USA - AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife

AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife


An under-slung container designed to locate, track, and irradiate ground targets to guide laser-guided bombs in daylight combat operations.


The Pave Knife was developed for the US Air Force in the mid-1960s by Ford Aerospace as a replacement for the AN/AVQ-9 target irradiator (also known by the acronym ALD - Airborne Laser Designator or the nickname ′Zot Box′) made by Martin Marietta. In the case of the AN/AVQ-9, it was not an overhead container but a system manually operated by a Weapon Systems Operator (WSO) from the rear cockpit of the Phantom. Because of this, it was virtually impossible for an AN/AVQ-9 equipped aircraft to both laser irradiate a target and bomb it with Paveway I series laser-guided bombs, which was probably the deciding factor that led to the development of the Pave Knife.


The sensor head of the AN/AVQ-10 container was equipped with a laser irradiator coupled with a stabilized television camera capable of sensing even in low visibility (use at night was, however, only theoretical). The captured image was transmitted to a screen (a Sony product) in the rear cockpit of the Phantom, where the WSO was "housed", who then located the target and manually aimed the laser beam at it. Information from the container was also transmitted to the pilot's sight.


The F-4C aircraft, serial number 64-0875, was modified for the Pave Knife trials, which took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Twelve F-4D Phantom II aircraft were modified to carry containers: 66-7652, 66-7674, 66-7675, 66-7679, 76-7680, 66-7681, 66-7707, 66-7709, 66-7743, 66-7760, 66-7766 and 66-7773. The container was suspended under the left inner underwing hinge.


The AN/AVQ-10 was combat deployed during the Vietnam War. All of the modified Phantoms for their early use served with the 433rd TFS subordinate to the 8th TFW, which was stationed at Ubon Base, Thailand. The first Pave Knife containers arrived at Ubon in 1968. Initial combat operations using laser-guided GBU-10/B were to occur on 23 May 1968 (according to other sources, the first three F-4D modified to carry the containers were not due to arrive at Ubon until March 1971).


As part of a four-man swarm, the container was carried by the lead aircraft, which irradiated the target for its own laser-guided bombs, and especially for those of the rest of the formation.


The deployment of laser-guided bombs also widened the range of targets, as some were not allowed to be attacked due to various restrictions. Such targets included the Long Chi hydroelectric plant. The dam was about 30 metres away. American pilots were thus forbidden to attack it, lest they crash the dam with "iron" bombs, which in turn flooded the surrounding countryside. But that changed with the advent of laser-guided bombs. The Long Chi hydroelectric plant therefore appeared on the target list in April 1972. The core of the American formation was three four-man swarms. The first (led by Col. Carl Miller, then commander of the entire 8th TFW) and a third swarm (led by Lt. Col. Richard Hilton) composed of F-4Ds belonging to the 433rd TFS were to attack the plant itself. The target of the second four-man formation of Phantoms from the 25th TFS was the adjacent transformers. Phantoms Col. Miller and Lt.Col. Hilton had Pave Knives slung, which they used to illuminate the target for the GBU-10/B bombs. Carl Miller was the first target bombed, "his" GBU-10/B directly hitting the roof of the power plant, with the bomb blast blowing it aside. The second formation from the 25th TFS, however, completely missed its target. The second swarm from the 433rd TFS was the last to arrive, and this time the American bombs were not mistaken. The fire from the surrounding 23 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns was heavy, but there were no losses on the American side. The effectiveness of enemy fire was eliminated by tactics using AN/AVQ-10 containers. Its essence was a dive flight with bombs dropped at 14,000 feet (4,270 m) followed by a reload at 11,000 feet (3,350 m), which was intended to significantly reduce the North Vietnamese chances of a hit.


The most famous deployment of Pave Knife containers apparently occurred on 10 May 1972 (the first day of Operation Linebacker) during the attack on the Paul Doumer Bridge in Hanoi. The main striking force in the attack consisted of the following formations:

Swarm
Aeroplanes
Unit
Leader
Armament
Goatee
4x F-4D
435th TFS / 8th TFW
Col. Carl Miller
GBU-8/B
Napkin
4x F-4D
433rd TFS / 8th TFW
Col. Richard Horne
GBU-10/B
Biloxi
4x F-4D
25th TFS / 8th TFW
Capt. Lynn High
GBU-10/B
Jingle
4x F-4D
433rd TFS / 8th TFW
Lt.Col. Richard Hilton
GBU-10/B



South of Hanoi, the lead Goatee swarm made a turn north toward a bridge that the swarm was attacking broadside. Each of the swarm's Phantoms was fired upon by two GBU-8/B bombs. However, neither hit the target, one even refusing to leave the aircraft's hanger. The remaining swarms flew to a point several kilometres east of the target, where they turned southwest, bombing the bridge in a longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, technical problems befell swarm leader Napkin, so the target was eventually bombed by 11 Phantoms, each carrying a pair of GBU-10/B bombs. After-action analysis showed that of the 22 bombs, 12 hit the target and 4 probably did. Although the Paul Doumer Bridge remained standing after the attack, it was severely damaged and had to be decommissioned.


During Operation Linebacker, about 65% of the strikes were made with laser-guided munitions. This figure could have been higher, but was limited by the number of Pave Knife containers, which were in considerable short supply in Southeast Asia. The command 7th Air Force was thus very sensitive to the possible loss of a Phantom with a podded container, which resulted in a sharp increase in support aircraft for fighter escort and suppression of the PVO accompanying the actual strike formation. Commander 7th Air Force Gen. John Vogt commented to his pilots, "Don't come back if you don't have that container with you on the way home!"


The U.S. Air Force had a total of six containers at its disposal throughout the war. However, these were not production products, but rather systems in the research and testing phase. During the conflict, two F-4D aircraft had to be written off, along with the AN/AVQ-10 containers. Specifically, these were 66-7680 (shot down on July 5, 1972) and 66-7707 (shot down on July 10, 1972 on the runway at Ubon). Thus, the USAF had to finish the war with only four Pave Knights.


The AN/AVQ-10 was also deployed by the US Navy. During the Vietnam War, the Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake was tasked with integrating the container into the weapon system of the A-6A Intruder. This was a temporary solution until the A-6E with TRAM sensor was available. Pave Knife containers were used during the war by VA-145 squadron, which claimed 14 North Vietnamese bridges destroyed in three hours on 15 January 1973, in cooperation with A-7 Corsair II VA-113 and VA-25 (both equipped with A-7 Corsair II). The squadron was then operating from the aircraft carrier USS Ranger.


The Pave Knife was replaced by the AN/ASQ-153 Pave Spike in the U.S. Air Force's armament in the post AN/ASQ-153 Pave Spike period.



Technical and tactical data
Weight: 539 kg



Resources
1) McDonnell F-4 Phantom: Spirit in the Skies, Norwalk, 2002
2) Collective: Air Interdiction in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, Washington, 1986
3) Boyne, W. J.: Phantom in Combat, Atglen, 1994
4) Naval Historical Center: Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 1, The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons
5) Ethell, J., Price, A.: One Day of a Long War, Ostrava, 1999
6) Air Force Journal of Logistics Volume 30, Number 3
7) http://www.vectorsite.net/twbomb_12.html#m2
8) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pave_Knife
9) http://www.nawcwpns.navy.mil/r2/wc/WCrisV.htm
10) http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f4_36.html
11) www.globalsecurity.org
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USA - AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife - (USAF)

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USA - AN/AVQ-10 Pave Knife - Pave Knife podvěšený pod Phantomem z 435th TFS / 8th TFW, základna Ubon, červen 1973 (USAF)

Pave Knife podvěšený pod Phantomem z 435th TFS / 8th TFW, základna Ubon, červen 1973 (USAF)
URL : https://www.valka.cz/USA-AN-AVQ-10-Pave-Knife-t53980#202723 Version : 0
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