Canadian CF104 Nuclear bombing role?

[Stratos 3,188]

The canadians deployed up to 8 F-104 squadrons in Europe for Nuclear Strike role. Anyone have info of the expected tactics for those birds? Being pretty stable at high speed and low altitude, is that what they planned to do? How in the world they would navigate in the european weather, and once they encounter the target, what was the plan to deploy the bombs?

Thanks.

[fallenphoenix1986 603]

Fly low, fly fast and crash into the nearest hill pretty much sums up 104 strike ops in Europe.

[Wrench 9,787]

I know I shouldn't have used the "laughing" smilie above, but couldn't help it.

 

as to mission profile, low level with 'over the shoulder' delivery would be my guess

 

[+guuruu 5,909]

37 minutes ago, Wrench said:

as to mission profile, low level with 'over the shoulder' delivery would be my guess

Or laydown.

[+streakeagle 867]

Navigation in Europe for low level was usually by practicing routes visually. i.e. I know for a fact that A-10s only had the map on their leg and their experience flying the expected routes during training. The A-10s flew low and slow enough to actually get under weather that other aircraft weren't even allowed to fly through. If the cloud cover/fog was low enough to shut down the A-10s, no one else was flying low either without terrain following radar like the F-111. One can only imagine the expanded capabilities in night/adverse weather once A-10Cs had gps rather than just the Mk 1 Eyeball of A-10As.

[Stratos 3,188]

Interesting, but remember one thing about GPS, any serious enemy will be able to shut down the GPS enough to make it unreliable, so I think that would need getting back to MarkI eyeball.

Regarding the F-104, you can try visual routes over own terrain, but not over enemy one, wondering If they planned to follow natural features...

[+ravenclaw_007 7,622]

i assume they did it the same way as the german F-104G crews , go low go fast , as for the weapons deployment i think it was something similar as shown below

for navigation the crews would have maps from the target area and maps for the way to the target area and they would follow as much as possible natural features , assumed targets would be mostly in east - germany and poland and a high los of aircraft and crew was calculated in

my home base was near to Memmingen air base our alternate landing base in bad weather , the picture below was taken there , so we saw regularly F-104g going low and fast even in bad weather conditions as long as the ceiling was not below minima , and we had some close encounters while flying very low in a altitude you as a helicopter crew normaly would not expect a F-104G or a F-4F

 

german F-104G with B61 nuclear bomb

[eccmo 1]

As far as i know the RCAF in Germany had sqaudrons on qra ops with 2 a/c each. The 'Q' aircraft could be launched with an armed US nuclear weapon ( B57 bomb 5-20 kilotons; B28 bomb 70-350 kt; B43 bomb 1 Mt)within 15 minutes of receiving the 'go' order. This arrangement was called the NATO Quick Reaction Alert Force.

Missions were targeted at troop concentrations, airfields, bridges, assembly and choke points and other tactical targets in order to slow the massive tank formations of the Red Army as they poured into the Fulda Gap and on towards the Rhine River.

Mission profile depending on used device

[Stratos 3,188]

Thanks for all the answers, the mission they had and the expected flight to the target would explain a lot of the crashes during the service years. I'm sure it would be exhilarating flying so fast, so low and with that relatively spartane aircraft.

[+Nightshade/PR 7,833]

Try this link

http://www.tailsthroughtime.com/2015/08/canadas-nuclear-strike-force-1st-air.html

[Stratos 3,188]

On 7/11/2018 at 8:26 PM, Nightshade/PR said:

Try this link

http://www.tailsthroughtime.com/2015/08/canadas-nuclear-strike-force-1st-air.html

Thanks a lot for this one!