So here’s an interesting capability I wasn’t aware of before. The Litening III targeting pod on the Eurofighter is capable of simultaneously guiding two different Laser Guided Bombs to two different tracked targets:
This is also mentioned in the Litening III datasheet:
Thanks to @DirectSupport for pointing this out.
huh, so it’s essentially multiplexing lasing the target. neat.
I wonder what the limits are, if its only within a certain region, or within the entire gimbal limit of the TGP
I’d imagine there’s a limit to the angular difference between the targets, and probably a limit on the relative velocity of the targets to each other too.
i imagine it requires IOG bombs and then switches between like TWS.
I’d imagine there are no limits. Its hard to find videos of the Litening III pod, but here’s a counterpart from the Rafale’s Talios pod:
You can see it track as many targets popping into view.
Timestamp: 1:35
thats just tracking, not lasing. the apache does the same thing
Fair enough, is there a video of the Apache doing the same thing? And why isn’t it modeleed?
AH 64 Red Light Vehicle Engagement (youtube.com) single vehicle track, cant find a specific video for multi track but its kinda the same
ECRS Mk.2 has just flown for the first time:
When can we expect this to be slapped on the rest of them
Did any other country expressed interest in it? I forgot.
If so, then probably at the same time or after UK EF get it installed on large scale.
if by “all of them” you mean “a few” then in a couple of years
because::::
only the 40 or so T3As are getting the mk2
40 Tranche 3’s yeah.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-04-24/23420
Italy I think, though iirc due to time constraints with integrating, flight testing and manufacturing the MK.2 they seem to have also chosen to fit some with ECRS Mk.0(?) radars too, so I think they will not fully retrofit their fleet as that’s kinda a waste to fit one radar and then immediately another.
So no chance of them retrofitting the MK.2 universally but perhaps the MK.1 radar for the ones incompatible with MK.2?
IIRC Germany still uses T2’s and they plan to retrofit their ‘whole fleet’ so unless they plan on retiring a load of their T2’s and replacing them with EK’s and T5’s then it would seem the MK.1 radar is compatible with T2.
Though then there is the case that the MoD is cheap and won’t want to spend more than they have to. So they’ll make up some excuse about the 40 ones with MK.2 being ‘frontine’ fighters and the others being more of a support role for those T3’s and F-35’s.
Nah seems they need to upgrade Tranche 1 to 2/3 first before getting anywhere near the ECRS MK.2
which is not feasible. t1s are a dead end.
mk1 doesnt have the t2 incompatibility problem :shrug:
I meant can we not upgrade the T2’s that we have with the MK.0 or MK.1 radars?
T1’s I have accepted are a lost cause, though they’re still better than a good majority of the F-16’s flying around nowadays so would be perfect for the Falklands.
That’s like saying early F-35A’s are still better than most F-18E’s flying around nowadays. Of course they are. They’re prohibitively more expensive and built for an entirely different task & purpose. Completely different design philosophy.
