Weapons question for military air people...

[seawasp]

When a missile or rocket is loaded onto an aircraft, I presume the launch rail/holder must have some kind of coupler to not only hold the weapon, but to activate it (set off the drive and, if it's a smart weapon, tell it "look there" or something to that effect).

When such weapons are loaded onto an aircraft, (A) would the act of connecting it trigger some sequence of recognition by the aircraft ("Hey, I've just got a new missile!")? (B) How long does an aircraft remain loaded? That is, is it standard practice for them to sit around with their missiles onboard, or are those only loaded prior to taking off on a flight where using them is considered normal? (C) Is there an event in which the missiles get "checked" when the aircraft prepares for takeoff (that is, is the missile control "pinged" by the aircraft systems to make sure it's active?)

Comments

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

A. Modern combat aircraft do recognize what is loaded on each pylon. The pilot or Weapons Officer has a munitions read-out that gives the location and status on all weapons systems.

B. Weapons are only loaded when needed. Sitting fully loaded is a huge risk. The only exception I know if in US service is the wing-tip Sidewinders on the F-16C Falcon. The plane is designed to be most effective with those missile in place, so they're left on most of the time.

C. Along with physically checking the ordinance, the pilot or WO will do a function check for all weapons before taking off. This involves having the plane make sure that the weapon is "seen" and has a good connection to the cockpit. There is a specific test mode for this to prevent accidents.

D. If this is for a book, please put me in it and kill me horribly.

My uncle was a Naval Aviator and I have a good number of friends in the community.