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I find this article very interesting.
I am confused; which would not be the first time.
I thought that the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (already fielded) was supposed to do all this. Why a new helmet targeting system?
Upgrading Block 30s? Well, they do have some interesting maintenance refurb issues. One would think if we are to invest in this system we could get 10 years out of it? So, someone wants to push Block 3X out to 2023? More?
"I think the mission effectiveness that we're getting out of the block 30 indicates that this is an airplane that we're probably going to have around for a while."
Well as it seems, USAF needed a different cueing system for the A-10C, Block 30 F-16 and other uses..
Scorpion is being installed on C-130W Gunships for target cueing and weapons employment. Scorpion won the Helmet-Mounted Integrated Targeting HMIT program in 2010 which will outfit U.S. A-10C and F-16 Block 30 aircraft. The HMIT program entered production in September of 2012.
So, if we want to keep Block 30's some more years in a "high tech" way, it seems, there is something special in their avionics architecture that can only sustain this kind of gear via a low-dollar investment. Or, it was just the alleged low dollar promise vs other F-16 Block upgrade options?
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