Unguided Free Fall Munition Deliveries
LOW LEVEL DELIVERIES
Visual Level Delivery (VLD)
The VLD is a level delivery with a release angle of less than five degrees of climb or dive; it is often performed at very low level (sub 1000 ft. AGL) utilising high drag munitions such as the MK-82AIR.
The minimum recovery altitude is the safe escape/fuse arm range for the ordnance being delivered, or 200 feet AGL, whichever is higher.
In training pilots will not descend below the specific range altitude if higher than stated above. Training hit criteria for a VLD are as follows: 125 feet (38 meters) for a computed delivery and 250 feet (76 meters) for a manual delivery.
The VLD is of somewhat limited use in the A-10C as the aircraft’s comparatively low airspeed means it remains in proximity to the target and any defences for a longer period of time than other higher performance aircraft, however for targets where the primary threat is medium/high altitude SAM systems it is still useful. Unlike pop-up deliveries (see below) the VLD is flown at a near constant altitude from ingress to the end of the SEM (and normally egress). The VLD will normally be used in situations where a NOE ingress and egress is required and only one attack on the target (per aircraft) is planned. When multiple aircraft will be attacking the same target, time and heading separation is vital it order to prevent following aircraft passing through any fragmentation and deny the enemy the ability to predict the arrival of attackers.
Low Angle High Drag (LAHD)
An LAHD attack, as the name would suggest is performed using high drag munitions such as the MK-82AIR, it is also used to deliver CBUs from low level. The delivery itself is carried out with a dive angle of less than 30 degrees and the minimum recovery altitude is safe escape/fuse arm for ordnance being delivered, one-half the computed altitude loss during dive recovery or 100 feet AGL, whichever is higher.
Training hit criteria are 75 feet (23 meters) for a computed delivery and 105 feet (32 meters) for a manual delivery.
The LAHD delivery is usually performed with a low level ingress, similar to the VLD above, but rather than remaining at a constant altitude a “pop-up” is performed on the final ingress. This allows the attacking aircraft to remain at low level and utilize terrain masking (where possible) to remain out of range of any defenses at the target until the last possible moment. The aggressive nature of a pop-up followed by a dive attack further reduces the attacking aircraft’s exposure to ground fire, especially when combined with a low level egress.
Low Angle Low Drag (LALD)
An LALD attack is similar to the LAHD outlined above; it is also performed with a dive angle of less than 30 degrees and can be performed following a “pop-up”, although it can also be initiated from a level ingress at a higher altitude. The main difference is the weapon type used, whereas the LAHD is carried out with high drag munitions, the LALD (as the name would suggest) is performed with low drag munitions such as the standard MK-82 or MK-82AIRs in low drag configuration. The minimum recovery altitude is the safe escape/fuse arm height for the ordnance being employed, or 800 ft. AGL, whichever is higher.
Training hit criteria is 100 feet (31 meters) for a computed delivery and 175 feet (53 meters) for a manual delivery.
The LALD delivery can be performed with a low level ingress and a “pop-up” on the final ingress or from a higher altitude without a pop-up. The main noticeable difference between an LALD and LAHD delivery is the altitude, at which the weapons are released, or the attack aborted, and the SEM must be carried out due to the reduced flight time and shallower flight path of the low drag munitions employed. This means that when performed with a pop-up from low level the climb is longer in duration and/or steeper. This may make a pop-up LALD impossible in the A-10C depending on aircraft weight/pressure altitude etc. and consideration should be given to these factors when planning such deliveries.
Dive Bomb (DB)
The Dive Bomb delivery is probably the most familiar to the majority of pilots; it is performed with a dive angle of between 30 and 60 degrees and from a higher initial altitude than either LAHD or LALD. Although it could be carried out following a “pop-up”, due to the higher dive angle and therefore minimum recovery altitude it would be difficult to accomplish in a low speed low power aircraft such as the A-10C as the climb would need to be much steeper/longer. The minimum recovery altitude is the safe escape or fuse arm height for the ordnance being simulated, or as required to recover above 1,000 ft. AGL, whichever is higher.
Training hit criteria is 85 ft. (26 meters) for a computed delivery and 145 ft. (44 meters) for a manual delivery.
The DB delivery is one of the most common delivery types for the A-10C and is a very accurate method of delivering weapons using CCIP. It should be noted however that due to the higher ingress altitude terrain masking is normally impossible and extreme care should be taken in high threat environments, as the delivery will bring the attacking aircraft well inside the MANPADS and AAA WEZ. Mutual support is vital to ensuring the safety of the attacking aircraft, and wingmen should be positioned in a way that allows a clear view of the target and the attacking aircraft’s ingress, attack and egress.
Reply With Quote
