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A-10 with LGB's


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Yeah, only it isn't modelled this way.

 

Either way, Hogs never operationally carried LGB's AFAIK ... they did all their work with mavs, gun and clusters ... and of course iron.

 

They can drop these munitions pretty accurately once they see the target, wether by themselves of with the 'help of the diamond'.

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D

I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda

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"In early 2002, rumors circulated among A-10 units that they were destined for Afghanistan; three prepared for deployment. In July, however, members of the 103rd and 104th FW were summoned to Langley AFB for a surprise; they were not going to Afghanistan after all, but instead preparing for a special mission in the looming Iraq conflict. Using a targeting pod called LITENING II, they were to hunt ballistic missile launchers in western Iraq and support special operations there. For an aircraft designed so austerely that it didn’t originally have an autopilot or internal navigation system, LITENING was a huge leap forward. It allows pilots to designate targets for laser-guided bombs (LGB), view targets up to 30 miles away through infrared and camera optics, and accurately determine target range and location. The only prior targeting system in the A-10 was the eyeball; its primary weapons, the 30mm. GAU-8 cannon, unguided bombs, rockets, and AGM-65 Maverick missiles.

 

By fall, two aircraft and key personnel were in Nellis AFB, Nevada. Under cover of night, jets were modified to accept LITENING. There was no manual for doing so, but after a day of running wires and integrating the pod, they were ready to try the new “eyes.”

 

Following successful dry runs at Nellis with special operations, a combined unit of 18 aircraft from Connecticut and Massachusetts deployed in February to a still-undisclosed Middle Eastern base. Col. Fred Miclon, then 103rd Maintenance Group commander and with more than 20 years of experience with A-10’s, was one of about 35 advance personnel.

 

“This was a bare bones, austere location,” he said. “Fortunately, the aircraft is pretty rugged, and we worked hard to set everything up. Within about 10 days, we had 800 people supporting us.”

 

When war came, the Hog drivers in the west dropped laser-guided bombs, assisted special operations, and as the situation developed, provided close air support near the dam at Hadithah, Iraq. They flew 3,100 combat hours during 900 sorties, without damage from enemy fire, and became the first A-10 pilots to drop laser-guided bombs in combat."

:D

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The A-10 has been able to carry the LITENING II pod and and LGBs for the past few years just as John Sponauer piece said. After the PE mod (in test now) it will also be able to carry the new Lockheed Martin SNIPER pod also. The new A-10C will have fully intergrated weapons/stories managment system, 2 MFCDs, UFC, and HOTAS to name a few upgrades.

 

S77th-GOYA- yes if you get a targeting diamond in the HUD "someone" is LASING the target and a LGB released from the A-10 would strike that target so it is buddy lasing.

Ugly but well hung!

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