Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

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SBGrad
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Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by SBGrad »

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Many more, including 31+24 with and without stickers, on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18842924@N03/
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SBGrad
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by SBGrad »

I freely admit I am not really up on all the various types of external ordnance on European military aircraft. Can anybody identify a couple items hanging off this Tornado?

Image

Specifically--

the bombs are?

what is on the farthest out pylon on the right wing?

TIA.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18842924@N03/
Joost Michiels
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by Joost Michiels »

First guess on the two centerpieces underneath the fuselage: :censored:
Let's just say a certain update which caused quite some fuzz on this side of the ocean might be a reason for some testing with this particular combination.
I could be wrong about it though....
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by Levente »

SBGrad wrote:I freely admit I am not really up on all the various types of external ordnance on European military aircraft. Can anybody identify a couple items hanging off this Tornado?

Image

Specifically--

the bombs are?

what is on the farthest out pylon on the right wing?

TIA.
My quess, they are GBU-31 JDAM bombs
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Starman
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by Starman »

The rounded pod behind (note the technical term) the "two timorous beasties" is a Rafael Litening (III) targeting pod. The closest pod to the photographer (on the port outboard station - better?) is the IAI/ELTA Cerberus EW system. The big m*****s are fuel tanks.
Last edited by Starman on 17 Mar 2020, 20:56, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by Frank Mink »

SBGrad wrote:I freely admit I am not really up on all the various types of external ordnance on European military aircraft. Can anybody identify a couple items hanging off this Tornado?

Image

Specifically--

the bombs are?

what is on the farthest out pylon on the right wing?

TIA.
I all,
It is a BOZ 107 countermeasure dispenser system on the outer pylon of right wing.

Gr,
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by Levente »

SBGrad wrote:I freely admit I am not really up on all the various types of external ordnance on European military aircraft. Can anybody identify a couple items hanging off this Tornado?

Image

Specifically--

the bombs are?

what is on the farthest out pylon on the right wing?

TIA.

I think I got the answer
https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/ausruestu ... mbe-gbu-54
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by SBGrad »

Joost Michiels wrote:First guess on the two centerpieces underneath the fuselage: :censored:
Let's just say a certain update which caused quite some fuzz on this side of the ocean might be a reason for some testing with this particular combination.
I could be wrong about it though....
Ha ha, funny you should mention this. One day waiting for the afternoon Red Flag launch a F-15E with Eglin tail marking landed carrying an inert B61-12. These shapes do not match the one the F-15 had. I can see the Germans practicing over here, but would they really launch with 2 weapons? Seems like you'd spread them out.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18842924@N03/
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by SBGrad »

Levente wrote:
I think I got the answer
https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/ausruestu ... mbe-gbu-54
Yah, I think it is some version of JDAM (either -31 or -54). I've seen JDAMs at our air shows, they had the little stub wings on them, and I thought all JDAMs had them. Clearly, some do not.

...oh, and yes, thanks to the person that identified the BOZ-107, that's clearly what it is.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18842924@N03/
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by frank kramer »

The JDAM basically is 'only' the guidance kit that can be bolted to different bomb types/shapes, and comes with several possible fin shapes (adapted to the kind of bomb it is being used on). At least, that is what an armourer at Spangdahlem told me once during the last Open House there...
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Re: Nellis AFB/Red Flag 20-2 Las Vegas NV March 2020 MIL

Post by sp00k »

JDAM is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather precision-guided munitions - wikipedia.

On the photo its probably a MK-83 (or maybe 84) with the JDAM parts thrown on it to make it controllable, underneath all the fancy parts its still the basic dumb bomb.

You can compare it to for example the Snake-eye:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_82_b ... 500-lb.jpg

Same o'l dumb bomb but with in this case it has a retarder stuck on the back.
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