20 feb2018 emergency: F-15 had to fire all its live missiles

[Stratofreighter]

...and this indeed turned out to be a rather expensive incident...

http://thedrive.com/the-war-zone/26597/ ... cy-landing

Oregon F-15 Fired Millions Worth Of Missiles Into The Sea Before Emergency Landing

Launching advanced air-to-air missiles off a troubled jet as a precautionary measure isn't that common of a practice.

February 21, 2019

Yesterday, we reported on an emergency arrested landing made by an Oregon Air National Guard F-15C from the 142nd Fighter Wing.
http://thedrive.com/the-war-zone/26580/ ... ing-at-pdx

The jet had been in the air for some time before
it made its way back to its home base at Portland International Airport and
landed via catching the emergency cable with its tail hook on runway 28L.

Now, The War Zone has learned that the aircraft in question was part of an alert training mission and
was fully armed with live air-to-air missiles when it took off.

During the emergency, the decision was made to fire off all of its armament into the Pacific Ocean
before returning to land,
an operation that is apparently quite rare in the F-15 community.

Usually, alert F-15s will go out with six or eight missiles.
Traditionally, such a configuration will include four AIM-120C AMRAAMs and a pair of AIM-9X Sidewinders.
Alternatively, they will fly with a full loadout of six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X Sidewinders.

...what do all these expensive missiles cost per piece
Read and weep at
http://thedrive.com/the-war-zone/26597/ ... cy-landing


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ucjb_HU_gU

[orange]

Since the first Gulf War the US has expended billions worth of air-to-ground armament and continues to expend that kind of ammunition in the conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan on a daily basis.

But a few air-to-air missiles make the news.....

[tally]

Why fire the missiles and keep the bags of fuel under the wing!!! Makes little sense.

[joost]

Why fire the missiles and keep the bags of fuel under the wing!!! Makes little sense.

As they were most likely empty. I asume, like the F16, the pylon tanks are the first being used before using internal fuel.

[Ranger]

Why fire the missiles and keep the bags of fuel under the wing!!! Makes little sense.

The empty wing tanks are used for balance on the runway in case of gear collapse and therefor less chance damaging the fuselage.

Cheers,
Ranger

[nilsko]

Why fire the missiles and keep the bags of fuel under the wing!!! Makes little sense.

Yeah why! Stupid pilots with their checklists and tested procedures!

[John 312]

Why fire the missiles and keep the bags of fuel under the wing!!! Makes little sense.

The empty wing tanks are used for balance on the runway in case of gear collapse and therefor less chance damaging the fuselage.

Cheers,
Ranger

They never use pylontanks for balance incase op gear collapse, they jettisson the tanks if they have engine problems to have less drag!

[Ranger]

Why fire the missiles and keep the bags of fuel under the wing!!! Makes little sense.

The empty wing tanks are used for balance on the runway in case of gear collapse and therefor less chance damaging the fuselage.

Cheers,
Ranger

They never use pylontanks for balance incase op gear collapse, they jettisson the tanks if they have engine problems to have less drag!

Correct for engine trouble. This was gear trouble.

Cheers,
Ranger

[pjotrtje]

Yes, and if it ain’t engine issues, the case is very different.
In any case - ANG pilots and OPS are very experienced, they know probably best what works and why it works best.