Walleye Guided Weapon

The Walleye guided weapon does not contain a propulsion system as do guided missiles. It is included in this chapter because it contains a guidance system, a control system, externally mounted control surfaces, and is listed in the Air Launched Guided Missiles and Components section of Navy Ammunition Logistic Code TW010-AA-ORD-010, NAVAIR 11-1-116A.

The Walleye guided weapon system (fig. 3-16) is designed to deliver a self-guided, high-explosive weapon from an attack aircraft to a surface target. The Walleye weapon is issued to the fleet as an AUR. The only assembly required at the organizational maintenance level is the installation of the wings and fins.

Figure 3-15.-AGM-122A Sidearm missile. 3-18

Figure 3-16.-Walleye guided weapon (typical).

The weapons are grouped into four basic series-Walleye I (small scale), Walleye I extended range data link (ERDL), Walleye II (large scale), and Walleye II ERDL. Note that the Walleye II and Walleye II ERDL weapons are larger in diameter and length and weigh more than the Walleye I weapon. The Walleye II ERDL weapon also has larger wings. A Walleye weapon representative of each basic series is discussed in this chapter.

WALLEYE I.- The Mk 21 Walleye I tactical weapon consists of a guidance section, a warhead section (including the fuze and fuze booster), a control section, four wings, and four fins. The weapon has provisions for 14- and 30-inch suspensions, and an ejector foot pad that is used to adapt the weapons to various types of aircraft bomb racks. The Walleye I (series) weapons are in the 1,000-pound class weapon category.

To form a typical attack situation, the weapon, pilot, and aircraft must perform as a complete weapons system. The weapon uses aircraft electrical power (via an umbilical cable that connects the weapon to the aircraft) from the time electrical power is applied to the aircraft until the aircraft reaches a speed of approximately 180 knots. The automatic power changeover circuit in the weapon then switches the weapon to ram air turbine (RAT) generator power.

Basically, the guidance section of the weapon and the aircraft system form a closed-circuit television system. A television camera mounted in the nose of the guidance section provides a picture of the area forward of the aircraft and displays this information on a television monitor located in the cockpit of the aircraft. Additional circuits provide a cross-hair grid on the pilot's television monitor, which is a pair of vertical and a pair of horizontal lines. This intersection of horizontal and vertical cross hairs (the square in the middle) defines _{the tracking area.} By looking at the video scene displayed on the television, the pilot is able to boresight the weapon and aircraft to acquire the target, initiate lock-on, and confirm weapon tracking.

After boresighting the weapon, selecting the proper fuze option, and achieving satisfactory lock-on, the pilot initiates release and escapes the target area. The weapon continues to track the target until it reaches the point of impact.

The Walleye I Mk 27 practice weapon is identical to the Mk 21 weapon except for the warhead and control sections. The warhead is entirely inert, does not contain a fuze or fuze booster, and has ballast to maintain weapon CG (center of gravity) compatibility with the Mk 21 weapon. This weapon is used for captive-flight pilot training and for aircraft loading and ground handling training purposes.

For further information concerning the Walleye I guided weapon, you should refer to the Walleye I Guided Weapon, NAVAIR 01-15MGA-1.

WALLEYE I ERDL.- The Walleye I extended range data link (ERDL) guided weapon consists of the same basic items as the Walleye I. These weapons are designed to be used in conjunction with the AN/AWW-13 data pod. They permit target information to be transmitted between the weapon and data pod before and after release of the weapon.

WALLEYE II.- The Mk 5 tactical Walleye II guided weapon consists of a guidance section, a fairing assembly, a warhead section (including the fuze and fuze booster), a control section, four wings, four fin adapters, and four fins. The weapon has provisions for 30-inch suspension only, and is in the 2,000-pound class weapon category. The Walleye II (series) weapons are essentially the same as the Walleye I weapons except they are physically larger in size and have improved electronics. Functional operation of the weapon and delivery tactics are basically the same as Walleye I.

For further information concerning the Walleye II (series) weapons, you should refer to the Guided Weapon (Walleye II), NAVAIR 01-15MGB-2.2.

WALLEYE II ERDL.- The Walleye II extended range data link (ERDL) guided weapon Mk 23 Mods 0, 1, and 2 (frequency channels A, C, and E) consists of the same basic items as the Walleye II Mk 5 weapons. However, these assemblies include added data link functions and extended range capability. The addition of the larger wings enables the weapon to be launched with longer slant ranges to a target complex. The addition of the data-link pod (Guided Weapon Control-Monitor Set AN/AWW-9/13) and a joystick controller (guided weapon control group OK-293/AWW) on the aircraft allow the pilot to remotely steer the weapon to a specific target within the complex with pinpoint accuracy.

The Guided Weapon Control-Monitor Set AN/AWW-9/13, data-link pod (fig. 3-17), is the communications link between the pilot and the weapon. The pod is suspended from a standard Walleyeconfigured bomb rack. It can be jettisoned in an emergency. The pod contains the necessary electronics to allow the pilot to receive the transmitted video from the weapon and to transmit the command signals to the weapon. In addition, the pod contains a video tape recorder (VTR) that records the video transmitted by the weapon all the way to impact on the target. This allows low-cost weapon performance monitoring, which can be played back for mission evaluation or for training purposes.

The weapon system may be used in one- or two-aircraft operations. In a single aircraft operation, the aircraft carries both the weapon and the pod, and the aircraft performs both launch and control functions. In the two-aircraft operation, one aircraft carries the weapon and a second aircraft carries the pod. In this operation, both the launch aircraft and the pod aircraft receive a video picture of the target area from the weapon. After weapon launch, the pod aircraft monitors the flight of the weapon and can update the weapon aim point all the way to impact.

Tactically, the two-aircraft operation dominates because of the limited number of available pods. For example, a one-pod configured aircraft monitors the

Figure 3-17.-AN/AWW-9/13 advanced data-link pod.

weapon control functions for several individual weapon launchings during one mission (not simultaneously). The three frequency channels (A, C, and E) are used to control the individual weapons launchings. The three channels prevent the control section of the weapon from responding to override (steering) commands from a pod that is not set to that weapon's specific frequency channel. Therefore, more than one weapon/pod operation can be conducted in the same area.

The Walleye II ERDL Mk 38 series (frequency channels A, C, and E) practice guided weapon is used for captive flight and data-link training for pilots of data link configured F/A-18 aircraft. The practice guided weapon contains the same data link components as the tactical Walleye I ERDL Mk 23 weapon except that the warhead in the Mk 38 is filled with inert material.