In 1998, Flight International reported that certain RSAF F-16s were rumored to be configured like the F-16I.
Defence News, an online military and defence news portal, said if
Lockheed offered the F-16I to India, it would be the first time an extensively modified US fighter containing non-US-made avionics, weaponry and major sub-systems... Lockheed has
sold to Chile and Singapore F-16s that contained significant Israeli content, but those items were demanded by the customers from the start.
I'm not going to discuss the number of block 52s that are configured like the F-16I - as the RSAF has not declassified its SEAD capability. Rather, I'm going to talk about SEAD capabilities of other countries - from there you can have a good idea of how air forces deal with SEAD.
Conceptually, each SEAD F-16 must carry 3 pods: (i) a navigation pod, (ii) a targeting pod; and (iii) a radar targeting pod. IMHO, the bumps behind the F-16s and F-15SG are sensors and transmitters mainly for EW (for simplicity, the
EL/L-8222, Jamming Pod and the
EL/M-2160 MAWS, Missile Approach Warning System are not discussed).
The
Weasels’ primary mission was negating surface-to-air-missile sites. This role eventually evolved into SEAD. The SEAD mission — with a motto of “first in, last out” — means F-16 pilots soar into enemy territory hoping SAMs turn on their radars and find them. When the enemy turns on its radar, the Wild Weasels find it. Then it’s a race. Who can fire first? Then, who can avoid the oncoming missiles?
IAF
The F-16Is of the IAF carry the
EL/M-20600 RTP. RT Pod stands for Radar Targeting Pod. The RT Pod integrates a Synthetic Aperture Radar, Ground Moving Target Indication and precision target tracking.
The RT Pod provides high quality radar images of ground targets and terrain even through clouds, rain, fog, battlefield smoke and man-made camouflage
The IAF's RT Pod enables the F-16I to do the following:
(i) long range, wide area surveillance and reconnaissance;
(ii) detection, classification, precision tracking and targeting of ground targets;
(iii) optimized Time-Sensitive Targets engagement;
(iv) Network-Centric Warfare support: target data sharing and "kill sequence" execution;
(v) accurate geo-location data targets; and
(vi) is capable of installation on board trainers, helicopters and various aircraft.
Israel pulled out all the stops
technologically in its
raid on the nuclear facility in Syria called
Operation Orchard, employing several new intelligence-gathering and strike systems in a chain of events stretching from satellite observations to precision bombing.
Israel's launch of a reconnaissance satellite in 2007 allowed the integration of electro-optical imaging from space, image enhancing algorithms, scene-matching guidance for precision weapons, and the use of advanced targeting pods carried by the IAF's two-man F-16Is. The backseater is a weapon systems officer who can focus on targeting and electronic warfare while the pilot focuses on flying and evading air defenses.
Sensors on the $45-million F-16I includes an APG-68(V)9 radar with high-resolution synthetic aperture radar mapping capability. The Litening targeting pod provided scene matching for images sent by the Spice-2000 missile.
In planned scenarios, the military would draw on enhanced satellite imagery for the weapon. The satellite pictures also can be provided in flight and, after a few minutes of manipulation, be uploaded into the weapon; but in the Syria scenario, that capability was apparently not required. The Spice-2000 has a standoff range exceeding 60 km, longer than the standard U.S.-build Joint Direct Attack Munition.
USAF
The US F-16CJ (a block 50 F-16) carries a
AN/ASQ-213 HARM Targeting Systems (HTS) Pod. The R7 of the HTS Pod was deployed by the USAF in
Sep 2006.
F-16CJ equipped with the HTS have independent targeting capability similar to that of the F-4G, but with less coverage in both frequency and location (The original concept called for teaming the F-15 Precision Direction Finding and the F-16 HTS). The current approach calls for the improvement of the HTS capability. The improvement will come from the Joint Emitter Targeting System (JETS), which facilitates the use of HARM's most effective mode when launched from any JETS capable aircraft.
The
F-16CJ uses -- the Link-16 datalink, JHMCS, GPS and HTS. The F-16CJs to share a bewildering variety of data with a wide range of platforms including other fighters, AWACS, J-STARS, Rivet Joint recce planes, and Aegis cruisers, to name a few.
There are however limitations to the HTS Pod and the RT Pod. They have limited power. The USAF has worked around this limitation by deploying the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint electronic recce aircraft.
The Rivet Joint will orbit out of the range of hostile air defences, and perform as an electronic vacuum cleaner, receiving, identifying and locating any radar or radio emissions in the area of interest. Should an emitter be considered a threat to US aircraft, SEAD fighters are sent to engage the emitter.
Therefore, the Rivet Joint provides the big picture situational awareness. The Rivet Joint may also broadcast general advisories to combat aircraft operating in the area, as well as coordinate standoff jamming operations by the EF-18. Emitter details may also be passed to AWACS via datalink.
Conclusion - Look out for the RT Pod Carried
The invention of these USAF and IAF pods has has resulted in semi-dedicated SEAD F-16s, which are essentially fighters fitted with such a rangefinding receiver and supporting software as an adjunct to the aircraft's existing EW suite, but are otherwise available and fully capable of performing the standard strike mission.
Remember, the RSAF has a customised engineering road map to deal with the
Rapier missiles and other shorads (like the
Starburst, the
Anza Mark II and the
Igla missiles). IMHO, we
should not assume that RSAF capability = IAF capability.
). The solution to unconventional warfare (be it IEDs or Scuds or MLRS) is setting up a system to enable the SAF to gather better intelligence as follows: