Wild Weasel Aircraft - This article is about the air combat mission. For G.I. See Joe character, Wild Weasel (G.I. Joe).
An F-4G with a WW payload. near distance: AGM-88 HARM, AGM-65 Maverick, ALQ-119 ECM pod, AGM-78 Standard ARM and AGM-45 Shrike, circa 1981.
Wild Weasel Aircraft
Wild Weasel is the code name given by the United States Air Force (USF) to any type of aircraft equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with anti-aircraft defense (SEAD): radar and surface-to-air destruction. missile installations (SAM) of enemy air defense systems.
The F 4g Wild Weasel In U.s. Air Force And Air National Guard Service
The Wild Weasel aircraft's mission is to bait enemy anti-aircraft defenses into targeting with its radar, after which the radar waves return to their source, allowing Weasel or his teammates to precisely target it for destruction.
The Wild Weasel concept was developed by the USAF in 1965 following the deployment of Soviet SAMs during the Vietnam War and the downing of American strike aircraft participating in Operation Rolling Thunder over North Vietnam.
The program was headed by Geral Kenneth Dempster. "The first Wild Weasel success came shortly after the first Wild Weasel mission on December 20, 1965, when Captains Al Lamb and Jack Donovan went off site during the Rolling Thunder strike on the Y Bay Railroad, about 75 miles northwest of Hanoi. "
Wild Weasel tactics and techniques were later adapted by other nations in subsequent conflicts, as well as being incorporated into the interception of enemy airstrikes, a plan used by the US Air Force to establish immediate air superiority before a potential large-scale conflict .
Capability Insight: Armed Reconnaissance In The Radio Frequency Spectrum
Originally authorized on 12 August 1965 under the operational code Iron Hand, the term "Wild Weasel" is derived from Project Wild Weasel, a USAF development program for a dedicated SAM detection and suppression aircraft. The technique was also called an "Iron Hand" mission, although technically the term only referred to a suppression attack before the main strike.
Originally called "Project Ferret", it liked a predator out for the kill (here: "to ferret out"), the name was changed to distinguish it from the hunting codename "Ferret". For WW2 radar fighter bombers.
The Wild Weasel concept was first proposed in 1965 as a method of countering the North Vietnamese SAM threat, using volunteer crews flying the two-seat F model of the F-100 Super Sabre. The United States Navy relied primarily on the A-4 Skyhawk.
Although the F-100F Wild Weasel was an effective airframe, it lacked the performance characteristics to survive high-threat conditions. The first Wild Weasel squadron was the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Royal Thai Air Force Base Tahli, Thailand. After 45 days of operations against North Vietnamese targets, the 354th had one aircraft and four of its 16 crew killed, two captured, three wounded and two deserted.
File:air To Air Left Side View Of Two F 4e Phantom Ii And An F
The Wild Weasel II version was the first unsuccessful attempt to use the F-4C Phantom as a Wild Weasel platform. When this effort failed, the Wild Weasel role passed to the F-105F in the summer of 1966. The F-105F was converted to this role and designated the Wild Weasel III. The F-105F is equipped with more advanced radar, engagement equipment and heavier weapons. Equipped with anti-radiation missiles capable of searching for radar caches. The F-105F Wild Weasel aircraft were eventually modified with improved countermeasures in the standard configuration and designated the F-105G. The F-105G was also designated the Wild Weasel III. 61 F-105F units upgraded to F-105G specifications. Although the F-105F is referred to as the EF-105F in some documents, this designation has never been used by operational flying squadrons.
The F-105 was no longer in production by 1964. With a significant combat loss of the F-105 inventory, the need for a more advanced aircraft resulted in the conversion of 36 F-4C Phantom II aircraft, designated the F-4C Wild Weasel IV. . The F-4C Wild Weasel IV also carried the unofficial designation EF-4C.
The F-4E, the most advanced Phantom variant with extended ground attack capabilities and an internal weapon, became the basis for the F-4G Wild Weasel V (aka Advanced Wild Weasel). This modification consisted of removing the gun and replacing it with the APR-38(t) Radar Assurance and Warning Receiver (later upgraded to the APR-47) and upgrading the rear seat cockpit to control the electronic warfare system. A total of 134 F-4G models were converted from the F-4E, the first of which flew in 1975. The squadron entered service in 1978.
The F-4Gs are deployed in three active wings. One was stationed at George AFB, Victorville, California, as part of the Rapid Deployment Force. one wing assigned to USAFE (US Aviation in Europe) at Spangdahlem AB, Germany. and the other for PACAF (Pacific Air Force) at Clark AB in the Philippines. F-4Gs from George AFB, Clark AB, and Spangdahlem AB participated in combat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, successfully protecting strike packages from air attack. During this conflict, the F-4G was heavily used with only one loss: an EU Spangdahlem aircraft crashed after being hit by one of the AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles in Saudi Arabia while returning from a mission. the manuals did not show the correct altitude data and significant airframe shrinkage from the damage made the aircraft difficult to control. After an investigation into the disappearance of the plane during several delayed landings in a sandstorm, it was determined that the fuel cell was punctured by anti-aircraft fire. The pilot and EWO safely ejected the aircraft, which attempted to land on the forward runway after the chokes were closed as the aircraft ran out of fuel.
The Need For Sead Part I: The Nature Of Sead
After Desert Storm, some of the George AFB aircraft were assigned to the Air National Guard's 124th Wing, 190th Fighter Wing in Boise, Idaho. The remaining aircraft from Spangdahlem, Clark, and George were assigned to the 561st Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Wing (Active Service) at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas. The aircraft remained in service until 1996, participating in frequent deployments to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in support of Operation Comfort, Operation Southern Watch and Operation Vigilante, which imposed no-fly zones over Iraq for both squadrons . By this time, the F-4G was the last operational variant of the Phantom II in the US forces. Many of the aircraft were later used as target drones and training vehicles to repair combat damage aircraft.
A change in aircraft design theory to emphasize multi-role aircraft meant that the F-4G Phantom was the last aircraft in the USAF inventory specifically equipped for the SEAD role. The Wild Weasel mission is now assigned to the F-16 Fighting Falcon using the Block 50 and Block 52, which began production in 1991. The single-seat Block 50/52 F-16C was specifically tasked with this mission and modified for the aircraft . this mission is assigned to the F-16CJ/DJ. The pilot now performs the role of both controlling the aircraft and targeting and operating against ground threats. Other aircraft, although capable of targeting anti-aircraft tanks, usually perform other primary missions. Tasked primarily with CAS missions, the A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" lacks the avionics to perform a true SEAD mission and does not carry the AGM-88 HARM.
The F-15E Strike Eagle is tasked with advanced air-to-ground missions, but also high-speed and long-range "deep strike" missions that can typically include SAMs, but usually focus on high-value targets such as the emy command. & control, infrastructure & production & likewise carries no DAMAGE.
The Tornado ECR variant is dedicated to SEAD missions and is currently operated by the German Air Force and the Italian Air Force. The Royal Air Force used the GR4 variant to perform similar missions using the ALARM missile, although they were mainly used in an interdiction/CAS role. The RAF launched the ALARM missile in 2013 and the Tornado in 2019.
Usaf F 16 50th Years Wild Weasel For Fsx
The F-35 Lightning II is scheduled to gradually replace these aircraft for various air-to-ground roles, including SEAD, starting in 2016. Its stealth capabilities promise a significant increase in effectiveness against air defense radars. Its lower radar signature, portability will be limited to internal weapon emplacements and reduce the number of missile range attacks per turn. However, it can internally carry as many or larger air-to-ground weapons than the F-22 and is more advanced in surface attack capabilities, making it the best manned aircraft to destroy sophisticated air defenses. In addition, the AARGM-ER, itself an evolution of the AGM-88 HARM, is integrated into all three variants of the F-35.
The F-35A and F-35C will be able to carry the AARGM-ER internally, while the F-35B will only be able to carry the missile externally due to its smaller internal weapons.
In 1966, Wild Weasel flights over North Vietnam were conducted by four aircraft, sometimes a single two-seat F-105F/G (supported by an Electronic Warfare Specialist (EWO) with electronic receivers and analyzers) and three F-105Ds. Sometimes two "F's", each with a "D" wing, operated independently.
Wild Weasel Mission
Republic Aviation F 105g Thunderchief #63 8320 Wild Weasel 561st Tfs Us Air Force National Museum Of The Usaf Wright Patterson Afb
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