F-16 Training, LGB's and now HARM's using the HTS pod

[fruitbat]

This is mainly directed at Chris and Mel who I was helping learn the F-16 last night, and is a continuation of where we were last night, in the next post in this thread I'll recap the Tpod stuff and write that up, but I wanted to go through why the bombs were most likely not dropping at the end of the night.

In this post I have attached a mission and will post a video of me flying said mission, which is flying along a set of waypoints dropping laser guided bombs on a tank at each waypoint, as a practise mission.   

First up, we need to talk about symbology, and also probably the most important single thing, that the bomb will not drop if the flight path maker is not on the steering cue. To make life easier for yourself fly on altitude hold on your run in is good practise.

I've labelled the ones of particular relevance on the initial approach, after the first steerpoint is selected, and the pod has been moved onto the tank. During the run in this symbology is going to go through a couple of changes.

The time to target to start with is counting down to the time to ability to loft the bomb to increase range, a CCRP feature relating to dumb bombs, never tried with LGB's.

At that point the counter reaches zero the symbology will change to this,

Just carry on flying the steering cue. That symbology will then change to this,

 

This is the important moment, and this counter is now counting down to bomb drop. The bomb drop cue is the little fat horizontal line across the steering cue line. At around 8 secs or so it will start descending, this is when you press and hold your trigger. As that line hits the flight path marker, the bomb will release.

You will need to then put in some roll trim to compensate for the weapon being released of the jet.

The counter will then reset again, this time, time to impact. At around 10 seconds you need to start lasing until impact.

After the impact the laser will turn itself off after a short time after you stop holding it on.

To move onto the next target you will need to do 2 things, go to the next steerpoint, and cursor zero. the shortcut for this is TMS down short twice.

Rinse and repeat!

 

Here is a the vid of me flying the linked mission,

 

Any questions, fire away!

As  said at the start, in the next post I'll go over the Tpod stuff again and write it up👍

 

 

F16-C GBU practise mission.miz

 

[BluBear]

Success!

I can happily report that earlier this week, I downloaded this mission and after a little bit of fiddling and twiddling and figuring out, I called "Shack" four times in a row with no problem at all. 

Thanks @fruitbat

[fruitbat]

How to use the HTS pod

 

This post will go through how to use the HTS pod (pronounced Hits) to detect and target and employ HARM's at the SAM sites.

First up you will need to load up the HTS pod on the left chin station and make sure it has power, turned on here,

 

 

Then whilst your INS is aligning, you can do a bit of admin by going to air to ground mode, brining these to screens up on the left and right MFD respectively,

 

 

Turn your HARM's on, on the right MFD, and then bring up the HTS pod by selecting The HAD function on the left MFD. To start with you won't see it. I always replace the FLCS option along the bottom with the HAD tab. To do this press the FLCS button twice, and then you will see this,

 

 

Press and you will get the HAD screen,

 

 

Next press the THRT button, and uncheck all classes except for 1 & 2 if going after Russian SAM's (there are some in Class 3)

 

 

Here is a breakdown of the different Classes,

Quote

Display Name	RWR	DED ID	Class number
SAM SA-10 S-300PS SR 5N66M	CS	103	1
SAM SA-10 S-300PS SR 64H6E	BB	104	1
SAM SA-11 Buk SR 9S18M1	SD	107	1
SAM SA-10 S-300PS TR 30N6	10	110	1
SAM SA-11 Buk LN 9A310M1	11	115	1
SAM SA-15 Tor 9A331	15	119	1
HQ7 Self-Propelled LN	7	127	1
HQ7 Self-Propelled STR	HQ	128	1
SAM SA-5 SR "Tin Shield"	TS	130	1
SAM SA-6 Kub STR 1S91	6	108	2
SAM SA-8 Osa 9A33	8	117	2
SAM SA-3 S-125 TR SNR	3	123	2
SAM SA-2 TR SNR-75 Fan Song	2	126	2
SAM SA-5 TR "Square Pair"	5	129	2
SAM SA-13 Strela-10M3 9A35M3	13	118	2
SAM SR P-19	S	122	2
CP 9S80M1 Sborka	DE	109	3
SAM SA-19 Tunguska 2S6	19	120	3
AAA ZSU-23-4 Shilka	A	121	3
EWR 1L13	S	101	4
EWR 55G6	S	102	4
CV 1143.5 Admiral Kuznetsov	SW	301	5
CV 1143.5 Admiral Kuznetsov(2017)	SW	320	5
FFL 1124.4 Grisha	HP	306	5
FFG 11540 Neustrashimy	TP	319	5
CG 1164 Moskva	T2	303	5
FF 1135M Rezky	TP	309	5
FSG 1241.1MP Molniya	PS	312	5
CGN 1144.2 Piotr Velikiy	HN	313	5
Type 071 Amphibious Transport Dock	PS	408	5
Type 052B Destroyer	MR	409	5
Type 052C Destroyer	HN	410	5
Type 054A Frigate	MR	411	5
SAM Patriot STR AN/MPQ-53	P	202	6
SAM NASAMS SR MPQ64F1	NS	209	6
SAM Roland ADS	RO	201	7
SAM Hawk SR AN/MPQ-50	HK	203	7
SAM Hawk TR AN/MPQ-46	HK	204	7
SAM Roland SR	RO	205	7
SAM Hawk CWAR AN/MPQ-55	HK	206	7
Rapier FSA Blindfire Tracker	RP	124	7
Rapier FSA Launcher	RT	125	7
AAA Gepard	A	207	8
AAA Vulcan M163	A	208	8
Ticonderoga class	AE	315	10
Oliver Hazzard Perry class	49	401	10
LHA-1 Tarawa	40	407	10
DDG Arleigh Burke IIa	AE	412	10
CVN-70 Carl Vinson	SS	402	10
CVN-71 Theodore Roosevelt	SS	403	10
CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln	SS	404	10
CVN-73 George Washington	SS	405	10
CVN-74 John C. Stennis	SS	406	10
CVN-75 Harry S. Truman	SS	413	10

The reason for limiting how many classes, is it dramatically reduces a scan sweep, with 2 classes its @20 seconds, as opposed to 2 mins if all selected. in that time a SAM can pop up and kill you.

Now up into the air!

 

 

The above picture shows the pod tracking 3 active radars, an SA2, SA6 and an P-19 search radar. To select a radar you make the HAD screen SOI, and move the cursor over the desired target and TMS up over it.

It will then be boxed and go red. 

It also shows you the dynamic range of the HARM's based on your current height and speed. Note you can even shoot behind you a small distance.

Once you have a SAM locked with TMS up you will then see this,

Depending on the quality of triangulation the pod has, you will have a PGM number, 5 being the worst, and one the best. to improve the triangulation you do not fly straight at the target, instead fly offset,

I usually wait until I at least have a PGM of 3, preferably 2 before launching, to give the missile the best chance. This is particularly important if you are using the HTS pod in conjunction with the TPod and other weapon types such as JDAM's

And that's it lauch away!

 

One extra, if you are flying with other Vipers, make sure you check this, so it displays as in the screenshot,

 

Also if you want an extra challenge, use the Pod with JDAM's and not HARM's.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BluBear]

You Leg End, Kev! Thanks

[fruitbat]

Some more musings from me about attacking SAM's..... This is purely my own thoughts from what I have found works and does not work, and certainly not official procedure, as that's all classified anyway, lol. Your mileage may vary.

 

Different SAM's require attacking at different heights, as they have different engagement ranges. Think of it as a dome of different sizes above the launcher depending what it is. To destroy a SAM you have to encourage it to turn on its radar and track you, so you can in turn track its radar. Its no good flying at 30,000 ft above an SA 8 or SA 15 as you are out of its engagement range, so it won't turn on its radar, and you won't know its there.

Below is a pic I've channelled my inner Leonardo da Vinci to make, it will do the job though hopefully!

 

 

 

The worst place to be attacking a SAM from my experience and watching others, is to enter the SAM's max range near the top of its engagement range, as you will suddenly find a missile coming at you with very little options of what you can do, since any direction you dive to attempt to notch, you are further entering the SAM's area of engagement. You stumble into a very fast missile SAM like a SA-15, you are pretty much dead, unless you are incredibly lucky and can climb out of its range quick enough (you won't).

 

Coming in at a low height, while nowhere near as deadly to yourself, as you have plenty of distance to turn away and can terrain mask, but is not particularly effective as your own HARM's will have a much shorter range due to the thickness of air down low, so your missiles will have no where near as much energy which makes them much more susceptible to being intercepted by SAM's that can self protect shoot. Also being low you can run into other nasties laying in wait for you like manpads and AAA

Also and probably more important, HARM's fired from lower altitudes do not come into the target anywhere near as vertically as those lofted from higher altitudes. This often results in misses that do no damage as a flatter trajectory going just over the SAM will not impact the ground for much more distance than one coming down near vertically just missing the emitter.

 

This leads to my optimal attack altitude, around half way up the SAM's engagement range. It gives you plenty of options, and you can skirt around it tempting the SAM with only a 90 degree turn to head away, and can dive away and notch to. You are clear of manpads and most AAA, and your HARM will comedown with plenty of energy and at a fairly steep angle.

 

Of course, knowing what  SAM's you are going against helps.....

But as a rule of thumb, for SA-8's SA-15's I find around 15,000 ft works very well, SA-6, SA-2, SA-11, 20,000-25,000 ft works well, and going up against an SA-10 30,000 ft plus.

 

Going in at 15,000ft into unknown SAM territories gives you good scope to find what's there and be able to respond accordingly.

 

Hope this helps 👍

 

 

[PapaBear]

Nice one thanks Kev 

[BluBear]

Makes sense to me mate, thanks!

[fruitbat]

Threat tables from Hoggit,