Aviation and War Machine

The A-10 and OA-10 Thunderbolt IIs are the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces. They are simple, effective and survivable twin-engine jet aircraft that can be used against all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles.

The primary mission of the A-10 is to provide day and night close air combat support for friendly land forces and to act as forward air controller (FAC) to coordinate and direct friendly air forces in support of land forces. The A-10 has a secondary mission of supporting search and rescue and Special Forces operations. It also possesses a limited capability to perform certain types of interdiction. All of these missions may take place in a high or low threat environment.

The A/OA-10 aircraft was specifically developed as a close air support aircraft with reliability and maintainability as major design considerations. The Air Force requirements documents emphasized payload, low altitude flying capability, range and loiter capability, low speed maneuverability and weapons delivery accuracy. The aircraft is capable of worldwide deployment and operation from austere bases with minimal support equipment.

Specific survivability features include titanium armor plated cockpit, redundant flight control system separated by fuel tanks, manual reversion mode for flight controls, foam filled fuel tanks, ballistic foam void fillers, and a redundant primary structure providing “get home” capability after being hit. Design simplicity, ease of access and left to right interchangeable components make the A/OA-10 aircraft readily maintainable and suitable for deployment at advanced bases.

The A-10/OA-10 have excellent maneuverability at low air speeds and altitude, and are highly accurate weapons-delivery platforms. They can loiter near battle areas for extended periods of time and operate under 1,000-foot ceilings (303.3 meters) with 1.5-mile (2.4 kilometers) visibility. Their wide combat radius and short takeoff and landing capability permit operations in and out of locations near front lines. Using night vision goggles, A-10/ OA-10 pilots can conduct their missions during darkness.
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The AIM-7 Sparrow is a radar-guided, air-to-air missile with a high-explosive warhead. The versatile Sparrow has all-weather, all-altitude operational capability and can attack high-performance aircraft and missiles from any direction. The AIM/RIM-7 series is a semiactive, air-to-air, boost-glide missile, designed to be either rail or ejection launched. Semiactive, continuous wave, homing radar, and hydraulically-operated control surfaces direct and stabilize the missile on a proportional navigational course to the target. Propulsion for the missile is provided by a solid propellant rocket motor.

It is a widely deployed missile used by U.S. and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces. In the Persian Gulf war, the radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow proved to be a potent air-to-air weapon used by Air Force fighter pilots. Twenty-two Iraqi fixed-wing aircraft and three Iraqi helicopters were downed by radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow missiles. The Sparrow is limitated by the requirement that the aircraft it is fired from must continue to paint the target with radar, limiting that aircraft to straight and level flight.

The AIM-7M/P Sparrow Missile is employed during air-to-air combat missions by Navy F-14, Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18, and Air Force F-15 and F-16 aircraft. The AIM-7 (series) is used primarily to neutralize the threat of high performance enemy aircraft. It is a supersonic, medium-range missile with Defensive Counter Countermeasure capabilities, which includes Electronic Protection from Electronic Attack. It guides on radio frequency energy, processing radar signals received via its rear signal receiver from the launch platform’s radar system and reflected target energy received directly from the target. The AIM-7M/P is controlled in flight by four movable delta platform wings. Missile stability is provided by four fixed delta fins which are located in-line with the forward wings. Missile propulsion is provided by a dual-thrust, solid propellant rocket motor. An active radio frequency fuze detonates the warhead when the missile is within lethal range of the target.
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The Penguin is a helicopter launched anti-ship missile developed for use on Lamps III helicopters and NATO allies. Penguin is the only operational Navy helicopter-launched missile in the Navy’s weapon inventory. It provides Navy surface combatants with a defense against surface threats armed with antiship missiles.

The PENGUIN missile is a short-to-medium range inertially guided missile with infrared (IR) terminal homing. The missile consists of a seeker, navigation and control section, warhead,rocket motor, four folding wings and four canards. It is capable of gravity drop launches at low speeds and altitudes. Ships and surfaced submarines are the missiles primary targets. A principal operational advantage of Penguin is its relatively long operational range, which permits a helicopter armed with Penguin to remain outside the launch envelopes of potential targets. The Penguin missile has an indirect flight path to target. It is also operated in “fire-and-forget” mode to allow multiple target aqusition. The Penguin is fired from a launcher or a stage weighing approximately 1100 pounds (500 kilograms).
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As enemy threats to warfighters evolve, the technology used to protect the troops in the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) is evolving as well. Last week the US Marine Corps released a solicitation to the industry, asking for proposals for even more capable MRAPs. Currently, more than 5,690 MRAPs have been ordered. About 210 vehicles are already operational in theater. The new vehicle is required to offer higher protection than the current models, particularly from advanced threats. Furthermore, the new solicitation is designed to provide the Joint Program Management Office with flexibility increasing production capability and providing vehicles with enhance protection and performance to meet future near-term requirements.
Earlier in 2007 the US Marine Corps awarded production contracts to eight manufacturers, each producing four Mine Resistant Armor Protected (MRAP) vehicles for trials. Currently, more than 5,690 of the vehicles have been ordered under the initial MRAP vehicle program solicitation. About 210 vehicles are already operational in theater. Up to 8,000 vehicles are slated to be ordered through current and requested fiscal 2008 funding. The MRAP vehicle’s V-shaped hull and raised chassis have proven to protect troops from improvised explosive devices, small-arms fire and mines.

However, as enemy threats to warfighters evolve, the technology used to protect the troops must evolve as well. In a request for proposal released on July 31, 2007, the Marine Corps is asking industry again to propose even more capable MRAPs.
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Lockheed Martin
Hellfire is currently produced in three configurations – Anti-Tank, Blast-Fragmentation and Thermobaric. A choice of semi-active laser and milimeter wave active seekers are also available. The 45kg Hellfire II missile (48kg in AGM-114M version) offers operational range of 0.5 to 8 km, and utilizes a semi-active laser seeker which has improved targeting capability, including advanced processing to solve laser obscurant/backscatter problems identified during combat engagements in 1991.
Hellfire II locks on before or after launch and can engage multiple targets simultaneously. The missile uses Trajectory Shaping to enable optimal performance in degraded weather. Operation under degraded weather conditions are also improved with automatic target reacquisition after loss of track in low clouds.

The digital autopilot can be reprogrammed in flight, to home in on new targets in when employed in a Lock-On After Launch mode. Hellfire II is also uses equipped with electro-optical countermeasures hardening. The missile is capable of operating with pulsed radar frequency or A-Code laser codes for those aircraft equipped with dual code capability.

Anti Tanks Missle - Watch a funny movie here

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