The update just got really exciting
Oh no way it will be added then, no wonder devs havent accepted the bug report yet
Can the F16 carry the GBU-53s? As far as I am aware they aren’t integrated yet, but I am also not seeing sources stating that they will be integrated in the future.
[DEV] PIDS and PIDS+ pylons missing the ability to use missiles. // Gaijin.net // Issues
potentially big buff for a couple F-16s!
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A huge buff, F16 pobit needs all the aim120D it can get, and more CM
Oh you made the bug report, nice!
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Not in service but has been tested.
It’s officially cleared for service for the F-15E/EX but in testing for F/A-18E/F, F-16, and F-35.
From Raytheon
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well thats good enough for gaijin
It should be. We know it’s possible they can use them as they have been seen with them.
We have stuff like double belly racks for all Flankers even though they are for the Su-35. So getting StormBreaker on anything but the Strike Eagles is more than possible.
Also looking for GBU-53 on the F-16 I also found that they have also been tested with Harpoon too so that’s also possible.
Look, just to be clear: there is no technical limitation preventing this loadout. You know, the only real requirement for full functionality is using standard adapters, like the ADU-552, to interface the LAU-129 rail (which, let’s be honest, has been the standard for decades) with the pylon. Since the MIL-STD-1760 digital architecture is already in place, the SMS (Stores Management System) has everything it needs to communicate with the AIM-120D safely, without any risk of hardware damage or electrical conflict between the pylon’s sensors and the missile.
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Sure but then the issue then becomes if it would physically fit in the volume reserved to avoid interfering in a worst case emergency landing, or project into the dispensed countermeasure’s flightpath(from the PDISU’s magazines, which is why for chaff they use a standard MJU-11 bucket but Flares have their own design) and so cause self-interference, or have the fins of a mounted missile interfere with a Fuel tank, or other large store loaded next to it should the wings flex.
ADU-229/E, of wich the 830 shares a form factor with
I’d personally think that the ADU-830 (USAF don’t own any, only used by the AV-8B+ for their own AMRAAM capability) + modernized LAU-7 (MLR family) would be most likely used to allow for the potential retention of commonality with equipt ALE-53 units to be retained. Or just rawdog the LAU-128SE once that becomes available.
I don’t think spacing would permit a side by side dual rail, don’t forget the F-16 is smaller than the F-15 by a fair amount, and the F-15 doesn’t need to consider stores loaded on other wing stations in most cases.
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I’ll be the first to cheer if the PoBIT gets the 128SE to go with the PIDS+ but with the current standards of what is and what isn’t accepted as evidence, if there isn’t a picture of the PIDS+ mounted with a LAU-128SE then it won’t get past the tech mods and even if it somehow does, it will then have to get past the devs.
I’ve probably got enough evidence that a circumstantial argument could be made relating to the fact that since the LAU-117A/A is itself a STD-1760 store and carries Maverick Missiles, it’s already satisfied and that there is a case to be made for similar “STD-1553B” & “STD-1760” missiles such as the Sidewinder & AMRAAM since that station is already known to be cleared their use.
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Polish Air Force is upgrading their F-16C Block 52+ to F-16C Block 72 as part of the “Viper Mid-Life Upgrade”. I’m not quite sure, but it seems very similar to the PoBiT upgrade.
Polish Viper MLU program is already paid for and waiting for implementation. In the Foreign Military Sale documents it says, that Poland along with stuff like AN/APG-83 SABR radars, also bought:
three (3) Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II), GBU53/B Guided Test Vehicles (GTV); eight (8) SDB II, GBU-53/B Captive Carry Reliability Trainers;
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2024/10/mil-241023-dsca01.htm
so atleast the GBU-53B integration is expected in Viper MLU program.
the question is, is PoBiT the same?
As the GBU-39 is already a UAI store, and the F-16 with either the M6 or M6+ tape is UAI Certified, the GBU-53 is basically just a drop in replacement on the BRU-61 once Airframe certification occurs.
Problem is that airframe is a F-16D Block 52, so would probably be rejected since similarly
“F/A-18E != F/A-18F”
https://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/3819
But there are definitely other F-16s that have similar capability
more than kh38mt
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Yep
Yep