Is it WAD that AGM-62 could be lauched simultaneous for a couple targets from one platform?

[rickywild]

Is it WAD that AGM-62 could be launched simultaneously for a couple of targets from one platform? (F/A-18)
Should it be 1 target at a time like LGB? (F-16)

Shooting from 30nm with a seeker max range of 12nm is more like BOL with precise targeting later via DL, as I got it

[Schr75]

Hi Rickywild

The Walleye was a true fire and forget weapon, so this sounds WAD to me.
The ER/DL version allowed for target selection and lock-on after launch but it should be possible to designate several bombs at a time.

Søren

[Swant]

The Walleye is not working as it should, it is basically a GPS guided weapon in CMO. You can fire it at targets that has not been detected by the Aircraft or the weapon.

[Dimitris]

The Walleye is not working as it should, it is basically a GPS guided weapon in CMO. You can fire it at targets that has not been detected by the Aircraft or the weapon.

This sounds correct from what we know about its guidance; Walleye ER/DL (and SLAM after it), having a true LOAL capability and a two-way datalink, could be "blind-launched" towards the direction of a known/suspected but then-undetected target and, under positive man-in-loop control, acquire the target afterwards: https://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-62.html

The ERDL system equipped the Walleye with a two-way datalink, and the launch aircraft were equipped with an AN/AWW-9 (later AN/AWW-13) underwing data-link pod. The pilot could now launch the Walleye out of visual range of the target, turn away, watch the bomb's TV camera image, which was transmitted via the data-link, and lock-on to the target at any convenient moment. It was even possible to control the weapon from a different aircraft than that which launched the Walleye, and because of the limited number of data-link pods available, it was actually standard practice for one pod-equipped aircraft to guide Walleyes dropped by several attack aircraft (not simultaneously, though).

This was very useful, for example, for launching through clouds or lofting it over a mountain ridge.

Have you observed cases of it impacting on targets without actually detecting them at some point prior to impact?

[rickywild]

Thank you for your answers.

I think shooting AGM-62 from 30nm with a seeker of 12nm is OK cause of LOAL capability and we are firing to a known target.
But is it ok to fire two+ 'rockets' same time with man-in-the-loop? It could be possible but I wonder if it's a common practice.
The ideal scenario here (IMHO) is 1 AGM at a time until it locks the target by its own seeker (12nm or less due to weather/time)

What can be improved is shooting same time a couple of targets (except air targets assuming TWS capability)
And attacking a tank platoon (1 unit on map) with let's say AGM-65 shouldn't be a salvo I think every shot should have its own OODA to aim at the next separate target or the next tank in the platoon

[Swant]

The Walleye is not working as it should, it is basically a GPS guided weapon in CMO. You can fire it at targets that has not been detected by the Aircraft or the weapon.

This sounds correct from what we know about its guidance; Walleye ER/DL (and SLAM after it), having a true LOAL capability and a two-way datalink, could be "blind-launched" towards the direction of a known/suspected but then-undetected target and, under positive man-in-loop control, acquire the target afterwards: https://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-62.html

The ERDL system equipped the Walleye with a two-way datalink, and the launch aircraft were equipped with an AN/AWW-9 (later AN/AWW-13) underwing data-link pod. The pilot could now launch the Walleye out of visual range of the target, turn away, watch the bomb's TV camera image, which was transmitted via the data-link, and lock-on to the target at any convenient moment. It was even possible to control the weapon from a different aircraft than that which launched the Walleye, and because of the limited number of data-link pods available, it was actually standard practice for one pod-equipped aircraft to guide Walleyes dropped by several attack aircraft (not simultaneously, though).

This was very useful, for example, for launching through clouds or lofting it over a mountain ridge.

Have you observed cases of it impacting on targets without actually detecting them at some point prior to impact?

Yes, here is a save with Walleye 1 and Walleye 2. It doesn't look like they are detecting the targets