A quick question for fast jet jocks
Every time I see a picture of a regular, front line jet in the UK, be it Typhoon, Tornado or F-15, there's always a missile on the rail, and unless it's a QRA jet, they are inert. Why is this? They obviously aren't fired every sortie as jets come in with the inert weapon still there.
While I'm here, what's the odd looking long thing that's usually on the opposite rail of a Typhoon? One would presume it's a sensor that tricks another aircraft in to thinking a weapon has been fired at it, for aerial combat training.