Jump to content

F/A-18C loadout help


Recommended Posts

We didn’t have JDAM in CVW-5 at that time. During 1998 any baby Hornets in the deck would have had GBU-12’s (normally one with a ROCKEYE or Laser Mac for OSW flights).  AGM-65F or AGM-65E were also carried on occasion (that’s what I asked for on the airplane when they were doing ASuW strikes for me). Of course we all dropped ROCKEYE (FMU-140 fuzed) and dumb bombs (Hornets normally carried 1000/500 pounders). The 2000 pounders were dropped by us or VF-154. I had a few Hornets show up in my wing with a baseline SLAM and AWW pod. That was rare. 

Never saw a GBU-24 on any bird except practice loads in the hangar bay or loaded up at the Atsugi airshow.  

 

Cheers

Collin

Link to post
Share on other sites

Don’t forget HARM and mines. We always had to have a Hornet or Prowler) with a live HARM in the package for OSW, normally carried on inboard pylon with a centerline fuel tank and wing tank on the other side, live -9M’s as well. We also did many minex’s with the Hornets, they exclusively carried white Quickstrike 500 pounders. 

 

Collin. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes. We sent light packages up to the “box”, they were patrols so normally it was a small package of Tomcats with standard A-A loadout and ROCKEYE x2, Hornet section typically with a GBU-12/ROCKEYE combo, someone carrying a HARM (Prowler or Hornet) and a E-2 of ours if AWACS wasn’t on station. All our ROCKEYE we flew on live missions had the newer FMU-140 fuzes (see pic link) but on dump flights to get rid of old ordnance we flew the older ROCKEYE with the MK-339 fuzes just to expend the , always fun. 

 

See the attached pic. Typically we loaded up our Hornets the same (swap out the HARM for GBU-12 if you like). Our Tomcats normally went out with both loaded with ROCKEYE X 2 or MK-82’s loaded with air burst fuzes under the fuselage and one Tom typically had a AIM-54 and one or both had a LATIRN targeting pod (which were new to the AirWing at the time). 

 

If if I wasn’t flying, I had to stand a watch for these OSW flight to make sure they launched and reported back to the CAOC ashore while we were in the “box”.  Boring watch, I would rather be flying. 

 

Cheers

Collin

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Defense.gov_News_Photo_971111-N-6939M-303.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

To my eye it’s a ROCKEYE, but technicall I think it’s a CBU-100 with a FMU-140 fuze. 

In 1/48, I would just take a ROCKEYE and remove the old MK339 fuze off of the nose and make/scratchbuild the flatter/larger -140 nose fuze. 

 

Cheers

Collin

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...