Long Range Visual ID System On F-14 — Military Forum

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Long Range Visual ID System On F-14

CaptOveur From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Posted (5 years 1 month 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 2364 times:

I was reading somewhere and in passing I saw a mention to a television based visual identification system on the F-14. Was such a system real? Did it work well and was it actually practical? Why haven't any fighters since bothered with such a system- or have they?

4 replies: All unread, jump to last

Rwessel From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 1990 posts, RR: 2
Reply 1, posted (5 years 1 month 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 2336 times:

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The Tomcat was capable of carrying the Northrop AAX-1 TV based optical system, although its actual deployment was very slow. The F-14D had a somewhat updated system.

To the best of my knowledge, no other U.S. fighter has ever had a similar system.

An obvious issue is that such a system is useless at night, or in less than perfect visibility.

CaptOveur From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 2, posted (5 years 1 month 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2276 times:

Quoting Rwessel (Reply 1):
An obvious issue is that such a system is useless at night, or in less than perfect visibility.

So they never thought of a low light capable system? Or did someone in congress decide to cut it off before the system reached maturity?

I am just thinking in the regional type conflicts that appear to be the main focus of our military a system that would allow a visual identification at long range would be pretty useful, even if it was only useful in good weather.

Also, where was this system located on the F-14?

DeltaGuy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 3, posted (5 years 1 month 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2276 times:

It was located on the bottom of the nose, just aft of the radome. Pretty easy to pick out.

DeltaGuy

Moose135 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 2009 posts, RR: 12
Reply 4, posted (5 years 1 month 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2238 times:

Quoting CaptOveur (Reply 2):
Also, where was this system located on the F-14?

It's on the left side (in these photos - starboard side of the a/c) of the fairing under the radome:

http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/85623468_adYQo-L.jpg

Quoting Rwessel (Reply 1):
To the best of my knowledge, no other U.S. fighter has ever had a similar system.

Later models of the F-4E had a TISEO (Target Identification System, Electro-Optical) installed on the port wing leading edge. It's the big tube sticking out of the front of the wing inboard of the slats.