Mavericks Loadout
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Greetings BMS, so this is off topic as it is not related to the sim, unless the question and the loadout is then parallel to it. If an F-16 can carry up to 3 mavericks on 1 station why is it that they only carry 2 of them ?
I’ve seen videos on Youtube and pics on google and in them they only have 2 mavericks, granted I’ve seen a Viper carry 4 of them but do they go into combat with that many ? and if only 2 what would they fly 300+ miles for just to get 2 kills ?
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@7Banger:
Greetings BMS, so this is off topic as it is not related to the sim, unless the question and the loadout is then parallel to it. If an F-16 can carry up to 3 mavericks on 1 station why is it that they only carry 2 of them ?
I’ve seen videos on Youtube and pics on google and in them they only have 2 mavericks, granted I’ve seen a Viper carry 4 of them but do they go into combat with that many ? and if only 2 what would they fly 300+ miles for just to get 2 kills ?
Maybe drag? Or target density is low? I’ve seen schematics with two being loaded on a BRU-57/A, but have not seen this configuration in pics yet.
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Check this thread (similar debate):
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?11136-Realistic-Loadouts-requested&p=146445&viewfull=1#post146445
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It has to do with the launcher type and missile variant.
The LAU-88/A launcher is designed to carry, control, and launch up to three AGM-65 missiles. (Stations 3, 7)
The LAU-117/A missile launcher provides AGM-65 carriage control and launch of a single AGM-65 missile. (Stations 3, 4, 6, 7)The AGM-65G can be carried only by the LAU-117/A
You will never see a single / solo F-16 on a combat mission, therefore your question if the F-16 would fly 300+ miles for two kills has no merit.
The least amount of AGM-65s would be 4. -
I found this explanation:
@from:
This load caused lots of drag, was very heavy and did impose large loads on the wing and pylon, but the loads were within the capability of the structure, so there was no maneuver restriction. The structural loads were the largest of any store at 3/7. Several reasons for that - high drag caused large pitch moment and low hanging missiles caused large roll moments. Mk-84, GBU-8, and GBU-10 weighed more, but had lower drag and shorther moment arms. Another factor was that AGMs were cleared for 6.5g symmetric and 5.2g rolls, while all other air to ground stores were cleared for 5.5g symmetric and 4.4g rolls. The SUU-20 was cleared for the same limits as the AGMs, but it is so light, it was no problem. Why were they cleared for higher g? Because that’s what the USAF wanted, ask them.
It is true the inboard missile would scorch the tail, but the 3 AGM loading was not restricted to wartime only carriage. It was restricted to wartime only launch.
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@7Banger:
and if only 2 what would they fly 300+ miles for just to get 2 kills ?
Welcome in the real world.
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2 kills is often enough if you’re doing CAS.
i mean, there are guys on the ground that have guns that are more than capable of killing the enemy, they just need a little help.
the modern environment is not exactly 30 tank battalions on the threshold of seoul, it’s more “there’s a bunch of guys on this mountain that are shooting at us, please help”
a few 500 pound LGBs and a maverick or two is enough.
if it isn’t, send more falcons. not a problem on this planet that enough falcons cannot solve.
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Yes, most of people forget what S means in CAS. Support, and not killing alone by everyone. Just a quick “rebalance” factor between fighting power. A CAS AC arrives 30-40 times faster than any ground reinforcements.
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Welcome in the real world.
I fly with this loadout (or a very similar one) almost all the time in Israel. It’s lots of fun to do CAS with.
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i too prefer long-loiter CAS, with lighter loads. however in most theaters your ability to affect the situation is pretty minimal unless you really pile on the weapons, or have an enormous wing going out with you constantly (i’m not fond of flying with AI)
my #1 wish for the game would be a more fleshed-out ground environment with JTAC-esque functions that really allow you to support the troops, rather than just be stuck doing pseudo-BAI all the time even if you’re operating on the FLOT.
it doesn’t help i think that the theaters are so damn ‘big’ the forces involved are usually enormous, which means that taking out 2x gbu per plane isn’t really an option if you want to achieve anything noteworthy. (at least without aforementioned 30 aircraft with you)
it’s still a viable loadout though, as long as you’re prepared to make lots of trips, strike very important targets or managed to find densely clustered lines.
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I’d like to see single rail MAV load default to no dome covers…now that’s how it’s done…and I’d like to see some LMAVs.
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I think the DPRK rolling divisions of tanks across the border in neat columns is one of the rare instances where 4-6 Maverick loads would be approved for use. I don’t know how many LAU-88s are in a shed somewhere or if they’re even considered an option with USAF/ROK. Certainly 88s are in use by a few F-16 operators like HAF. An F-16 pilot would happily fly a full sortie to employ two Mavericks all day every day. In current COIN-style ops the single Maverick is often flown because you run out the airframe lifetime looking for a target before you get one. Command would probably be thinking of alternatives if it was a sure thing to send out 2 Mavericks per plane with an easy and surefire target on the other end. Can we task B-52s with SFW instead? Where are the AH-64s? Etc.
Thing is divisions of tanks don’t often make happy shoot me columns with poor defenses. They disperse and hide and you are lucky to see a fraction of them. Hanging around for more than 4 passes (two ship with two each) is a long time as each second reduces your life expectancy at an accelerating rate. The enemy is also not likely to act dumb for a prolonged attack.
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Okay I gotcha now
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I think the DPRK rolling divisions of tanks across the border in neat columns is one of the rare instances where 4-6 Maverick loads would be approved for use. I don’t know how many LAU-88s are in a shed somewhere or if they’re even considered an option with USAF/ROK. Certainly 88s are in use by a few F-16 operators like HAF. An F-16 pilot would happily fly a full sortie to employ two Mavericks all day every day. In current COIN-style ops the single Maverick is often flown because you run out the airframe lifetime looking for a target before you get one. Command would probably be thinking of alternatives if it was a sure thing to send out 2 Mavericks per plane with an easy and surefire target on the other end. Can we task B-52s with SFW instead? Where are the AH-64s? Etc.
Thing is divisions of tanks don’t often make happy shoot me columns with poor defenses. They disperse and hide and you are lucky to see a fraction of them. Hanging around for more than 4 passes (two ship with two each) is a long time as each second reduces your life expectancy at an accelerating rate. The enemy is also not likely to act dumb for a prolonged attack.
Actually, if tanks were rolling across my border in neat columns, I’d hit them with a cluster munition - like a CBU or a JSOW - and leave the MAVs at home entirely.
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This is completely off topic but is the supply system anything like SP3, where enemy units get replaced because of factories and army units and such ?? I posted a thread about this but didn’t get an answer. Thats why I’m asking here.
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war materiel is generated by factories, and battalions are resupplied (after SA-2s run out of ammo they occasionally reactivate and shoot at you again if you keep flying past them)
it doesn’t seem very fast, however, and i’m not sure if it buys new battalions (new troops do arrive but whether these are bought by generated resources or simply scripted to arrive it’s hard to say)
i’ve seen SAM FCR radars respawn as well, but it doesn’t happen often and i’m not sure what mechanism it uses.
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Thanx for taking the time to answer the ? I had. I had been doing further research about the topic and saw that one person had testified that new units, spawn at a greater rate if supply system is whole meaning no damage. But I don’t know how sure that is.
I wish we had more info to go off of. I read sp3 manual and rp5 manual, but still can’t get a greater understanding. Lots of opinions on the system, can a dev step in and possibly clear up the matter for all pilots. Alot of other people have wondered about this. Thank You all for input would be appreciated.