Philippine F-16D Block 52 vs DPRK

[comrade harps]

Lockheed Martin F-16D Block 52
a/c 425, 7th Tactical Fighter Bulldogs Squadron, Philippine Air Force
Kadena, Okinawa, Japan, 20 June 2007



Replacing F-4Es, the PAF's 40 F-16D Block 52s first combat action came with the UN's "humanitarian intervention" on the Korean Peninsula. Deployed north to Okinawa as part of the UN's Operation Pacific Shield in response to the apparent internal destabilization of the DPRK, eight PAF F-16D Block 52s subsequently undertook combat missions on the opening night of Operation Freedom Dawn (OFD). The stated mission of OFD was the enforcement of a UN Security Council resolution to establish a No Fly Zone over the DPRK and to use "necessary means to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas" from government forces.




Four of the F-16D Block 52s were armed with AGM-142B Have Lite Popeye IIs, a heavy rocket-powered standoff weapon. Flying on the night of 20-21 June, 2007, the four planes each carried a single Popeye II under the starboard wing, the missiles being fitted with an imaging infrared seeker and controlled via a centreline AN/AXQ-14 data link pod. A GBU-31(V)3/B JDAM featuring the BLU-109 penetrator warhead was carried under the port wing for balance. After firing the Popeye II from long range and directing them into the target, the four F-16Ds delivered their JDAMs against coastal targets and remained offshore to minimised their vul-time.




Of interest are the weight and drag reduction measures taken to counter the performance impact of these heavy weapons; this involved the removal of several ordnance pylons normally mounted on the F-16D Block 52. The four AGM-142B-armed jets carried AIM-120C AMRAAMs on their wingtips for self-defence, but lacked pylons on stations 2 and 8 that usually carried AIM-9X or more AiM-120Cs. Similarly, stations 5L and 5R, which normally mounted an AN/AAQ-28(V) LITENING ER targeting pod and an AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN navigation pod, were deemed unnecessary for this mission profile and loadout.



Each of the four Popeye II jets flew with a wingman that carried three AIM-120Cs, one AiM-9X, two GBU-31(V)3/Bs and the AN/AAQ-28(V) LITENING ER and AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN pods.

[TheChronicOne]

How 'bout that!!!  Very cool, man! 

[ysi_maniac]

Good model. Very plausible concept.

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice idea! 

But which colors does the F-16 carry? It's hard to tell in the pics due to the light conditions - is it a blue/blue livery à la JASDF F-2s, or something grey? 

[darthspud2]

what's the base kit? looks really good btw.

[comrade harps]

Nice idea! 

But which colors does the F-16 carry? It's hard to tell in the pics due to the light conditions - is it a blue/blue livery à la JASDF F-2s, or something grey? 

Undersurfaces Humbrol M 140 Gull Grey, uppers Humbrols M 106 Ocean Grey and Matt Steel Grey. Being an island nation, I wanted to give this Philippines Viper a maritime feel.

what's the base kit? looks really good btw.

1:72nd scale Kinetic F-16I. I used the conformal tanks on my whiffed Mitsubishi F-2A , the Alttayaran Fi Alkhalij F-16G Al'alfiat Alssaqr.

[Tophe]

Thanks to celebrate the poorly known Air Force of the Philippines... (my wife is filipina)