Operation DESERT STORM: A-10 Cockpit Video

[Spetznaz]

they use millions to make this planes and they cany put a fucking decent camera?

[joetioeb]

@Spetznaz 1080p camera's were not common two decades ago ... Why put higher quality image sensors in a missile anyway? The image sensor is lost when the missile is fired. A better image sensor would make the missiles (AGM-65 series in this case) even more expensive than they already are.

[111seeit]

wtf where iraqis got so many tanks did they work for TOM & JERRY ???!!!

[cavaliersfan08]

... this is from an AH-60

[JacobWeinberg]

I really dont think this is from an A-10 unless this is the view from the seeker head of an IR maverick missile...A-10s in the Gulf War didnt carry any IR pods and the pilots wore NV goggles at night...

[sotemot]

Its the sight of an AGM 65 I beleive.

[Tank50us]

@JacobWeinberg

The A-10s used during the Gulf didn't have FLIRs like the newer models do. So, to compensate, A-10 pilots used the IR Cameras in the Mavericks as a poor-mans FLIR pod. This is the view you're seeing, and likely the view the pilots saw as well. When lining up for gun-runs however, the pilots likely 'walked' their tracers onto the target to destroy it.

[JacobWeinberg]

hey, its cool that the pilots were able to make do with what they had...

[TheHarzach]

@Tank50us

While the "poor man's FLIR" bit is true, the A-10A/C does not fire tracers. They also don't "walk" the gun onto the target.

[Tank50us]

@TheHarzach

strange... I've seen some videos where tracers were fired, but that might have been training birds to gauge how well the new pilot is able to hit his/her target, or to gauge how well the pipper is on target under normal flying conditions (sans people shooting back ofcourse). But again, this might have been from the prototype test footage.

[TheHarzach]

@Tank50us

Yeah, I think they were used during early testing. But since the integration of the LASTE/PAC/etc in the A-10C, coupled with the fact that the GAU-8 is only really fired in short bursts, tracers would be kind of pointless. You certainly have no trouble seeing where the rounds end up, though!

[Tank50us]

@TheHarzach

Considering what that gun DOES to targets on the ground? It's pretty obvious that an A-10 was there. And the gun is VERY accurate on top of being purely destructive. To date, about the only thing a GAU-8 can't kill, is a combat-loaded Abrams, but how often are A-10s shooting at the M1A2?

[sandtr00per]

@Tank50us imo it can kill abrams as it shoots kinetic energy penetrator, which can in my opinion without any troubles go through top armor of abram. when rpg 9 can penetrate it ...

[comcamguy]

not the "tracers", the explosion of the HE rounds mixed with the uranium penetraters ( I think it was one in twenty) if you look at some of the night stuff you will see little white flashes, those were them. As far as the whole problem with the ir capibility was they kept trying to get rid of/replace the a-10 so it didn't get upgrades prior to Desert Storm. This footage is from the A-10, and the squadron that was flying night sortes would keep one IR maverick on the bird and use it to see.

[Tank50us]

@comcamguy I knew the A-10s used their IR Mavs like FLIR pods. I'm well aware of the A-10s history. TBH, I think it's funny that before the Gulf, the Airforce was all too eager to scrap the Hog, and yet when it was over, they ordered more!

[jaglavaksoldier]

@JacobWeinberg The video from Maverick TV or IIR seeker is displayed in the cockpit. The pilot then looked for and locked on to likely targets. When the missile was launched the video cuts off.

[JacobWeinberg]

Cool, I see what you mean...thanks

[diveplane]

@JacobWeinberg when you see the footage slightly pause, thast the mavrick firing of the rail down range to target. , todays a10cs use a daylight and night flir targeting pod, which shows a constant video image.

[ButteryBuddha]

@diveplane Thanks for the info, I didn't know that the A-10c gets to carry the same flir/targeting pods as the rest of the Air Force jets.

[qwasd0r]

@JacobWeinberg It IS from the Maverick. :)

[Goregasm913]

@JacobWeinberg Thats deffenatily a maverick IR cam, it goes to one of the MFCD's that the pilot choose. Basically a camera inside the missle, that the pilot controls through a lcd screen.

[ButteryBuddha]

@Goregasm913 cool, thanks for the info

[joetioeb]

@Goregasm913 The A10-A (used in Desert Storm era) didn't have MFCD's, only a TV that was hooked up to the active maverick's seeker. The A-10C.is equipped with dual MFCD's and can carry a targetting pod.