Lol
I found images of the JAS39E with a belly mounted pod that i’ve been trying (and failing) to identify. Anyone got any ideas?
( https://www.fmv.se/aktuellt--press/aktuella-handelser/anskaffning-av-flygbomber-till-jas-39-gripen/ )
My gut feeling is that it might just be some sort of pod used for trials/testing that films and takes images of weapons as they are released. But i haven’t been able to find anything yet.
believe so, seems to be a pod packed with measuring equipment. it might be able to serve as a recon pod maybe? just hypothesising same as you
whew, now hoping for a timely change
Seems like a munition evaluation pod yes.
Did some more digging on the belly pylon:
PMEL from L3Harris is MIL-STD-1760 compatible, specifically it has a Type 2 connector (though i still don’t fully understand the differences).
Relating to the exact research on whether the pylon is BRU-61/A (the rack of the GBU-39 SDB 1) compatible: in short, Yes.
The BRU-61 provides a translation layer between the MIL-STD-1760 incompatible GBU-39 and the aircraft talking through the 1760 layer.
Sources
- Raytheon Patent ‘Military standard (MIL-STD-1760) interface bridge’ (2013): Section “Embodiments”, 2nd paragraph:
Miniature munitions (e.g. small diameter bomb (SDB) I (SDB-I) and SDB-II) use Enhanced Bit Rate-1553 (EBR-1553) protocol, which is incompatible with a military standard-1760 (MIL-STD-1760) and/or a MIL-STD-1553B aircraft interface. These small munitions can mount to a multi-position carriage system, which can provide interface translation, and carriage and/or ejection. The disclosed MIL-STD-1760 interface bridge allows interface translation from MIL-STD-1553B to miniature munitions (MM) interfaces (e.g., joint miniature munitions interface (JMMI) and miniature munitions store interface (MMSI)) with a small, self-contained convertor connector (or plug).
-
- A secondary patent host for this is: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ae/2a/fd/34d91f5a3c63e3/US20150089099A1.pdf
- DOD ‘Arms sale notification’ (2013): Point 11:
The BRU-61/A carriage system consists of a four-place rack […] Internal avionics and
wire harnesses connect the carriage system to the aircraft and to the
individual weapons. […] The carriage avionics assembly provides the interface between the individual stores […]. A MIL-STD-1760 umbilical, using a MIL-STD-1760 Class II primary interface signal set connects the carriage system to the aircraft. Each ejector station has a Joint Miniature Munitions Interface (JMMI) umbilical which provides the electrical and logical interface to the individual weapons.
The BRU-61/A bomb rack enables the carriage of four GBU-39/B munitions for each MIL-STD-1760 store location
- L3Harris ‘PNEUMATIC MISSILE EJECTLAUNCHER (PMEL)’ brochure (2020): 2nd page, specification sheet under “Store interface”:
AMRAAM-style nose “button” hanger and center body hanger MIL-STD-1760 Type II electrical connection
- Bœing ‘LOW-COST, PRECISION-STRIKE’ brochure: 2nd page, under the first paragraph:
The SDB system includes:
• GBU-39/B weapon
• BRU-61/A four-weapon smart pneumatic carriage
• Mission planning system
• Logistics support system
gonna update my issue with this (im very caffeinated and being impatient)
just noticed, the pod looks very similar to the reddish orange pod carried by the BAF F-39E in the belly weapons teast images i’ve sent
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Yeah 95% sure that is just to record separation testing during integration of new weapon systems.
Someone have info on the structural limits on gripen-e’s pylons, both the underwing and the belly ones?
Max capacity I assume?
yea, like how much a pylon, in isolation (i.e. without taking the fuselage restrictions taken into account), can carry
Well we at least know that the underwing pylons can carry RBS15 which are about 800kg when strapped on. https://www.saab.com/globalassets/cision/images/20170331-en-2510288-1.jpg
Centerlines might be harder to find.
Then again max capacity is roughly 7200 kg for weaponry from what I’ve seen.
We can go off that it can minimally carry the weigh of a gbu-16 (~500kg)? based on the NG photo’s.
Otherwise something ~275kg (GBU-12) based on the images from the FAB belly tests.
Pylon 3 can carry at least 1400kg (KEPD 350) and the heaviest I’ve seen for Pylon 2 is 650kg (RBS15). RBS15 with booster ie. surface launched weighs 810-820kg but the RBS15F launched from planes only weighs 650-660kg.
Although GBU-39 with the ejector rack might weigh more idk, not sure what that thing weighs.
Edit: GBU-39 weight ~120kg and the BRU-61 seems to weigh about 147kg so that would be roughly 630kg.
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it weighs around the same as a Gungnir
Ah. Didn’t realize the RBS15 had a ground and air launch version
Either way I don’t think there’s a clear cut answer really with the Gripen pylons, might be a number that SAAB keeps quiet about.
General number I’ve seen for max weaponry capacity weight is around 7200kg give or take for the Gripper E
love that the mockup RB 74 doesn’t have its rollerons
