Pave Spike
Encyclopedia
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
designator pod used to direct laser-guided bomb
Laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread guided bombs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.- Overview :Laser-guided munitions use a...
s to target in daylight, visual conditions. It contained a laser boresight
Boresight
Boresight is a term used to describe crude adjustments made to an optical firearm sight, or iron sights, to align the firearm barrel and sights. This method is usually used to pre-align the sights, which makes zeroing much faster.Traditional boresighting, as the name suggests involves removing...
ed to a television camera, which displayed its image on a cockpit screen.
156 examples of the original AN/ASQ-153 were used by USAF F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
aircraft (D and E variants) from 1974
1974 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1974:-January:* January 26 – The Turkish Airlines Fokker F28-1000 Fellowship Van stalls shortly after after takeoff from Izmir Cumaovası Airport in Izmir, Turkey, crashes, and catches fire, killing 66 of the 73 people on board.* January 30...
through 1982
1982 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1982:-January:* January 8 - The Airbus A300 is certified, becoming the first wide-body airliner with cockpit accommodations for only two to be certified....
, replacing the earlier Pave Knife
Pave Knife
The Ford Aerospace AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife was an early targeting pod developed by the USAF to designate and guide laser-guided bombs.Pave Knife was developed in 1969 to replace the original, essentially improvised Airborne Laser Designator . ALD was not a pod, but a hand-held laser operated by the...
. The 144-inch-long (3.66 m), 420-lb (209 kg) pod was mounted in the F-4's left forward missile well, in place of a AIM-7 Sparrow
AIM-7 Sparrow
The AIM-7 Sparrow is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as various allied air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual...
air-to-air missile.
In 1979, the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
acquired a number of the simplified AN/AVQ-23E pods for their Blackburn Buccaneer
Blackburn Buccaneer
The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...
s. Twelve aircraft equipped with the pod were deployed to Saudi Arabia for the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
to initially perform laser designation for other RAF aircraft http://www.raf.mod.uk/gulf/spiker.html. Later in the air campaign, these aircraft would carry laser-designated bombs themselves.
The pod is now obsolete, and is being phased out in favor of newer systems like LANTIRN
LANTIRN
Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night, or LANTIRN, is a combined navigation and targeting pod system for use on the USAF's premier fighter aircraft — the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon...
and AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR.