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ckfinite -> RE: SDB and F-15 (10/11/2014 10:10:36 PM)
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I think that a 16x loadout is feasible (centerline fuel tank). 8x as it is now is very strange - the current maximum carriage loadout on F-15E consists of:
quote:
2x AIM-120D
2x AIM-9X
8x SDB-II
1x LANTIRN
1x Sniper XR
2x 600 USG fuel tank
2x 723 USG CFT
If you look at the example loadout here from Operation Southern Watch, the CFT hardpoints are taken up by AMRAAMs, while the outboard stations also carry AMRAAM + AIM-9X, and LANTIRN is in the innermost stations.
A 16x loadout is easily achieved by replacing the CFT AMRAAMs with the BRU-61/A, where each AMRAAM is replaced by 4x SDB-II. The current loadout appears to be this same one, but uses only the middle conformal hardpoints. I think that we can all agree that the additional 8x SDB would be extremely useful (especially given that one of the named roles is no-drive-zone enforcement), and it seems entirely possible to have a sane loadout with double the current number of munitions/aircraft, so it appears as if it would be reasonable to add it to the 2018 F-15E (especially given that we have a photo with 20x on from sometime in the recent past).
It does appear also, that a 8x GBU-12 loadout has been flown, as seen in loadout #8 here (check the picture). This loadout is also seen in OEF (see #3). It seems reasonable to replace 2x GBU-12 with 4x SDB.
Furthermore, the 20x loadouts is also feasible, based on OIF loadouts (though the 28x is less so). Several loadouts add a centerline munition, for a total loadout A2G mass of 7,300lbs, similar to that of OEF loadout #6.
SDB hasn't been deployed, so for obvious reasons I can't actually provide any evidence that it's been employed in the 16x or 20x (the F-15.net article also provides for a 28x loadout, but that seems strange) configurations.
The proposed configurations, then, are
quote:
2x AIM-120D
2x AIM-9X
16x SDB-II
1x LANTIRN
1x Sniper XR
2x 600 USG fuel tank
2x 723 USG CFT
quote:
2x AIM-120D
2x AIM-9X
20x SDB-II
1x LANTIRN
1x Sniper XR
2x 600 USG fuel tank
2x 723 USG CFT
Alternatively, you could also do
quote:
2x AIM-120D
2x AIM-9X
8x SDB-II
4x GBU-12
1x LANTIRN
1x Sniper XR
2x 600 USG fuel tank
2x 723 USG CFT
Though this is a bit odd.
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