Kevin Brooks wrote:

"TOliver" wrote in message
...

"Paul J. Adam" wrote ...

TOliver writes
"Thomas Schoene" wrote ...
Unfortunately, pictures of real Sea Harriers with live missile loads
seem
to be rare as hen teeth.

Rumor has it that aside from the blue, inert exercise "concrete"
versions,
the budget only stretched to a couple of dozen, held in a secret bunker
somewhere in Yorkshire, plugged in like recharging cell phones, awaiting
the
summons to Armageddon...

Not *quite* that bad; the UK AMRAAM buy was sufficient to arm the Tonka
F.3s as well as give the deployed carrier her Blue Book loadout, with
enough left over (assuming we don't actually shoot any in anger) to tide
the Typhoons over until Meteor deliveries start.

Which isn't to say there are surplus AIM-120s piled up in corners, just
that for once Tom's overstating it

I suspect an actual weapons load of two per a/c is about all the
acquisition
budget will stretch to,

The problem was rather one of the inevitable weight growth of ageing
aircraft, coupled to the high cost of a bigger engine, and expected
operations in weather charitably described as "too bloody hot for
comfort": in air temperatures of over forty degrees modern, a SHar with
four AMRAAMs couldn't hover at more than 'flameout in seconds' fuel
states. (Hence, in part, its premature retirement)

Thanks, Paul. I was engaged in a bit of ritual, nay liturgical,
cistern-chain pulling. I do doubt we'll ever see a harrier or any other
birds for that matter, RAF or USAF, actually "actively employed" with 4
AIM-120s aboard.

You'd lose that bet in a hurry. F-15's routinely carry AIM-120's and can
realistically haul even more. Even the F-16 on a pure air-to-air tasking can
carry four. A photo of the latter, with one AIM-120 having just been
launched, can be found at:

http://www.army-technology.com/proje...Slamraam_6.jpg

A close up showing the wingtip and outer pylons of a Falcon loaded with
AIM-120's, with the armorer doing his thing:

http://home.pages.at/godi/bewaffnung.../aim120f16.jpg

In the aftermath of 9/11, US-based F-16s were patrolling with 4 x AIM-120 and 2 x
AIM-9s (plus 3 tanks).

A mixed loadout really makes more sense, and needing to
pull the gun pack to add 2 to the Harrier sort of narrows the a/c's
potential employment roles.

But "other birds", such as the F-15, can carry four of them *plus* a couple
of AIM-9's and *still* have their gun to fall back on.

4/4, 6/2, or 8/0. The F-15E and export siblings, at least, can carry AIM-120s on
the pylon shoulder stations. I don't know if the As through Ds are so wired. I
remember an article a few years ago saying that there was a bit of a conflict
between armorers and F-15E pilots, at least at the base mentioned in the article.
They typically were carrying 2/2 on the pylon shoulders. IIRR the pilots wanted
the AIM-9s on the outsides, to improve seeker FOV for lock-on, while the armorers
wanted the AIM-120s there because there was limited space for loading/unloading
them on the inside of the pylons. I've seen photos of them both ways, as well as
operational a/c carrying four of one or the other.

Guy



Brooks


TMO