Night attack capability in the 1980s

[nastle]

Which aircraft operational in the 1980s had night attack capability ?
My guess is F-111/A-6/Tornado IDS on NATO side
and none on WP side
DId the Mirage F1/F-4E/F-15C/AJ-37/Mirage 2000/F-16A/C have it as well in the 1980s?
Thanks

[weasel1962]

Night air attacks have been the norm since before WW2 (every aircraft can do it, just a question of effectiveness). I think what is being hinted at in terms of 80s technology was the development of FLIR and 2nd gen NVGs to aid optically-guided weapons.

[quicksilver]

Define ‘night attack’.

[hornetfinn]

Which aircraft operational in the 1980s had night attack capability ?
My guess is F-111/A-6/Tornado IDS on NATO side
and none on WP side
DId the Mirage F1/F-4E/F-15C/AJ-37/Mirage 2000/F-16A/C have it as well in the 1980s?
Thanks

In the 1980s WP had Su-17, Su-24 and MiG-27 that all could do night attacks but naturally the capabilities were restricted. Su-24 was naturally the most capable and had automatic terrain following radar and targeting radar along with low light TV targeting system (image intensification). Su-17 and MiG-27 also had LLTV systems which could be used if there was external lighting available. Like moon, stars or illumination bombs.

Of course Western attack aircraft had the advantage of having FLIR systems with passive long range navigation and targeting capabilities. Soviet Union never got thermal imaging systems operational in aircraft or tanks. In the 1980s FLIR systems were available in a number of Western attack aircraft. These included A-6, F-4, F-111, F-16 (from Block 20 onwards IIRC), F-15E (barely 1980s though). I don't think any other attack aircraft had FLIR systems in 1980s, but I could be wrong on that.

[basher54321]

In the 1980s FLIR systems were available in a number of Western attack aircraft. These included A-6, F-4, F-111, F-16 (from Block 20 onwards IIRC), F-15E (barely 1980s though). I don't think any other attack aircraft had FLIR systems in 1980s, but I could be wrong on that.

Yes A-6E had TRAM

F-4 and F-111 could use Pave Tack (Pave Spike was day only I think)

Not aware F-16s had anything until LANTIRN on Block 40 (1991) - ATLIS II was day only.

F-117A had an IR sensor (IRADS)

A-7E had a FLIR pod AAQ-45 maybe

Any others?

[nastle]

Which aircraft operational in the 1980s had night attack capability ?
My guess is F-111/A-6/Tornado IDS on NATO side
and none on WP side
DId the Mirage F1/F-4E/F-15C/AJ-37/Mirage 2000/F-16A/C have it as well in the 1980s?
Thanks

In the 1980s WP had Su-17, Su-24 and MiG-27 that all could do night attacks but naturally the capabilities were restricted. Su-24 was naturally the most capable and had automatic terrain following radar and targeting radar along with low light TV targeting system (image intensification). Su-17 and MiG-27 also had LLTV systems which could be used if there was external lighting available. Like moon, stars or illumination bombs.

Of course Western attack aircraft had the advantage of having FLIR systems with passive long range navigation and targeting capabilities. Soviet Union never got thermal imaging systems operational in aircraft or tanks. In the 1980s FLIR systems were available in a number of Western attack aircraft. These included A-6, F-4, F-111, F-16 (from Block 20 onwards IIRC), F-15E (barely 1980s though). I don't think any other attack aircraft had FLIR systems in 1980s, but I could be wrong on that.

which variants of F-4 had the FLIR ? did it come standard with the basic F-4E or was an upgrade offered to only few foreign customers ?

thanks

[nastle]

In the 1980s FLIR systems were available in a number of Western attack aircraft. These included A-6, F-4, F-111, F-16 (from Block 20 onwards IIRC), F-15E (barely 1980s though). I don't think any other attack aircraft had FLIR systems in 1980s, but I could be wrong on that.

F-4 and F-111 could use Pave Tack (Pave Spike was day only I think)



Any others?

was the pave tack available to export customers like Japan, UK, Egypt, turkey etc thanks

[basher54321]

Possibly some South Korean F-4Es were modified to use it (post 1980s?) - although not much in the way of verification - there might be something out there.

[Gums]

Salute!

Somebody get Nastle a liberry card, huh?

One start is to look at Wiki and other versions of El Dorado Canyon. Great video still can be found of a night operation far from a U.S. base and it was dark and tgt was hard to find.

Because I am a nice guy, here's a great link for Nasty to click on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_Unit ... g_of_Libya
====================
From the very early 70's, the Vaark and Intruder had a decent night attack capability. E-O sensors? Go look it up.
Many great video's from the Spectre folks of night destruction of trucks and such along the Trail. Huh? AC-130's? Yep.

Use that liberry card, grasshopper.

Oh well, 30 years later the technology and such is nowhere like we had in the 60's and early 70's for night attack capability.

Gums sends...

[quicksilver]

Night Attack Harrier (Cats Eyes NVGs, NAVFLIR, Raster HUD, NVG compatible cockpit and external lighting) dates from 4Q CY89.

[nastle]

Salute!

Somebody get Nastle a liberry card, huh?

One start is to look at Wiki and other versions of El Dorado Canyon. Great video still can be found of a night operation far from a U.S. base and it was dark and tgt was hard to find.

Because I am a nice guy, here's a great link for Nasty to click on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_Unit ... g_of_Libya
====================
From the very early 70's, the Vaark and Intruder had a decent night attack capability. E-O sensors? Go look it up.
Many great video's from the Spectre folks of night destruction of trucks and such along the Trail. Huh? AC-130's? Yep.

Use that liberry card, grasshopper.

Oh well, 30 years later the technology and such is nowhere like we had in the 60's and early 70's for night attack capability.

Gums sends...

Liberry is closed ole girl, thanks for the gummy