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AGM-130/AGM-130LW


Bulltac

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Hey Guys,

 

Pretty basic question. Is there any plan to add the AGM-130 to DCS? Admittedly we don't have too many planes that support it but I have always had a fascination with this weapon and the 130LW variant is used on the F-16C.

 

**The AGM-130 is basically a BLU-109 or Mark-84 warhead, with a CCD/"Man-in-the-loop" datalink guidance kit and a rocket propulsions system. The pilot can fire-and-forget, use partial guidance, or terminal guidance to target and guide the weapon. It functions like a CCD TV Maverick with a massive warhead and man-in-the-loop features**

Agm130_sideview.jpg

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I doubt there is, AFAIK the AGM-130 was only used on the F-15E and maybe the F-111 (that one is a bit hazy, I don't know whether it was operational or just flight tested), I've yet to see evidence that it could be carried by the F-16C, let alone was operational on it.

Modules I own: F-14A/B, Mi-24P, AV-8B N/A, AJS 37, F-5E-3, MiG-21bis, F-16CM, F/A-18C, Supercarrier, Mi-8MTV2, UH-1H, Mirage 2000C, FC3, MiG-15bis, Ka-50, A-10C (+ A-10C II), P-47D, P-51D, C-101, Yak-52, WWII Assets, CA, NS430, Hawk.

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The AGM-130A was initially used on the F-111 and F-15E, this is true. However, the AGM-130LW was designed for the F-16C/D and has been in use since 1998. I dont know if we will ever get the F-111 (heres hoping, its one of my favorite planes) but with the F-15E (apparently) coming to the Sim, and considering the weapon is already in game, I think the 180LW would be an awesome addition to the F-16's arsenal.

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5 minutes ago, Bulltac said:

The AGM-130A was initially used on the F-111 and F-15E, this is true. However, the AGM-130LW was designed for the F-16C/D and has been in use since 1998. I dont know if we will ever get the F-111 (heres hoping, its one of my favorite planes) but with the F-15E (apparently) coming to the Sim, and considering the weapon is already in game, I think the 180LW would be an awesome addition to the F-16's arsenal.

 

Unfortunately I can't see any reference to actual operational use, it's only mentioned on wikipedia and FAS, I can't see anythig about it on F-16.net nor the af.mil page.

 

In fact I can't find anything about the AGM-130LW apart from what's written is FAS and wiki (where it only says designed for use on the F-16C), I can't see anything about whether or not it actually entered service.

Modules I own: F-14A/B, Mi-24P, AV-8B N/A, AJS 37, F-5E-3, MiG-21bis, F-16CM, F/A-18C, Supercarrier, Mi-8MTV2, UH-1H, Mirage 2000C, FC3, MiG-15bis, Ka-50, A-10C (+ A-10C II), P-47D, P-51D, C-101, Yak-52, WWII Assets, CA, NS430, Hawk.

Terrains I own: South Atlantic, Syria, The Channel, SoH/PG, Marianas.

System:

GIGABYTE B650 AORUS ELITE AX, AMD Ryzen 5 7600, Corsair Vengeance DDR5-5200 32 GB, Western Digital Black SN850X 1 TB (DCS dedicated) & 2 TB NVMe SSDs, Corsair RM850X 850 W, NZXT H7 Flow, MSI G274CV.

Peripherals: VKB Gunfighter Mk.II w. MCG Pro, MFG Crosswind V3 Graphite, Logitech Extreme 3D Pro.

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The AGM-130 was indeed used operationally on the F-15E.  It was never used on the F-16.  

 

The AGM-130 is no longer maintained in the inventory to date.


Edited by Scrape
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Where did you find the info on the F-16? I found one reference to the AGM-130LW being developed and fielded with the F-16 but it was basically a sidenote and Ive never been able to confirm if the "LW" variant was actually used in combat at all

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On 7/30/2021 at 2:49 PM, Bulltac said:

Where did you find the info on the F-16? I found one reference to the AGM-130LW being developed and fielded with the F-16 but it was basically a sidenote and Ive never been able to confirm if the "LW" variant was actually used in combat at all

Was this question for me?  If so, I didn't find the info.  I was there, so to speak.  Carrying the 130 on a Viper might have been an idea, as anything combat related is always an evolving idea.  However, when it came to being used operationally the Viper did not use them.

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Well, consider that you do have the SLAM and SLAM-ER, which are terminal TV guided, on the Hornet module. They have ranges of 69 to 170 miles, much further than the '130's 46 mile max range.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-84H/K_SLAM-ER

 

 

Maybe the "LW" variant was little more than a proposal, with no real develoment money spent. "hey, what if we could put something like this on the Fighting Falcons?" 

 

Maybe money was spent and development underway... but it's a LONG ways between that, and actual flight testing (captive) on a Viper, then drop/separation testing, then developing all the software for systems integration, then start training courses to get the pilots up to speed, then acheive initial operational capability (IOC). From start to finish, this can be a couple of years to more than a decade. 

 

Even further out is use in combat conditions, which sometimes never even happens before the ordnance is retired. 

 

My guess: never weight beyond the "what if we?" point, and got shelved  before real money was spent, perhaps because the future focus was on the JDAM, laser JDAM, and  SDB glide bombs, to which increasingly advanced guidance systems are being developed and fielded, such as the new GBU-53/B StormBreaker.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-53/B_StormBreaker

 

Oddly enough, the AGM-130 has a shorter range of 46 miles, Vs the Stormbreaker's 69 mile standoff distance. Yes, I know, it's an apples to oranges comparison, due to the massive difference in warhead weight, as is the dramatic difference in tech and years developed. But my point is that the LW variant might have been discussed at the same time as the SDB's were being discussed, and the newer glide units may have been seen as more attractive for many reasons. One being that the future was stealth, and hanging a '130 outside of unstealthy precious few airframes might not have looked very prudent compared to combining stealth with an even greater standoff distance, and able to eventually be integrated into most airframes. Even the Super Tucano is getting SDB integration... there's no way an AGM-130 could do that!

 

Now... maybe adding a rocket to the SDB could be the next-generation. Not as silly as you might think, as there is now development of an MLRS 227mm rocket type that puts a fully guided SDB glide bomb at the front. It's been test fired at least once already, quite a bit of standoff distance was acheived too, officially listed as 93 miles. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-39_Small_Diameter_Bomb#Ground_Launched_Small_Diameter_Bomb_(GLSDB)

 

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