Q on FLIRs

[CBStu]

Is there a reason we have 2 types of FLIR available. Just thinking, things are difficult enough trying to learn the FA-18, a single FLIR would reduce the study needed to be competent. Does 'our' FA-18 span a long enough time period that in real life it had both systems? If so, do we need both systems? We had Litening first and then got ATFLIR. Is that the real life progression? Is ATFLIR generally better than Litening? If it was the second system in RL, one would assume it is better. For me anyway, I'd be happy to pick one and discard the other.

[Exorcet]

ATFLIR is carrier rated, used by the USN.

LITENING is not carrier rated, used by USMC, and for roleplaying as a Spanish Hornet.

 

LITENING was added first because it was already in the sim. ATFLIR would be considered the main pod for our Hornet.

Edited December 17, 2022 by Exorcet

[CBStu]

Exorcet thanks for the info. I realize this may differ mission to mission but...I like to download and fly missions from the user files. In general would doing a re-arm to the ATFLIR mess up a mission that had the Litening originally?

[Exorcet]

It shouldn't cause a problem to rearm.

[Bunny Clark]

15 hours ago, CBStu said:

In general would doing a re-arm to the ATFLIR mess up a mission that had the Litening originally?

Generally, no, there's no way that could cause a problem. If the mission had LITENING loaded on the canter pylon and you swap it to ATFLIR at the expense of an AMRAAM, that could cause an issue with the mission where the designer anticipated you having an additional missile available to you. Unlikely that success or failure in the mission would hang on one AMRAAM, but it may make things more challenging than the designer intended. 

[CBStu]

Thanks guys for your help. I think I am going to rearm w/ an ATFLIR on most all missions.

[Recluse]

So I have read this many times, but in this article (circa 2006)

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA498288.pdf

about which pod to equip USMC F/A-18D with, it does NOT mention that the LITENING is not certified for Carrier OPS. The article makes the argument for the MARINE Litening Pods even for Carrier embarked Marine Hornets.

 

Quote

 

However, when one considers that the only
reason the Navy is equipping its legacy Hornets with ATFLIR is

6
because it is equipping its Super Hornets with ATFLIR, and the
only reason that the Marine Corps is equipping its carrier-based
legacy Hornets with the ATFLIR is to maintain commonality with
the Navy legacy Hornets, the logic becomes a little less clear.

 

Anyone have an actual reference to the carrier rating difference between the pods?

 

Then there is THIS.. indicating the ATFLIR is now being replaced with the LITENING, but, this is a new LITENING pod, so it still doesn't answer the question about the "old LITENING pod"

https://theaviationist.com/2022/09/07/u-s-navy-super-hornet-makes-first-flight-with-litening-pod/

This is an interesting tidbit:

 

Quote

The photo released by NG shows the Litening pod carried on the centerline pylon underneath the fuselage, although there should be the option to mount it on the left cheek station, like the ATFLIR. Interestingly, the use of the legacy pod on that station forced the Hornets and Super Hornets not to carry carry any external store on the left wing inner pylon, in order to keep the pod’s point-of-view free from any obstacle (see image below).

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Recluse

[Lane]

Its because pilots have been used to use the ATFLIR, same for the lightning 28 in other country or USMC or whatever. There's not really much difference between them.  Same as DCS, if you used use the lightning ( A10 ) use it, if you are more used to ATFLIR use it. iT is just a question of continuity on how peoples are used to use it when fly.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Lane