Weapons release

[Bob Viking]

Dominator

I am aware of that but surely even the laziest of pilots could move the one switch that is required to turn the coolant on once required.

BV

[Courtney Mil]

Ah, the AIM9 coolant issue. No, you don't fly around with them cooled the entire time in an operational environment. It won't last. The U.S. missiles are different to the European models. Internal Argon canister in the U.S. models, short duration, but rapid cooling. Euro versions, nitrogen bottle in the launcher, lasts longer, takes longer to cool. If you select coolant on at 'commit' they will be ready when you need them. The X uses a cryogenic cooling system and is very different. That is in very rough and deliberately non-committal terms.

[Fg Off Bloggs]

So who exactly shot the Jag down then?

Where's the bloody 'LIKE' button when you need it!

Bloggs

[Courtney Mil]

Originally Posted by charliegolf

So who exactly shot the Jag down then?

A fighter crew did.

[handleturning]

Back to the original question. Regardless of jet fit etc, in the F3 the pilot always fired the weapons. Not that we have any real life Ops evidence to back it up.

[thelizardking]

In the GR4 the pilot will release the weapons from the front, there is a button in the back that allows weapon release but it is very very rarely used, 1 because the WSO is usually working the targeting pod or 2 because why bother? thats what the pilot gets paid for. 99.9% of the time its the pilot.

[just another jocky]

Originally Posted by Dominator2

For those who think that you can utilize an IR missile at off boresight angles, how do you confirm WHAT the missile has locked on to? Yes you may get a growl and audio lock indication, so what?

ASRAAM is capable at high off boresight angles, but only usable with an HMS. ASRAAM with no HMS = MANY Blue on Blue!!

Agreed, but if the mx lock comes from a slaved radar lock, then you know the mx is growling on the radar lock. It's knowing what the radar is locked onto that may be in doubt. Which is why I said the RoE needs to be fairly relaxed. Or you need to be in a suitable tactical environment.

Originally Posted by thelizardking

In the GR4 the pilot will release the weapons from the front, there is a button in the back that allows weapon release but it is very very rarely used, 1 because the WSO is usually working the targeting pod or 2 because why bother? thats what the pilot gets paid for. 99.9% of the time its the pilot.

That clearly depends upon who is in the cockpit then because I regularly let the Navs release weapons. I even let a Nav drop a Paveway III once.

And on ops, surely you both pressed the commit button in case the pilot pansy pickled?