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Clark AFB F-4E B-61 commitment


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15 hours ago, Exgbuloader said:

Hello everyone,

 

   I am building the Revell 1/32 F-4E from Clark AFB circa late 80s to early 90s. Does anyone know if this base had a nuclear commitment and if so, which station was the B-61 cleared for and/or carried on? Thanks everyone.

 

Pat Green,

Thought the only nukes stored in the Pacific (at least on foreign soil) were in S Korea?  Only pics I've seen of F-4's with this weapon show them to be on the centerline but that's not to say the two inner pylons weren't wired for nukes, I have no idea.   

 

Regardless, not to say that Clark F-4's didn't stand alert at another base.   Good luck with your project!

 

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Thanks for the responses so far guys, I am not sure what their commitment was at home station but I would fathom a guess that they would stand armed watch at other bases. When I was stationed in Spain, we had two squadrons that rotated to Turkey and stood armed with special weapons. I am still, researching the Clark F-4E's complete roll while there.

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1 hour ago, Exgbuloader said:

Thanks Murph. I think if I do go with the nuke loadout, I will probably put it on the left inboard and centerline fuel tank as well as outboard fuel tanks with 4XAIM-7s and 2XAIM-9 on the right inboard unless AIM-9s could be used as well with the B-61 under them.

 

From talking to people that sat "Zulu Alert" in the bad old days of the Cold War, most pilots assumed they would have a reduced air to air missile load, or none at all.  The going in assumption was that a conventional conflict would precede resorting to nukes and that stocks of missiles would be severely depleted by that point.  Also, as has been pointed out in many a publication, some of the routes were one way trips due to fuel considerations, which was another reason not to load them up for air to air.

 

Regards,

Murph

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Murph, 

 

   Good point, the only reason I was goung with full missile loadout was because I used to work on F-16s and our nuke alert birds were fulky loaded even with an ECM pod and four air yo air missiles. I would love to see a real photo of an F-4E loaded with a B-61. I remember seeinf one from Ramstein but cannot find it again. 

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24 minutes ago, Exgbuloader said:

I would love to see a real photo of an F-4E loaded with a B-61. I remember seeinf one from Ramstein but cannot find it again. 

 

Check this previous ARC thread LINK for a training shape loaded on the centerline.

 

Regards,

Murph

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A minor point but the correct nomenclature for the nuke is B61, not B-61.  The B-61 designation would be for an airplane.

  For example, a B57 is a small tactical nuke and B-57 is the Martin Canberra bomber. 

  There are a few Victor Alert Phantom photos out there. I saw one photo on Facebook some time ago that has an F-4D with two B28s loaded, one in each inboard pylon. Another I found that has a B61 on the centerline, two 370s and no missiles. I have no idea where or when these were taken, nor who the photographer was. 

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Thanks AVNAV, yeah I know the designation system, I still use the designation system from weapons loading checklists I used for 22 years. Hard to break old habits on that. I am still trying to find more info on Clark's nuclear comittment but probably going to settle on a nuke on the centerline and call it a day.

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