PAVE SPIKE electro-optical targeting pod

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TomcatViP

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kmrumble said:
Thanks for the welcome! Let me know what you're interested in, and I'll make something up.
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Well, why not start by the beginning with your experience with the Pave Spike pod? I am sure a bit bit of hand-on story would be greatly appreciated by many.
 
TomcatViP said:
Well, why not start by the beginning with your experience with the Pave Spike pod? I am sure a bit bit of hand-on story would be greatly appreciated by many.
Click to expand...
Pave Spike was the first program I was assigned to, and I moved on to the next about six months later, so I really don't have a lot of stories or interesting info that isn't generally known. Spike (AN/ASQ-153) was an electro-optical targeting pod carried in the Sparrow missile well of F-4D's and E's. The first units were produced in 1974 and rushed into service in Vietnam. I've heard people claim they were never actually used there, but I'm quite sure they were used to good effect. We used to view footage and respond to pilot concerns/complaints. A lot of this was "I sparkled the front cab of a truck and hit the damn cargo bay instead". Considering the contract requirement was 30 ft, we were pretty happy with performance. There was one single contract with Westinghouse Electric, about $80M bucks for 100 plus pods on a fixed price incentive firm target basis. At the time I left, we were trying to incorporate an autotracker, but I don't think that ever came to fruition. Somewhere in my boxes of stuff, I've got a Pave Spike mug and patch...I'll try to find those and add a pic.
 
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@kmrumble :Thanks. Much appreciated.
At that time a Phantom was priced roughly $2M, so I guess the contract would have been a high priority.
The precision issue b/w marker position and lazing point is also a great detail.

But how you guys managed to repack it so tightly relatively to the Pave Knife pod?
 
I was lead electronic engineer at Ford Aerospace Aeronutronics division that produced the 6 Pave Knifes deployed. I did a 90 day support in Ubon. It has been long enough so I can admit I did an unauthorized field mod to give the GIB more LOS control authority. I been told it was very successful.
 
Reading John T. Smith excellent Linebacker raids book, there is a mention that only 12 Pave Knife pods were ever manufactured.

- 3 were kept in the US
- 3 were allocated to the USN for A-6A
- 6 were sent to the 433rd TFS (USAF) to be used with their 12 wired F-4D

Out of these, 2 were lost in North Vietnam.

iu
 
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kmrumble said:
Pave Spike was the first program I was assigned to, and I moved on to the next about six months later, so I really don't have a lot of stories or interesting info that isn't generally known. Spike (AN/ASQ-153) was an electro-optical targeting pod carried in the Sparrow missile well of F-4D's and E's. The first units were produced in 1974 and rushed into service in Vietnam. I've heard people claim they were never actually used there, but I'm quite sure they were used to good effect. We used to view footage and respond to pilot concerns/complaints. A lot of this was "I sparkled the front cab of a truck and hit the damn cargo bay instead". Considering the contract requirement was 30 ft, we were pretty happy with performance. There was one single contract with Westinghouse Electric, about $80M bucks for 100 plus pods on a fixed price incentive firm target basis. At the time I left, we were trying to incorporate an autotracker, but I don't think that ever came to fruition. Somewhere in my boxes of stuff, I've got a Pave Spike mug and patch...I'll try to find those and add a pic.
Click to expand...
I'll have to see if my dad is willing/able to confirm Pave Spike use in Viet Nam. He was assigned to AFRL at Wright-Patt to work the Pave Spike SPO. My mom says his 1973-74 deployment to Thailand was to mount it on F-4s and get feedback from the field. I think I can get a picture of the Pave Spike plaque on his I Love Me Wall.
 

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