DA2 carried AMRAAM:
Sparrow is an option on export F-16Cs, it’s just the USAF haven’t cleared it for their aircraft. Lockheed funded AIM-7 firing trials in 1989 for Block 30, for the sake of export to Egypt, Greece etc.
Iraq’s Block 52s have been photographed with AIM-7.
But since the F-16C “Block 50” being added here is lacking key blk50 capabilities like many munitions, ECM etc. and is really more of a Block 30 in terms of capability, I agree with the point that the door is kind of open for a Typhoon FGR.4 to be added with lesser historical ordnance: i.e. AIM-9L/M (instead of ASRAAM) and basic A2G with Litening+Paveway
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I mean as I was suggesting on a discord, AIM-120A has similar range to AIM-7M, and whilst the Brits didnt use it themselves i’d be surprised if I learnt the Tornado would’ve needed major modifications to radar and airframe to fit them.
Seeing what Gaijin has in terms of past form i’d be surprised if we got DA.2 or any sort of Typhoon for another couple of patches.
alternatively we could just have Typhoon F.2 with a fictitious (that i’m aware of) AIM-120A and 9L combo.
neatly solves the problem of America being the only one with Fox 3s and a capability gap in the British, German and Italian trees at a single stroke
Its very possible they;
- Didnt realize it couldnt use sparrows
- Wanted to cover up Fox 3 BVRAAM’s coming this update
They didnt actually show it running sparrows in any of its vids, only 9L’s and ground attack ordinance…
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apparently it can , it just wasnt very well known
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I think maybe AIM-7P, AIM-9L & HMS to compete with current MiG-29s and next patch we receive AMRAAMs at end of year with Gripen
yeah carry… for flight testing. if there’s proof of it ever actually firing them please show me.
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I don’t imagine F-16IQs (Block 52) are flying around with (live) missiles they can’t fire
And there’s a scan from a 1993 Lockheed publication detailing the dates of the company-funded Sparrow integration on F-16C
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that was about DA2 and amraams, not f-16C(US version) and sparrow
xD lol he realy misunderstoof that
We need something, was hoping Britain might be given an update to catch up a bit, with AMRAAM and/or the FA2. But it looks like they are going to continue to add new top tier jets to the other trees at the same time. Meaning we are going to need something big to even stand a chance at keeping up, Typhoon might be the only option soon, even in some semi-handicapped state
My apologies. For what ever reason when I clicked to see what your post was a reply was to, it only scrolled up as far as this post
i understand that the USAF doesn’t usually allow F-16Cs to carry Sparrows operationally. Why, I’d guess on the basis that maintaining that capability is not cost-benefit effective.
Currently at work getting buzzed by blackjack Typhoon. Not a bad way to spend the evening
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I miss living on RAF bases for this reason. Endless free air shows.
Oooh, yeah thats fun. Just booked tickets for RIAT next year. So shall put some photos on here after that
Will be looking at going again next year.
This years was great, but the weather was spotty.
Went because the Italians & Spanish sen over their harriers.
Very jealous, can only usually aford every other year
Why?