/a weapons.

[+EricJ]

True enough, but I'm not giving the enemy a mission kill either

[+Brain32]

I saw a picture of USN F/A-18(A or C I can't tell) with wingtip mounted AIM-120, maybe it was a test only but I did see it...

Edited December 26, 2009 by Brain32