F-16 versus missles - Desert Storm

J

JeppUpdater

Well-Known Member
Old video (obviously), probably posted on here before, but still an interesting one to watch. An F-16 versus 6 Iraqi surface to air missles in early 1991.

I'm actually posting because I'm curious what the purpose is of the HUD mode between 8:56 and 9:49. @Hacker15e or @MikeD ?

NSFW in case that wasn't obvious...Action starts about 3:00.


 
That is A/A guns mode of the radar/fire control computer. It is activated by moving a little switch on the throttle by your thumb. If you go up, you get guns, if you go down you get "missile override". I'd bet he just hit it on accident (I've done it before).
 
///AMG said:
That is A/A guns mode of the radar/fire control computer. It is a little switch on the throttle by your thumb. If you go up, you get guns, if you go down you get "missile override". I'd bet he just hit it on accident.
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Thanks for the answer @///AMG . I appreciate it; shoulda tagged you too.
 
In the video, the guy calls "SA-2" right off the bat after launch. Is it safe to assume that the RWR is telling him what the specific threat is and that he's not basing that off of a visual identification? Are black helicopters hovering outside my house for even asking that question?
 
Timmy Tucker said:
In the video, the guy calls "SA-2" right off the bat after launch. Is it safe to assume that the RWR is telling him what the specific threat is and that he's not basing that off of a visual identification?
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Yes. Visually IDing missiles of that type is near impossible when standing still, much less maneuvering. And if SA-2s were briefed to be known to be in the area (SA-2 is a very non-mobile fixed site) or he saw the launch from the site, he'd likely assume that. In any event, the major idea is that flying telephone poles are airborne right now, coming at the flight and at him, and it's fight for your life time.

Are black helicopters hovering outside my house for even asking that question?
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Not yet, they're still on the ramp. But the black Crown Vic's are going to start appearing on your street...
 
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///AMG said:
That is A/A guns mode of the radar/fire control computer. It is activated by moving a little switch on the throttle by your thumb. If you go up, you get guns, if you go down you get "missile override". I'd bet he just hit it on accident (I've done it before).
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Or he was to close for missiles, switched to guns.

Boom! Top Gun reference ftw!
 
MikeD said:
Yes. Visually IDing missiles of that type is near impossible when standing still, much less maneuvering.
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Just a caveat to this....

One night about 3 weeks into Shock and awe in 2003, I got shot at by a missile that my RWR did not identify (gave me the location, but not the type). When it launched, I could clearly see the color of the exhaust during both the boost and sustain phase of the missile's flight. It followed me for one leaf of my Threat Reaction, then zipped past me harmlessly maybe a mile or two away.

When I got back, and was describing the color of the exhaust to my Intel officer, he IDd the missile right away as an SA-6. He even pulled out the 3-1 and showed me that those colors were characteristics of the SA-6 launch, boost, and sustainer.

So, I didn't have the knowledge in my pea brain at the moment of launch to ID the missile based on how it looked, but it certainly is possible to know that type of info and, under the right conditions, perform a VID.
 
Hacker15e said:
Just a caveat to this....

One night about 3 weeks into Shock and awe in 2003, I got shot at by a missile that my RWR did not identify (gave me the location, but not the type). When it launched, I could clearly see the color of the exhaust during both the boost and sustain phase of the missile's flight. It followed me for one leaf of my Threat Reaction, then zipped past me harmlessly maybe a mile or two away.

When I got back, and was describing the color of the exhaust to my Intel officer, he IDd the missile right away as an SA-6. He even pulled out the 3-1 and showed me that those colors were characteristics of the SA-6 launch, boost, and sustainer.

So, I didn't have the knowledge in my pea brain at the moment of launch to ID the missile based on how it looked, but it certainly is possible to know that type of info and, under the right conditions, perform a VID.
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Does RWR ID it by tracking radar signature? Band / Freq
 
Hacker15e said:
I believe it uses some form of voodoo magic to accomplish that, but I think I'm prohibited by non-disclosure agreement to confirm it.
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:) yeah as an airframer I only fixed the broken screws on the tweaks boxes and my Program Manger role is only for things that make weapons separate successfully or blank radar, so not my world.......
 
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