Tits on a boar.
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Hoover's get the LANTIRN pod
- Thread starter Super Hornet 88
- Start date
But not useless by any measure
Yes, but now that the Hoovers can self lase, who can we lase for?
Can I get a litening pod broken down and put in my nose in place of my sh!ty gen 1 FLIR. I'm surprised the Hoovers are getting it, arent they pahsing out? Do P-3 have litening, having a P-3 overhead is very nice, in many ways that I wont go into.
Dream on Skid. And by dream, I mean request it every single time someone asks you what you and your guys want. Our turret would fit a designator perfectly, as would our hardpoints, but "that's not what we're here for" ("roger that Sir"). Of course, neither are overland missions...but I'm starting to make sense. Time for a Bacardi and Kool Aid...
hate hate hate. and not you guys.
hate hate hate. and not you guys.
I would think a FLIR could be justified as "looking for periscopes and stuff and if it happens to help the team in ways not envisioned oh well.
A designator overhead in an urban situation makes Hellfire much more effective than they would be when lased by a Helo.
A designator overhead in an urban situation makes Hellfire much more effective than they would be when lased by a Helo.
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
Anybody with a LGW.
I'm not against S-3s getting Litening on tactical terms (given a low threat environment like Iraq, currently), I just don't see the need to expend so much money and LD/HD assets on a program so close to its end. If we had pods growing on trees then this would make sense in Iraq if for no other reason than the TOS they could provide. Same with P-3s. When the threat level goes up (NK, China, etc) that won't work.
I think there's a bit of confusion here. It's LANTIRN pods made available by transitioning Tomcat squadrons that the S-3 is taking advantage of, not the Litening Pod that Harrier introduced to Marine Air and has been further integrated on the C/D Hornet (primarily D model though).
Skid, we have FLIR, EO...that's what got us over the dirt. The system is actually pretty d@mn good. We just aren't considered priority for any designators, which is over my paygrade. All I know is the snake eaters keep asking why we don't have it and we have no answer other than "my boss says no". Good times.
Harrier Dude
Living the dream
@Skid
One of the many things we have in common is that we fly aircraft that are not operated by the navy. Does that help you understand their funding priorities? Maybe I'm just cynical.
If the F/A-18 had an engine or sensor problem it would get fixed overnight. If it was us or you, then they'll get to it when they get to it.
I am pretty cynical, huh.
I'm not that cynical yet but it helps to have the same engines as the 60. We are spending too much on the Zulu and not enough on the promised Whiskey upgrades, all I want is a new FLIR with an integrated IR pointer and designator that allows me to employ my weapons at max range, and a new HUD and a moving map and a AT-6 to replace the TOW. Give me those and you can keep the ZULU
I don't disagree with you at all, I was just commenting on what happened when my squadron tried to get Litening pods in 2003. HeyJoe pointed out that it's Lantirn pods now. I guess the Hoover Guys tried again at what they could get their hands on. The S-3 is going to continue to deploy for another 2 years, so might as well keep it as tactically relevant as possible.
Last Tomcat squadrons also had ROVER III kits that can be used on War Hoovers as well.