By Andrew Stackpool
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An
F-111 tests flying with the AGM-142E missiles attached.
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Photo
by SGT Mick Bott
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An AGM-142E strikes its target at Woomera test range.
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Photo
by CPL Simone Liebelt.
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AIR
Force F-111s are to be given significant extra punch when they
are fitted with the AGM-142E (Raptor) stand-off weapon (SOW).
The acquisition of this potent missile achieved a major milestone
when two missiles were successfully test-fired from an Air Force
F-111 at the Woomera test range on July 13, under the program’s
test and evaluation phase.
The firing was also significant as it was the first time that
the missile has been fired in this region.
The SOW program grew out of Air Force concerns about the increasing
sophistication of regional air defence capabilities, which began
in the late eighties.
Late model SAM systems had the potential to threaten F-111s if
they attacked targets using laser guided bombs from Air Force’s
(then) current arsenal of air-dropped weapons in SAM-defended
airspace.
Group Captain Mal Hurman, the Director Guided Weapons Program
Office (Air) in DMO, said while Air Force already employed Precision
Guided Munitions with the Pave Tack laser guided system, this
only gave a limited level of stand-off, about 10km from the target.
“There are four key areas about this weapon I would like
to highlight. The first one is that the weapon provides greatly
increased survivability to the launching F-111,” he said.
“As an example, if you consider that this weapon is delivered
from the F-111 and we’re coming in to attack a target in
the Sydney area, we could launch it from around Wollongong.
“By the time the weapon actually hits the target, we’d
be at Goulburn, heading south and that’s just if we were
coming out at normal cruise speed. If we wanted to go quicker,
we’d almost be at Canberra.
“The second point is the increased accuracy of the weapon,
which means that targets can be engaged with great precision,
resulting in less collateral damage and ... you need fewer missions
to do the job.
“The weapon also travels at high speed and has an immense
intensity of impact. It is a 1300kg class weapon, comes in at
a very high speed, and delivers over 350kg of high explosive.
Its accuracy, energy and warhead make it extremely lethal and
effective.
“The third key point is to do with the Defence information
environment. Weapons of this ilk really aren’t just about
the weapon and integration to the aircraft, but also about how
it fits into the total Defence system and how the system supports
the weapon.
“This includes the acquisition of target imagery, the dissemination
to the mission planners, the electronic mission planning and rehearsal,
and finally the firing of the weapon.
“It is all part of a complex system that has now been satisfactorily
tested and proven.”
The final key point concerns Australian industry involvement.
“The work is being done by Australian industry, by Australians
and their involvement has been absolutely fabulous, particularly
that of Boeing and Ball Solutions Group.”
Officer Commanding No. 82 Wing Group Captain Gavin Davies said
two missiles were fired and both struck the targets. One missile
was inert and the other was live.
He said the Aeronautical Research and Development Unit and No.
1 Squadron were involved in the trials.
“From an aircrew perspective, the trials went extremely well.
The guys have been training with a captive missile, which gives
us all the electronic returns to the cockpit but no motor and
the warhead is just a dummy.
“This has allowed us to test weight, carriage and speed flying
with the missile.
“The live missiles were no different. They went where we
aimed them to go. We scored two hits and that was the desired
outcome.
“From the future operator’s point of view, we’ve
proven aircrew interface, the maintenance and explosive ordnance
and data link pod.
“End to end testing has proven the viability of the weapon.”
The acquisition of the new missile, due to be officially integrated
early next year, bodes well for the future employment of the F-111.
AGM-142E
weapon statistics
THE
AGM-142E (Raptor) weapon system comprises a stand-off, air-to-ground,
electro-optical guided missile fitted with an imaging infrared
seeker and a Data Link Pod. The missile weighs more than 1300
kg, is powered by a single stage solid rocket motor and can be
armed with either a general-purpose blast fragmentation warhead
or a penetrating warhead of about 365kg.
It is about 473cm in length, 53cm in diameter and has a wingspan
of about 173cm.
The AGM-142E has the longest range of the air-to-ground weapons
currently available within the ADF and is capable of engaging
a wide range of targets from more than 50 km away.
Precision Guided Munitions-United States, a joint venture company
comprising the Israeli firm Rafael and Lockheed Martin, produces
the missile.
